SUPPORT OUR CANADIAN TROOPS

I am a supporter of our armed forces.

I have a great deal of respect for the fact

that they are doing a job that I would

not likely choose for my self. 

I also believe that the majority of them

have chosen their career path

for the right reasons.

With Remembrance Day just passed

and our troops still deployed in Afghanistan

(and likely to be there for some time)

questions arise.

Some people don’t understand

why supporting our armed forces is important. 

Several generations of Canadians have never witnessed

an international conflict

with a threat that seemed real and present.

It does seem at times that our forces are called upon

to fight battles that are not ours to fight.

But here’s the deal.

We are not an unaligned nation. 

Canada is a member of NATO and of the U.N.

As a result, we have obligations. 

When our government is called upon to participate

as part of a united front against a perceived threat

to international security,

we are obliged to answer that call

by sending our people and resources to fill a role,

combat or otherwise. 

We hope and expect that our government will make decisions

to back, or back away from, such initiatives

in keeping with our own country’s moral code.

Whether or not one believes that we belong in Afghanistan is not the issue.

The question is, for me,

do I believe the men and women in uniform

who have been sent into harm’s way on behalf of our government

deserve my support, my prayers and my thanks

for doing a dirty and dangerous job?

Yes I do.

Once upon a time our military role was as peacekeepers. 

We were known and respected the world wide

for inventing and living up to the spirit of that role.

Unfortunately, the world is not, and never has been, a peaceful place.

Whether or not one believes

that what happens to governments on the other side of the world

represents a tangible threat to us

doesn't matter as much as understanding

that someone is over there right now,

ensuring that the point remains academic;

An issue to be discussed around the dinner table.

We are safe in our homes.

Protected by someone who is half a world away.

By someone for whom the situation remains very real.

I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

I believe that my opinion is important.

I believe that your opinion is important too.

What do you believe?

And what do you believe in?

What makes you angry?

What makes you laugh out loud?

What would it take to bring you to tears?

Now ask yourself if any of these questions might have the same answer. 

I find that they frequently do.

This is the first entry into “Rob’s Morning Rant”.

My plan is to explore

whatever is bringing me down,

lifting me up,

aggravating me,

making me laugh

or otherwise just plain interesting enough

to hold my attention at that particular point in time.

I expect the subject of interest for any given entry will range

from the political to the philosophical,

from the world of science and the world of religion,

exploring the world of current events and the media madness of the entertainment world.

Or maybe I’ll just make stuff up to see how you respond.

My hope is that you, the reader, will find yourself interested

in responding to my point of view

with opinions of your own. 

True enough, I want you to know what I think

But, more than that, I want to hear what you think too.

I want to find out where other people stand

on the issues, events and subjects that attract my attention. 

When something ….

anything …  

makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, for whatever reason,

I want to know who else notices.

Then maybe we’ll disagree. 

Maybe we’ll agree.

Maybe we’ll change our minds

or learn something that we never knew before

about something that really got us thinking.

And maybe,

If enough of us start thinking about the same things

and talking about the same things

we can make a difference in a positive way.

In any case….

               Welcome.

                         

  Rob