Padres reconsider dog tags for children as a military promotion?

by jbox on Feb 27, 2011 10:40 PM PST

Last week we linked to a blog post from San Diegan Kap Fulton titled Tell the San Diego Padres: Stop Using Children as Instruments of War. While the title is a bit misleading, Kap was appalled that the Padres would offer "Dog Tags For Kids" as a promotional give away.

Dear San Diego Padres,

I am again appalled that you have decided to sell children on the concept of war-through-baseball. "Dog Tags for Kids" on military opening day? You do realize, I’m sure, that Dog Tags are used to identify the corpses of dead soldiers. Why would you giveaway these items to children?

We took a poll and while only a few of you participated, 22% of you agreed with Kap. The rest thought that the tags served to support the military.

Admittedly at first I thought Kap was overreacting, which is to say he was doing a good job blogging. Then I read a little bit about the history of dog tags to see if they served any other purpose. It turns out they serve one primary purpose.

Marine Corps History Division:

They serve to identify Marines who fall in battle and secure a suitable burial for them.

Identification tags are issued today as they were in 1916. They secure the proper interment of those who fall in battle and establish beyond a doubt their identity.

I started to see the issue from Kap's point of view, maybe he was right, giving dog tags to kids is a little macabre. That's not to say that I would have any problem letting my hypothetical children wear them, because kids wouldn't view them in the same way. Plus wearing an identification bracelet or dog tag seems like a good idea for kids if they get lost.

In any case, the Padres might have taken notice of the 127 people that signed Kap's petition and reconsidered.

We received this anonymous tip a few days ago:

That nutjob who complained about the dog tags for kids might have actually got the padres to reconsider. I don't see mention of the dogtags on the website anymore.

At the time I never actually looked at the online version of the promotional schedule to see if the promotion was there, but it's not on there now. We can tell you that it was on the printed 2011 Promotional Lineup that was handed out at FanFest.

Here is a comparison for your consideration:

The top line (white) is from Padres.com and the bottom (gray) is from the printed version. As you can see, the promotion isn't listed.

Are the Padres no longer offering replica dog tags to children as a promotion? We have no confirmation yet, but I guess we'll find out on April 10th at the latest.

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Comments

That kid bears the face of a pacifist turned killer if ever I've seen one...

How dare they defile his innocent mind with a DOG TAG!!!

Ehhhh, I don't deserve a signature...

by sdchicken on Feb 27, 2011 10:59 PM PST reply actions

My take:

I consider myself to be a liberal, and even I don’t see a problem in this. Its a ballclub that showing its support for a military town and the sacrifices they have made for our nation; that’s the intent. The part that pisses me off was the title: “Stop Using Our Children As Instuments of War”. That isn’t the message!!. Now, if there were military recriters trying to recruit kids to join the Marines at Petco? Then she has something to gripe about.

"follow @radio2012, trust me, you will find his optimism, innocence, and honesty quite refreshing. as a jaded bastard, i sure do." justdave2103

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by Jonathan Holmes on Feb 27, 2011 11:06 PM PST reply actions

How else are you going to identify their little bodies?

"Never have a motto, that's what I always say" - Me
http://marcel-oehler.marcellosendos.ch/comics/ch/1986/05/19860506.gif
"I Hate SF" - The Chosen One.

by padmadfan on Feb 27, 2011 11:13 PM PST reply actions 5 recs

Trivializing the ravages of war is always a poor idea

It seems to be in poor taste, just as it would if they were given away in a happy meal. At some point, you are no longer paying tribute, you are simply exploiting. Plastic dog tags used as toys don’t honor my son’s death, it’s just a gimmick to sell more tickets.

I think this crass marketing and merchandizing crosses the line. I am glad the Padres reconsidered. Let’s hope the Mets and Yankees don’t hand out free dental records in honor of the 10th anniversary of September 11

http://chargerdynasty.blogspot.com/ " If you have some spare money hanging around, it would be worth your time to place some bets based on my Chargers 38 Bengals 7 prediction"

by strummer on Feb 28, 2011 4:59 AM PST reply actions 2 recs

But when does it cross the line from tribute to exploitation?

