Magnet "Ribbons"

"Red is the AIDS ribbon, green is something else, and purple something else. Every color in the spectrum has been taken." -- Rush Limbaugh

Rush has a rant in which he decries the practice of wearing ribbons as a symbol of caring for something. His problem is not the caring itself, but the ribbon. It basically says "look at me. I care about AIDS/Troops/Pope John Paul/Domestic Violence/Hunger" or anything else someone will make a ribbon for "more than you do" . His point is that wearing the ribbon doesn't mean that you care more, and certainly doesn't mean that you do any more for that particular cause.

I have to agree with that, and I will take it a step further. Magnet Ribbons. Magnet Ribbons are ubiquitous now. I've seen a number of vehicles with 3 or more different magnet ribbons, most of which are large enough to be seen, but with text placed and sized so that nobody can see what's written on them. I suppose we are supposed to know the color code, but to me these things say "Look at me. I care about something". So what? I suppose you deserve a medal (or a ribbon...?) for that.

Look at http://www.wholesalecentral.com/accessoriespalace/store.cfm?event=showcatalog&catid=52706. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Betcha didn't know there were that many different ribbons for sale, did you?

I think there's something really pathetic about declaring your commitment to something by using a removeable sign.

Now, since everybody's got a ribbon, the messages are all much weaker. Other drivers don't believe in your cause, and they don't care that you do.