Two magnetic ribbons on the back of a full-size pick-up in downtown D.C. I would suggest this is ironic, but I would guess there are people who would find such a suggestion offensive, which is not really my goal. I mean, I'm deeply offended that the elected leaders of this and other nations rushed to war against Iraq so that we have troops in danger and in need of support, but, well, there you go. So we have pick-ups driving around cities with magnetic ribbons. For the record, these ribbons have been the subject of previous exchanges here and here, with extensive replies here. There's also a bit more related to this topic over at Buzzwords, this was discussed on the Left2Right blog over a month ago, and there's bits more at Magic Cookie, Blonde Justice, and Andrew Sinclair. Sinclair points to a bit of history about the magnets. I was glad to hear that they originated as an attempt to raise funds for soldiers and their families, even if that's not so much what they are now. Also worth noting is the discernible history of the yellow ribbon as a symbol, which may be a little less clear than some seem to think. There may be some irony in the fact that the song that really put the ribbons into the contemporary popular consciousness described the ribbon as a symbol used by a convict returning from prison after serving his time.