The American men and women serving in Iraq deserve a set of action figures in their honor. They have shown courage in the face of daily danger and fortitude in the midst of constantly oppressive conditions. All of them have been forced to endure lengthy separations from their loved ones. Hundreds have been killed in battle or in accidents. Thousands have suffered grievous injuries or mysterious illnesses, and their arduous rehabilitations continue outside the public eye.
So a military action figure similar to the ones being produced by Hong Kong-based Blue Box Toys would be one small but appropriate way of honoring the sacrifice of American forces in Iraq.
Except that's not exactly the kind of action figure Blue Box Toys decided to produce. Instead, the company is marketing a line of foot-tall likenesses of President Bush in the naval flight suit he wore during his infamous made-for-TV landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1.
The president isn't directly responsible for the misplaced idolization of the new action figures known as "Elite Force Aviator: George W. Bush - U.S. President and Naval Aviator." Still, the president should have the grace to distance himself from the product and suggest that toy manufacturers and American consumers should instead find more appropriate ways to honor the real American heroes of the war in Iraq.
