OK people, the "support our troops" magnet fad is getting a little out of hand. You aren't doing anything to support our troops by putting some magnet on your car that you purchased at Wal-Mart or from some savvy up-start Internet retailer.

And I suppose the people with two or three of these magnets on the back of that nice big gas guzzling, foreign oil-dependent SUV are supporting the troops more than people with only one magnet, or gasp, no magnets at all?

There are many ways to truly and genuinely support our troops. Instead of purchasing an idiotic magnet consider donating the few dollars to a worthwhile charity such as "The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes" (http://saluteheroes.org).

It is a group that supports wounded and disabled veterans of the war on terror.

You may also wish to speak out against the lack of armored Humvees in Iraq or against President Bush's proposed budget cut to veterans' services such as healthcare.

You can go to www.optruth.org to search for contact info for your Senators and representatives -- let them know you want our troops to have adequate armor and health care. Let's face it. Everyone, regardless of political leaning, wants to support our troops. There are many ways to do this, but a trendy magnet on the back of a car isn't one of them.