"Support the Troops" Wars over war

My eyes just about popped outta my head as I saw this story about an Army wife being fined for a "Support the Troops" yard sign.

Get this, as posted on aol,

When Stacey Kelley's husband, Army Pvt. David Kelley who is serving in Iraq, sent her a cardboard sign expressing support for U.S. troops overseas, she put it up in the yard of her suburban Tampa, Fla., home.

Kelley, 24, never imagined that it would raise controversy, or that she would be threatened with a $100-a-day fine if she refused to take it down....

It was an issue that caused a conflict for the association's president, who is also an Army reservist. Daryl Manning, an Iraq War veteran, said he hoped that some compromise could be worked out.

"I've been there. I know right where her husband is. I've been in [the] country. I was over there for 20 months," he said.

A compromise was reached Thursday night, but it doesn't mean Kelley won't be facing a fine -- just one a lot lower than the amount originally threatened. Instead, the seven-member board voted to impose just a $1-per-day penalty for as long as the sign stays up.

The fine will eventually go up if Kelley doesn't take the sign down, Manning said.

"There's a violation to have any sign in any homeowner's yard, regardless of what it says," Manning said.

Manning said the association's rules about signs, which only allow "For Sale" or "For Lease" signs, were in place to keep the community clean and keep the peace.

"The problem could arise where it could be a neighbor across the street or across the road that says, 'Bring the troops home. Get out of the theater. Cut and run.' What happens when that occurs? So we cannot make exceptions in this case," he said.

Hmmm, so "Support Our Troops" is a code message for "We're For the Iraq War," and "Bring the Troops Home" DOESN'T support the troops?

No secret that I am opposed to this war, and am deeply suspicious of the myriad excuses we were given for getting into it, or the larky way the mission was declared accomplished incredibly prematurely for a photo op and so on and so on. But I do support our men and women who are fighting and spilling their blood. A few of them are former students of mine. They are following orders, and trying to do their jobs with honor and the best motives. But I don't think the two messages are in opposition. Maybe I am incredibly naive.

I also find it interesting that Manning has no problem banning Kelley's sign on just the CHANCE that it might lead to someone else expressing a slightly different opinion that apparently he wouldn't like. Oh, what WOULD happen then? Maybe a chance for people to debate openly like adults?

Perish the thought.