Choosing my Battles

 I pretty much keep my thoughts to myself when it comes to public pronouncements. Case in point:  I did comment on the puppy-nourishing goose, indicating that while viewers may enjoy looking at the picture, the caption appeared to be fiction. That resulted in scores of negative comments, including personal insults. I conclude they proved my point. 

  I could publish another personal opinion, but I don't think I could weather the storm. So I'll only confide in you, O Blog. 

     I do not think it is a good thing to post pictures of veterans on telephone poles. All veterans are now designated as Hometown Heroes, which of course is in itself not a true statement. Some were reluctantly drafted and did their duty, and are deserving of respect and benefits for their service, but calling them heroes is stretching the definition of the word. But I'll concede that point. But who in heck ever came up with putting their pictures and information on telephone poles, of all places. I believe years ago pictures of WANTED  offenders were placed on telephone poles. But that was discontinued in favor of other more efficient messaging. 

   Why a telephone pole picture to honor a veteran is beyond any reasonable thought. There are countles other venues to do so. Post the pictures in honor of veterans in community halls, cemeteries,  parks, libraries, and any other public places where such would be allowed, and even on the homes and lawns of their families and loved ones who want to honor them. 

But on telephone poles, along roadways and highways. Why? What did their service have to do with people driving from place to place. Do  we want to encourage drivers to be reading signs while driving. Most of the words printed on these signs are not readily visible and should drivers be reading information which has nothing to do with driving? "Sorry, Officer, I didn't see that car, I was trying to read that sign." Has not legislation restricted advertisement signage and billboards in proximity to roadways as being potentially distracting and therefore unsafe.

   I understand families of veterans pay a fee to have the signs nailed to telephone poles. I can see that already some of the signs are faded and have been damaged by the weather, so it seems regular maintenance will be necessary. 

  Yes, honor our country's Veterans in all the traditional ways and through the more modern methods of transmitting our repect. But  posting their pictures  on  telephone poles does not seem either respectful to them, nor does it encourage respect by those driving by---just more irrelevancies to be ignored and forgotten.