Will you be wearing RED

[flicka]

I received this today.

The Story Begins :-

Last week I was in West London attending a conference.

 

While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer.

 

I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

 

Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their uniforms, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

 

When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded Briton who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work, and enjoy our home without fear of reprisal.

 

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers.

 

He knelt down and said 'hi,' the little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her.

 

The young soldier didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy.

 

Suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

 

The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Corporal and had been in Afghanistan for 5 months now.

 

As the mum was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

 

When this temporarily single mum was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second.

 

Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie.

 

They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.

 

After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, 'I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.'

 

He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a Kiss on the cheek.

 

He finished by saying 'Your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.'

 

The mum at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mum.

 

I was standing no more than 6 feet away as this entire event unfolded.

 

As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause.

 

As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own.

 

That young soldier in one last act of moment turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.

 

We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices.

 

At the end of the day, it's good to be an Englishman.

 

RED FRIDAYS

 

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday.

 

The reason?

 

Englishmen and women who support our troops used to be called the 'silent majority'.

 

We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for Country and home in record breaking numbers.

 

We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing.

 

We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.

Many English people, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Britain supports our troops.

 

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that every Briton who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.

 

By word of mouth, press, TV, let's make Great Britain on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football team

 

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, It will not be long before Britain is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

 

The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can we do to make things better for you?' is...'We need your support and your prayers'...

 

Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.

 

IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON

 

IF YOU COULD NOT CARE LESS THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON.

 

IT IS YOUR CHOICE.

 

THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED----

 

Lest we Forget.

 

 

[Guest peter]

People need to remember that every one of our boys that is killed in action there are a multitude of others at home who will have their lives devastated. I'm glad I don't have to do it. Although I would willingly blow the brains out of these cowardly scum that set booby trap bombs. Why don't they stand up and fight like men. They wouldn't have the bottle, and never have.

[Syd]

Because Peter there are no brownie points to be gained from taking un-neccessary risks.

With roadside bombs there is little risk, with face to face fighting there is high risk.

 

Which would you prefer

[malc d]

If you Google "wear red on Fridays" you can see this has been around some time.

(One site has the same story but the 'conference' was in Atlanta,Georgia).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maggyd]

Thanks for that flicka I found that a very moving story and I arent surpriised in the least at that young soldier action, they are very undervalued members of our society and should have more recognition and appreciation than they get.

[duffers]

malc d - 2010-01-21 2:48 PM

 

If you Google "wear red on Fridays" you can see this has been around some time.

(One site has the same story but the 'conference' was in Atlanta,Georgia).

nice one malc.

I'm sick of being manipulated - and it's interesting just how much of this tear-jerk knee jerk crap can be traced back to some dingbat in southern US

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RoyH]

Well duffers may be "tear jerk knee jerk crap" but to others the effects are real. So get yourself down to Wootton Bassett this Friday (29th Jan) for 1 30 pm or so and see the real effects of this useless battle our forces are having to fight. Oh, and wear something red so that I'll recognise you.

 

 

[flicka]

RoyH - 2010-01-26 7:22 PM

 

Well duffers may be "tear jerk knee jerk crap" but to others the effects are real. So get yourself down to Wootton Bassett this Friday (29th Jan) for 1 30 pm or so and see the real effects of this useless battle our forces are having to fight. Oh, and wear something red so that I'll recognise you.

 

Hear, Hear.

Dispite doing a great job in difficult circumstances -It's not the forces fault they are out there.

 

[duffers]

The mawkish sentimentality behind these totally fictional tear jerker urban myths trivialises and tarnishes what is really happening and cheapens the work that is being done by honest people.

I would not normally even consider this kind of claptrap in the same thread / conversation about people in the forces and events in Wooton Basset and fail to see how any intelligent person could regard the blatant lies as anything other than denigrating people and sentiments genuinely involved.

 

Can you really not understand what is happening, how you are being manipulated and how little the forces personnel actually need this rubbish to justify their actions and feelings.

Ignoring the truth and playing on emotional responses is what got us into this mess in the first place.

 

Be interesting to see if Bliar can continue to spin his nonsense tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

[Syd]

Well I'm sick of the whole bloody lot so a week Monday I'm gone for three months in an effort to get these lyeing, cheating, snivelling, spiv pigs out of my system for a while.

 

The more we find out the more disgusted I become, the most gauling thing is that after all this enquiry NOTHING will happen, LIAR will go away with a pat on the back and another million or two in the bank smirking his stinking head off

[howie]

Thats how we all feel Syd, but just like the inquiry in to Dr. David Kelly's death it will most probably be buried away for the next 70 years. Thats 'transparency' for you.

[Syd]

howie - 2010-01-28 11:24 PM

 

Thats how we all feel Syd, but just like the inquiry in to Dr. David Kelly's death it will most probably be buried away for the next 70 years. Thats 'transparency' for you.

 

 

As a young man I think that this country was great, then our MPs started going over to America and once there they picked up on the greed and avarice of the American politicians and brought it back here.