What do you think of the Marine Corps Hymn being played? From your comments, I’d figure that you see it as tribute. But, they only play the song on Sundays. Though they play it in recognition of the Marines that are there, Sundays are also the noted “kids days”. Some may argue that by playing the song and having everyone standing up and clapping, it may make a child think that joining the military is something they have to do. “I want Mommy and Daddy clapping for me, so I want to be a Marine.” People are out there that think like this. One person’s tribute is another’s exploitation.

Also, did it become “crass marketing and merchandising” once someone brought it up on the interwebs? As I had noted in the comments section of the blog post that first mentioned this petition, the Padres had been supplying dog tags to kids for the last 2 FanFests. If people would have had problems with such a promotion at a free event like FanFest, I’m sure the Padres wouldn’t have looked to bring it back for the price of a ticket. But there wasn’t any outrage over that. Plus, no one has to take a promotional item. It’s just a matter of whether you want to tell your kid they can’t have something that every other kid gets.

Why ask a failed romance to come watch your successful one? You know, that's like inviting the Seattle Mariners to a World Series game. It's just weird for everyone.

by Friar Fever on Feb 28, 2011 9:13 AM PST up reply actions

So tell your kid he can't have the giveaway all the other kids are getting?

Then get to your seats and it’s the National Anthem, fighter jet flyover, camo unis and upper deck sections of Marines getting a standing ovation. Message to kid: Dad is a Dirty Fucking Hippie.

by lemonverbena on Feb 28, 2011 10:34 AM PST up reply actions

So long as it is not politicized

I don’t see a problem with the Marine Corps Hymn being played in honor of the Marines in attendance. It is paying respect.
I think it is an apples and oranges comparison.

Dog tags are used to identify a corpse on the battlefield. Turning them into a toy for kids pays tribute to neither the dead or the living. And just because a bad idea was done previously at FanFest, it does not justify the continuation of it.

Today was the first I had heard of it

http://chargerdynasty.blogspot.com/ " If you have some spare money hanging around, it would be worth your time to place some bets based on my Chargers 38 Bengals 7 prediction"

by strummer on Feb 28, 2011 10:36 AM PST up reply actions

There's no reference to the dog tags paying tribute to anyone.

They were to be given away on “Military Opening Day”. Had they been scheduled to be given away on one of the “recognition” days for each branch of the military this year, I would chalk it up as a form of tribute. Anyone can buy dog tags anywhere these days. Does anyone even know what will be on the tag? My guess is that it won’t have a kids name on it to identify them. I think the Friar will be on it, maybe even the SD logo. Thus, it would identify them as a Padre fan, not a soldier. Plus, I also mentioned in the other blog post that there will also be military shirts for kids later in the year sponsored by Northrop Grumman, the military defense company. The date is marketed as Military Appreciation Day. I have a feeling that those shirts will carry a lot more military significance than a plastic toy. What are your thoughts on that promotion?

Why ask a failed romance to come watch your successful one? You know, that's like inviting the Seattle Mariners to a World Series game. It's just weird for everyone.

by Friar Fever on Feb 28, 2011 10:47 AM PST up reply actions

Since neither of us have seen the T-shirts

It seems like a complete waste of a day to argue the merits of them. Regardless, a shirt is not a toy and it is not used to ID the dead.

