SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2008
Spare a thought for our Armed Forces
By Elizabeth James, North Shore News
"I hope Canadians will remember these soldiers as men. That's how I think of them; the numbers mean nothing to me. I knew each of them as fine individuals, and that's how I will remember them."
Colonel Joseph Shipley, as he prepared for the ramp ceremonies for the latest three soldiers to be killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
As we go about our lives, perhaps frustrated at the snail's pace of traffic, or the grocery checkout, we often forget that other Canadians inch their way forward, in convoys of armoured vehicles, through the treacherous sands of Afghanistan.
They do so, not, as some would have it, for any macho enjoyment of war games, but in the belief that the risks they take will benefit the people of that country -- and, by extension, the cause of democracy.
And when the unthinkable happens, as on Dec. 5, and soldiers arrive home in flag-draped coffins, can we ever really understand why the reaction of relatives would be anything but anger at the injustice of it all? About all we can do, in a far too small way, is to offer our sympathy.
And so it was that this letter was written to a friend who, railing against a cruel fate, tried to make sense of the tragedies.
Dear Friend:
I am so very sorry to learn that someone close to you has lost their life in Afghanistan; you have my heartfelt sympathy.
As I watch the television reports, I find myself holding my breath, because you are now the third of my friends to have connections to the Canadian military.
One of those friends has a son home on furlough, after his most recent tour of duty. The other holds her breath, as she awaits word that her grandson -- "He's only a kid, Liz!" -- has been deployed. Not comforting thoughts.
Nevertheless, I find it difficult to agree with your characterization of Stephen Harper, or to blame him for this country's position on Afghanistan. I hope his firm announcement on Sept. 10 that he intends to set a time limit to Canada's participation in the conflict will soften your impression of a man whom I know does not fit the description of "fascist."
Harper inherited a force deployed to Afghanistan by the Chrétien-Martin Liberal administration, and was suffering mightily from a lack of financial and equipment resources, and a demoralizing lack of support from Canadians. It is my belief that a unilateral decision to pull those troops would have been the worst possible decision -- wrong for our military, wrong for Canada's international reputation and, most of all, a betrayal of the people of Afghanistan and our soldiers who struggle to help them.
For the time being, then, I am satisfied with Harper's 2011 pullout date and, more than so, with his later assurance, to the effect that Canada "cannot be expected to prop up these countries forever."
If Harper can maintain that position, I think it's the best we can hope for in a very rough situation. A myriad of stories -- sad, happy, all important -- could be told about the role of the Canadian military in Afghanistan. Relatives of soldiers say the stories receive far too little informed coverage. They would like more Canadians to engage in the discussion in a calm and thoughtful way.
I am conflicted. Although I value every soldier's life, and the uninjured quality of that life, I also remember the futility of Neville Chamberlain's, "Peace in our time."
As a kid, I lived through the relentless German bombing of London. Innocent families were destroyed and injured all around us, their homes levelled amid the dust of coal and rubble. Young as I was, I helped to clean the house of soot, when one of the buzz bombs came too close to our chimney.
Along with my parents and younger brother, I listened to Alvar Lidell's Reports from the Front on the 6 p.m. BBC news -- and for years, I still thought his name was Al Barleydell. I heard daily radio accounts of the casualties abroad, and stood by as my parents read war headlines at the local newsagent store.
Watching the September memorials in New York and the oh-so-sad ramp ceremonies for the now 100 Canadian soldiers killed in action, I can only shake my head at man's capacity to precipitate wars. But I also wonder how the people of England, Europe and Canada would have reacted to a one-by-one tally of the thousands who were killed during the Second World War; it was as much as rescuers could do to drag the injured and dead off French beaches, and ferry them across the Channel to England.
In all manner of arenas -- including the political battles we fight -- we are frequently reminded that the only way to defuse bullies, is to stand up against them. I believe that. For eons, it has been proven that some people, some politicians, some regimes, some gangs, some religions, some countries just do not "get" the concept of negotiation.
We were told the Canadian military was deployed to Afghanistan to be peacekeepers. But we have learned, yet again, that one cannot "play nice" with dictators or terrorists -- in this case, the Taliban -- who prefer to be killed than to respect another's right to believe differently.
As the saying goes, the only way evil can triumph, is for good men to do nothing. And so it is that I believe Canada should not, cannot stand idly by while bullies, who prefer to cast themselves in the light of martyrs, run roughshod over thousands of innocent Afghanis.
All in all, it's a tough situation -- especially for those of us who believe that, if people would only abide by the tenets of democracy, there is room enough for us all to live in peace, order and with good government.
You and your family have my best wishes, Friend, I feel for you at this sad time.
Elizabeth
PS: Since beginning this letter to you, I have heard from the father whose son was to have returned to Afghanistan in late 2009, and begun training for that this January. Instead, the group may end up at the Olympics, because the Canadian military has been asked to provide two battalions for Olympic security. This would be a significant commitment of personnel. The cost accounting should be interesting -- it will be very expensive to have these people deployed for the duration of the Games.
Not only would we have to underwrite the cost of seconding them to the task, but also the dollars required to train several thousand of them for almost a year!
To suggest the soldier is anything but disappointed might be the understatement of the year.
Elizabeth James is a West Vancouver writer and editor whose mantra remains: Think globally, act locally with integrity and a social conscience.