Slowly the whole bloody shooting match got their noses into the trough and from there on in we bagan to count for less and less, accountability went slowly to the wall.

I feel disgusted, it is so depressing living here and having my nose rubbed in the s**t every day by poloticians, banks, health authorities, human rights, equal rights, climate warming zealots, bin men, parking wardens, social services, un-elected prime ministers, ex-prime ministers, mandelson, straw,harman Ooohh buggar it, I shall fly back for the election and just for the hell of it I intend to vote for BNP. Cannot be any worse than what we are getting now

[malc d]

Syd

 

When you do get back I suggest you stop reading the newspapers, who in my view make things a lot worse.

It might be a good idea if politicians stopped reading them too, and did what was "right" rather than what was popular in the tabloids.

 

 

:-(

[Brian Kirby]

malc d - 2010-01-29 10:01 AM Syd When you do get back I suggest you stop reading the newspapers, who in my view make things a lot worse. It might be a good idea if politicians stopped reading them too, and did what was "right" rather than what was popular in the tabloids. :-(

But that, surely, is exactly the problem!  Blair just, y'know, did what he believed was, y'know, "right".  It seems to have been some conviction about the rightness of the cause, that persuaded him we should invade Iraq. 

Had he read a bit more, and looked beyond his personal convictions as an end in themselves, he should have been receptive to the warnings about the reliability of the WMD intelligence, and just might have decided against.

IMO, it is exactly conviction politicians (who for me are just lazy sods who can't be bothered to challenge their own beliefs with alternatives) who have inflicted a succession of messes; military, diplomatic and financial, upon us.

I want duller, less charismatic, politicians who take proper advice from proper sources, are cautious in their approach, who do an honest job, and who remember that British service personnel sign up to defend the realm, not to be sacrificed on flaky, poorly planned, overseas ventures with little or no justification. 

America has signally declined to reveal why they embarked on this venture in the first place, and our government has, in line with established practise, followed suite.  Given the cost to us in money and lives, I really think we should be told just what this little fiasco was all about.  Chilcott isn't coming close. 

There are just two relevant questions. 

What was the actual threat to UK security that we sought to preempt by invading Iraq? 

What was the urgency that compelled invasion without UN agreement, however long that might have taken to achieve?

All else flows from the answers to those two questions.

[malc d]

Brian Kirby - 2010-01-29 11:51 AM

malc d - 2010-01-29 10:01 AM Syd When you do get back I suggest you stop reading the newspapers, who in my view make things a lot worse. It might be a good idea if politicians stopped reading them too, and did what was "right" rather than what was popular in the tabloids. :-(

But that, surely, is exactly the problem!  Blair just, y'know, did what he believed was, y'know, "right".  It seems to have been some conviction about the rightness of the cause, that persuaded him we should invade Iraq. 

Had he read a bit more, and looked beyond his personal convictions as an end in themselves, he should have been receptive to the warnings about the reliability of the WMD intelligence, and just might have decided against.

IMO, it is exactly conviction politicians (who for me are just lazy sods who can't be bothered to challenge their own beliefs with alternatives) who have inflicted a succession of messes; military, diplomatic and financial, upon us.

I want duller, less charismatic, politicians who take proper advice from proper sources, are cautious in their approach, who do an honest job, and who remember that British service personnel sign up to defend the realm, not to be sacrificed on flaky, poorly planned, overseas ventures with little or no justification. 

America has signally declined to reveal why they embarked on this venture in the first place, and our government has, in line with established practise, followed suite.  Given the cost to us in money and lives, I really think we should be told just what this little fiasco was all about.  Chilcott isn't coming close. 

There are just two relevant questions. 

What was the actual threat to UK security that we sought to preempt by invading Iraq? 

What was the urgency that compelled invasion without UN agreement, however long that might have taken to achieve?

All else flows from the answers to those two questions.

If you want " duller, less charismatic politicians who take proper advice from proper sources" do you include the tabloids as a reliable source ?

[duffers]

well expressed Brian,

 

I wish we taught history in schools,

there is a lot to learn from the past.

In your teens and twenties it is understandable to believe that you know better and are capable of solving the world's problems by waving a magic wand -

but it is quite unacceptable beyond then - live and learn and repent.

 

I think that Bliar and Bush and co should be faced with their actions everytime they put their heads above the parapet, they should have to face the real costs of their hubris [note to George - google it *-) ]

 

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

malc d - 2010-01-29 8:10 PM  If you want " duller, less charismatic politicians who take proper advice from proper sources" do you include the tabloids as a reliable source ?

They're all tabloid format now!  No, I wouldn't generally include any of the media as proper sources, they are what we have to put up with.

Governments have access to sources of information the media can't get to, and can get to pretty much any of the the sources the media use as well.

Whether they then read/listen to, and digest, that information properly, or just look to it as a way to support their policy of the month, is quite another matter!

[duffers]

yup

[malc d]

If you really want to show your support for our troops why not send a donation to the British Legion ?