I don’t get all the controversy these vids have stirred up. First of all, they’re hilarious. “Way to jump on that grenade men.”

Secondly, they’re not tourism commercials for Joe Public. They’re for young soldiers.

The message is pretty clear to me. Fayetteville wants more of them to live in their town and wants them to know the town will welcome and support them in any way possible. It’s part of the town’s efforts to get troops who’ve been uprooted by Base Realignment and Closure to choose Fayetteville as their new home. They just did it in a very clever, humorous way.

Hard to believe but our men and women in the armed services are not always made to feel welcome and appreciated in their communities.

Whatever you think about these ads, you’ve got to love a town that puts it all on the line to be a sanctuary community for the military.