Laura Michalski ("Bracelet craze shows fashion takes over charity" Wed., Dec. 1) wrote a great opinion article about how people are wearing LiveStrong bracelets to be fashionable instead of charitable. But she left out one key psychological element. It absolves you of guilt. It used to be that if you sat around doing nothing for anybody, you'd feel bad. People get to think, "Hey, I did my part. I spent a dollar on a useless piece of rubber." I was mortified to hear that there are "freedombands" to show support for the troops. Those yellow ribbon car magnets are my pet peeve. Veterans put them on their cars because of personal experience. Others buy them because a family member or friend is in the military. For these groups, the yellow ribbon and the "freedomband" have significance. For most Americans it's a way to weasel out of feeling guilty about staying home while others go overseas. It doesn't help me, but you know what would? Join.

National Guard and Reserve rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan are increasing to 12- and 18-month tours. Why are soldiers being deployed more often and staying longer? There aren't enough people to share the workload. Rumor has it that my unit will leave for Iraq in September. Maybe I'll get the chance to help someone. The downside is that I'll be away from school for close to two years, pushing back my graduation. Don't pretend to be supporting me by putting a magnet on your car. Contact an Army National Guard recruiter to find out what the National Guard can do for you, and what you can do for your country. You could contact any service. If you believe in something, you'd stand up for it instead of excusing your way out of it.