Spare a thought for our Armed Forces
By Elizabeth James, North Shore News
"I hope Canadians will remember these soldiers as men. That's how I think of them; the numbers mean nothing to me. I knew each of them as fine individuals, and that's how I will remember them."
Colonel Joseph Shipley, as he prepared for the ramp ceremonies for the latest three soldiers to be killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.
As we go about our lives, perhaps frustrated at the snail's pace of traffic, or the grocery checkout, we often forget that other Canadians inch their way forward, in convoys of armoured vehicles, through the treacherous sands of Afghanistan.
They do so, not, as some would have it, for any macho enjoyment of war games, but in the belief that the risks they take will benefit the people of that country -- and, by extension, the cause of democracy.
And when the unthinkable happens, as on Dec. 5, and soldiers arrive home in flag-draped coffins, can we ever really understand why the reaction of relatives would be anything but anger at the injustice of it all? About all we can do, in a far too small way, is to offer our sympathy.
And so it was that this letter was written to a friend who, railing against a cruel fate, tried to make sense of the tragedies.
Dear Friend:
I am so very sorry to learn that someone close to you has lost their life in Afghanistan; you have my heartfelt sympathy.
As I watch the television reports, I find myself holding my breath, because you are now the third of my friends to have connections to the Canadian military.
One of those friends has a son home on furlough, after his most recent tour of duty. The other holds her breath, as she awaits word that her grandson -- "He's only a kid, Liz!" -- has been deployed. Not comforting thoughts.
Nevertheless, I find it difficult to agree with your characterization of Stephen Harper, or to blame him for this country's position on Afghanistan. I hope his firm announcement on Sept. 10 that he intends to set a time limit to Canada's participation in the conflict will soften your impression of a man whom I know does not fit the description of "fascist."
Harper inherited a force deployed to Afghanistan by the Chrétien-Martin Liberal administration, and was suffering mightily from a lack of financial and equipment resources, and a demoralizing lack of support from Canadians. It is my belief that a unilateral decision to pull those troops would have been the worst possible decision -- wrong for our military, wrong for Canada's international reputation and, most of all, a betrayal of the people of Afghanistan and our soldiers who struggle to help them.
For the time being, then, I am satisfied with Harper's 2011 pullout date and, more than so, with his later assurance, to the effect that Canada "cannot be expected to prop up these countries forever."
If Harper can maintain that position, I think it's the best we can hope for in a very rough situation. A myriad of stories -- sad, happy, all important -- could be told about the role of the Canadian military in Afghanistan. Relatives of soldiers say the stories receive far too little informed coverage. They would like more Canadians to engage in the discussion in a calm and thoughtful way.
I am conflicted. Although I value every soldier's life, and the uninjured quality of that life, I also remember the futility of Neville Chamberlain's, "Peace in our time."
As a kid, I lived through the relentless German bombing of London. Innocent families were destroyed and injured all around us, their homes levelled amid the dust of coal and rubble. Young as I was, I helped to clean the house of soot, when one of the buzz bombs came too close to our chimney.
Along with my parents and younger brother, I listened to Alvar Lidell's Reports from the Front on the 6 p.m. BBC news -- and for years, I still thought his name was Al Barleydell. I heard daily radio accounts of the casualties abroad, and stood by as my parents read war headlines at the local newsagent store.
Watching the September memorials in New York and the oh-so-sad ramp ceremonies for the now 100 Canadian soldiers killed in action, I can only shake my head at man's capacity to precipitate wars. But I also wonder how the people of England, Europe and Canada would have reacted to a one-by-one tally of the thousands who were killed during the Second World War; it was as much as rescuers could do to drag the injured and dead off French beaches, and ferry them across the Channel to England.
In all manner of arenas -- including the political battles we fight -- we are frequently reminded that the only way to defuse bullies, is to stand up against them. I believe that. For eons, it has been proven that some people, some politicians, some regimes, some gangs, some religions, some countries just do not "get" the concept of negotiation.
We were told the Canadian military was deployed to Afghanistan to be peacekeepers. But we have learned, yet again, that one cannot "play nice" with dictators or terrorists -- in this case, the Taliban -- who prefer to be killed than to respect another's right to believe differently.
As the saying goes, the only way evil can triumph, is for good men to do nothing. And so it is that I believe Canada should not, cannot stand idly by while bullies, who prefer to cast themselves in the light of martyrs, run roughshod over thousands of innocent Afghanis.
All in all, it's a tough situation -- especially for those of us who believe that, if people would only abide by the tenets of democracy, there is room enough for us all to live in peace, order and with good government.
You and your family have my best wishes, Friend, I feel for you at this sad time.
Elizabeth
PS: Since beginning this letter to you, I have heard from the father whose son was to have returned to Afghanistan in late 2009, and begun training for that this January. Instead, the group may end up at the Olympics, because the Canadian military has been asked to provide two battalions for Olympic security. This would be a significant commitment of personnel. The cost accounting should be interesting -- it will be very expensive to have these people deployed for the duration of the Games.
Not only would we have to underwrite the cost of seconding them to the task, but also the dollars required to train several thousand of them for almost a year!
To suggest the soldier is anything but disappointed might be the understatement of the year.
Elizabeth James is a West Vancouver writer and editor whose mantra remains: Think globally, act locally with integrity and a social conscience.
