People plaster their vehicles with all sorts of decals and bumper stickers representing their favorite teams, college, kids’ school or hobbies–even which political party they lean towards. But there’s one trend catching on across the country that involves a thin blue line stretching across vehicles’ back windows that is a sign of support for some very special people.
Everyone has heard of the phrase “Blue Lives Matter,” which people use in support of police officers. Some have adopted the blue line as a symbol to accompany the phrase. But when one woman in Texas offered to place free thin blue stripes on the back of locals’ vehicles after she put one on her own, she had no idea just how big her project would become.
The important reason people are putting a blue line on their car is in a show of solidarity for officers. April Killingsworth, manager of Tangent Signs, posted on the company’s Facebook page about her idea to affix blue stripes on vehicles free of charge after she did it to her own car. She had asked an employee to cut a few stripes for her in advance, so they could be prepared for the handful of people she anticipated helping.
Little did they know just how huge the turnout would be. In the first two days, Tangent Signs placed more than 1,000 stripes on vehicles. Then they stopped counting, April told KLTV-TV.
“I don’t even know how many stripes have been cut and stuck and given away. It’s insane.”
In fact, on the third day, when April showed up at work to open the doors, there was a line of cars stretching down Highway 19, waiting for their free blue stripe. April wasastounded.
“It was unbelievable. I made the turn and I was like, ‘Oh wow look at all of this!’ I had to fight to get into my driveway.”
It wasn’t just people from Walker County showing up for the blue stripe, but people all across East Texas, including members of the Crockett Police Department. Crockett is located approximately 40 miles from April’s shop. Ahleeha Price with that police department said making the trip wasn’t a big deal, considering what the blue stripe means to her and to those she works with.
“To get that thin blue line and to show my support for my law enforcement family, it’s definitely worth it.”
April said she was shocked to receive supportive emails from people across the country who are too far away to get a stripe from the Texas business. Many police officers and police departments have reached out to the business, thanking her for what she’s doing.
“NYPD officers reached out to us … on Facebook. We had California this morning, and Minnesota was the very first one to contact us.”
Others have caught on to April’s idea and have started placing thin blue stripes on their motorcycle shields, mailboxes and even on the curb outside of their homes in a show of support for officers. Have you placed a blue stripe somewhere on your vehicle or property?
