Dear #1 Muchacho,

With Independence Day here, I'd like to support our troops. However, there is so much flag waving b.s. these days; that those people with the yellow ribbons on their cars have turned me off of patriotism all together. What are some things I can do to support the troops.

Patriotic Paul,
In Pittsburgh

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Paul,

There is a lot of debate over what is actually supporting the troops. Don't let people tell you that you need to support a war to support our troops. That is utter garbage and completely un-American. The very concept of dissent is patriotic and anyone who says otherwise does not understand what our founding fathers set out to accomplish. There are several things you can do to support our brave troops, whether you support the war they are fighting or not.

Here are just a few in no particular order:

1.) Say "thank you". This may sound obvious or not that big of a deal, but when is the last time you told someone in the military that you appreciate their service? Currently enlisted or not, give someone in the military a call, write them a letter, or just shake his/her hand and say "thanks"

2.) Send care packages. There are several web sites that will help you send stuff to military personnel overseas. You can send fun stuff like books and dvds or supplies like shaving cream and lip balm. Whatever it is it, shows you care. You can do a quick google search for sending materials to troops and find a method that suits you

3.) Vote. Vote for candidates who take care of soldiers and veterans. Politicians talk a big game, but make sure they're actually following through. This goes back to what we talked about in the beginning. Don't let politicians tell you that going deeper into a war is support. Sometimes the best support is not being involved at all. You can decide for your self though.

4.) Reduce your oil consumption. If the U.S. wasn't so dependent on oil, we wouldn't be in the current Iraq war. The sooner we move towards alternative energy sources, the sooner we'll be out of conflicts. There are tons of things you can do to help this process, and it doesn't mean you have to buy a hybrid car. Start walking or riding a bike places, use public transportation, car pool when you have to go somewhere.

Remember oil consumption isn't just about you driving a car. Supporting local commerce and locally grown agriculture, reduces the amount of fuel used to transport products. Turn your lights off when you leave a room, turn your AC off in place of a fan. Just about anything using power, eventually makes it way back to oil. So always be on the look out to conserve.

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