Controversial?

Yesterday my co-leader, her husband and myself, took all of our Girl Scouts to the San Diego Zoo.  It was cookie kick-off day and we were excited to start the season and see some animals.  When you do any sort of Girl Scout event, we always like to have our girls wear their uniform.  Recently the Girls Scouts on Camp Pendleton made some shirts, simple t-shirts so that people would know what service unit our girls are from.  Just as if you make tie dye shirts, it is just something to show off our pride of being Camp Pendleton Girl Scouts.  The shirts are camouflaged and in bright pink on the front, it says Camp Pendleton Girl Scouts.  We have always had people thank us and smile at our girls, knowing that they sacrifice their time with one or both of their parents.  However, yesterday was completely different.  I had noticed that people were looking, I assumed because #1, we were all matching and #2, they wanted to see what was on our shirts.  It was then that my co-leaders husband pointed out that people were saying things like "did you see those shirts?!!!"  and "how could they have their girls wear shirts like that?!"  I think I even heard once "those shirts are inappropriate", really?  I understand that people are against the war and don't support what our military is doing overseas, but do you really think that our girls should not be supporting their own parents who are the fighters in that war?  I am not telling my children or anybody elses what to think, all they know is that they love their moms and dads and they live on Camp Pendleton and they are proud of where they are.  Even if they grow up not supporting war, I am 100% certain they will still support their parents. When did wearing camo become so controversial?  If we lived on a farm and had farming parents, we probably would have cow print shirts, it was not about being pro-war and parading our children around the zoo to support the cause, we were there to have a good time.  And to be honest, they are children, they are children who are already self conscious and staring and making comments about what they are wearing isn't going to help them.  So, if you live near us and happen to see any of the girls wearing their shirts, just smile.  And if you are offended, please just look the other way.

UPDATE: As I was writing this, one of my dear friends was finding out that one fo her sons friends had just lost his dad who was serving in Afghanistan.  Someones dad people.  Not just a soldier fighting a war, a father and a husband who will never come home.