I made my personal loss and my viewpoint about dog tags clear. I’m sorry you’re having a difficult time understanding it, but I view it to be in very poor taste.

http://chargerdynasty.blogspot.com/ " If you have some spare money hanging around, it would be worth your time to place some bets based on my Chargers 38 Bengals 7 prediction"

by strummer on Feb 28, 2011 11:40 AM PST up reply actions

Wait, hold on

Are you telling me that when my father (who spent 23 years in the Navy as a fighter pilot, flew combat missions in Vietnam, was an instructor at Top Gun, and retired at the rank of Captain) took me to the airshow every year (an event which glorifies weapons of war) and bought me dogtags, he was disrespecting the memories of the men that he knew and flew with that died while fighting in Vietnam?

by SDfaithful on Feb 28, 2011 12:33 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

Straw man

Of course that isn’t disrespecting anyone’s memory. A parent buying their kid dog tags at an airshow is not comparable to a team handing 10,000 of them out as souvenirs at a baseball game.

by lemonverbena on Feb 28, 2011 12:53 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

My father gave me a rifle when I was 14-15 years old

That doesn’t mean I think it is a good idea for the Padres to host a rifle day for kids 15 and under.
I was allowed to have wine at dinner on special occasions as a teenager. That doesn’t mean ………..you get the idea.

http://chargerdynasty.blogspot.com/ " If you have some spare money hanging around, it would be worth your time to place some bets based on my Chargers 38 Bengals 7 prediction"

by strummer on Feb 28, 2011 2:22 PM PST up reply actions

That’s General Stinkypants

commander of the next great "American Empire Hunger Pains War"

by partmanpartmonkey on Feb 28, 2011 6:07 AM PST reply actions

Dog tag necklaces are a current fashion item.

Diesel makes them and they’re sold at Nordstrom. Guess makes them too. You can buy your own at Target.

by wegotballsley on Feb 28, 2011 6:36 AM PST reply actions

They included an asterisk for a reason

*Promotion may be quietly abandoned if enough people recognize that dog tags fetishize war to children.

by lemonverbena on Feb 28, 2011 7:50 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

This is what I don't like

The times I looked at those “signatures”, only one of the “signers” were from anywhere near San Diego. In fact, I saw a Germany, Switzerland, Greece, and France. France! Who’s gonna protect Le French now? If this person walked THESE streets with that speech about instruments of war and presented 127 signatures to the Padres, then they’d have actually had something meaningful to show. But when you use a website that people just have to “agree” with your cause with a yes or no, you’ve done nothing…ESPECIALLY when you look to get 200 signatures and only have 127 when the entire world can agree with your cause, you’ve done nothing.

For the Padres to let this person change their promotions is a shame. I mean, they didn’t even bother to use the right camo jersey!

Why ask a failed romance to come watch your successful one? You know, that's like inviting the Seattle Mariners to a World Series game. It's just weird for everyone.

by Friar Fever on Feb 28, 2011 8:15 AM PST reply actions 3 recs

I will go ahead and say I am not a big fan of the dog tag idea

I have no problem with supporting the military through all sorts of promotions, but promotions that are targeted for kids should probably be a bit more… “age appropriate”.

by Zen Blade on Feb 28, 2011 8:29 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

Hope they didn't change because of some whiny bitch

This is a terrible thing for the Padres. - Jerry Coleman

by Padres_Hobo on Feb 28, 2011 10:47 AM PST reply actions 3 recs

Wow if that's all it takes

I’m going to start a petition to raise the payroll to 90 million next year.

"You're killing independent George!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

by Art Vanndelay on Feb 28, 2011 10:48 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

I guess to appease Kap

Padres have decided to scrap the Dog Tags for free Birkenstock day

"You're killing independent George!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

by Art Vanndelay on Feb 28, 2011 10:51 AM PST reply actions 2 recs

One bright spot:

I guess the organization is going to bring back the brown since they have way more than 127 signatures.

www.FriarsOnCardboard.blogspot.com
"jbox does not drink coffee, as it makes him clean house big time." ~Kev

by TheThinGwynn on Feb 28, 2011 11:06 AM PST reply actions 3 recs

Crediting a petition for canceling the dog tag promotion misses the point

Point being, the Padres (apparently) reconsidered the idea because of what dog tags represent. Whether one person or 127 people made them aware of it is inconsequential.

by lemonverbena on Feb 28, 2011 11:54 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs