Making the case for yellow ribbons

Joining hundreds of other supporters, I throw my hat into the Yellow Ribbon ring and write in support of the placement of the yellow ribbons on the town Green in Litchfield.

This historical and iconic way to show support for our military has been around longer than most people realize. Sure, there were plenty of yellow ribbons around in America in 1981 (a mere 40 years ago) during the Iran hostage crisis but research shows that yellow ribbons supporting the military can be traced back as far as 1640 when the Puritans, in their fight against the king, wore yellow ribbons on their uniforms. This is according to “The Yellow Ribbon History: A Study,” by Cavin Finley.

An excerpt from Wikipedia tells us that the song “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” has appeared in various forms for at least four centuries. The song is based on a woman who waits for her loved one to return from battle.

The worry and dread families face while waiting for those loved ones to return safely has not changed over the centuries. Women, men and children are still waiting for their loved ones to return and sadly will probably always be. The essence and the meaning of the symbol of the yellow ribbon speaks clearly to the hope that we all should hold for the safe return of our own.

One of the comments by Senior Burgess Gayle Carr speaks to the need to watch over the Green due to its “Historic District” status. The yellow ribbons predate this designation — that designation having been instituted in 1959. The history of the yellow ribbon goes back for hundreds of years and clearly supports that historic designation and does nothing to degrade or undermine it. The yellow ribbons go hand in hand with Litchfield’s and our country’s rich history.

She also misses the point when she states that the Green already has a War on Terror monument. Yellow ribbons are not only in place to honor the fallen, as are the monuments. They are there to remind us to thank our veterans who are still with us and to acknowledge that there are men and women fighting for our country every day, in places none of us would most likely wish to be.

And the argument that if one group gets to put up ribbons — than any group would have to allowed to do the same — hugely misses the mark. The military and military families behind this effort are not nonprofit groups looking to showcase a cause de jour.

The military is an institution and has no bearing or connections with other groups looking to hang up ribbons. This is comparing apples and oranges. People do not die or end up in hospitals while working for and with nonprofit groups. There is no comparison.

I urge the borough board to come to its senses and see how illogical their arguments are against the hanging of these symbolic ribbons. The fact that the ribbons have already been up, beginning in 2003, and the written agreement reached to keep the ribbons on the Green has been in existence since 2010, with no earth-shattering consequences, shows the arguments against the ribbons to be unsupported and unsubstantiated.

I also request that the borough board, when they lay their heads down on their respective pillows tonight, consider two things: One, how well would you be sleeping knowing that your child, father, sister, brother is somewhere in the world, fighting for our country, and you may never see that person again?

And two, without our military presence keeping us safe against threats, what might become of the freedoms and safety that you currently enjoy?

Do the right thing, let these ribbons remain in place as the symbols of love, appreciation and safe return for our military that they so silently and steadfastly represent.