Not a Game to play at

Today’s news polls announced that 69.9% of Canadians support the withdrawal of our present troops from Afghanistan... The supposed reasons that Canadians are nervous is because in their glaring, blissful ignorance we have slid from among the top of peacekeepers to 44th in the world, under thirteen years of Liberal negligence who sent our military to Afghanistan in the first place as fighting troops. A soldier goes to war knowing he/she may be killed on any given day. This is the commitment they make to their Country when they enlist. For their Country to turn around and recall them home after sending them into battle, when the first casualties begin to occur dishonors their courage and valor. It also makes them and their Country a laughing stock before the eyes of the allies they fight alongside of. Canadians seem to think we can just play at peacekeeping and leave the dirty work of fighting to other Nations, and still have the respect of our allies and neighbors.... Don't be simple! Much of the deaths occurring to our armed forces in the last thirteen years have been caused by accidents from arcane equipment and transport support. Let me remind them that we have not done much serious peacekeeping since the end of the cold war in the 1990s, and have been living in the bubble we call Canada for the last decade and a half. Are Canadians so naive to think that our soldiers patrol the streets of Kandahar, and Kabul with plastic bullets or none at all, or are they just so insulated from the ugly face of the truth that they think we can engage in war without casualty or ultimate loss of life? It was the loss of Canadian life and those of all our allies in WWI, WWII, and Korea, which allow us to live in virtual peace and contentment here in this bubble. The world in the 21st century has become a most dangerous place now than it was in the thirty peacekeeping years of the '60s - '90s. Sovereignty comes with the price of those who are willing to defend it even with their very lives, whether it is in the streets of Kandahar or down town Younge Street. Must there be a landed invasion before we deal with the merchants of terror? Our troops are now well equipped, well trained, well led, and respected by their international counterparts. They are ready to lay down their lives in the cause of our right to freedom and peace. All they are asking is our blessing, support, and prayers to do so. In my view this is the very least that we can do to show our gratitude to our heroic men and women of the Armed Forces of Canada!