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.