Although not exactly the cheeriest of topics to start this journey off with, I just couldn't ignore this.
I do not know where I stand on the mission to Afghanistan and Iraq. One very large part of me objects to any war, any use of arms and foreign occupation. And yet I have friends, one in particular in fact, who has willingly done more than one tour in that area and who insists that the presence of Canadian Forces is needed and appreciated by the vast majority of civilians. (The stories he told me are unbelievable). This causes me to wonder whether I should believe the white man on television (or white womyn with the token shoulder length hair) who report the news or make up policy in the safe spaces of Canada or if I should believe the soldiers on the ground, in the tanks, walking the dusty streets of the Middle-East. And so overall, I have no firm opinion on the War. (I know, I know, what a terrible member of the Orange team I am).
But what I do know is that I am vehemently against those who are laissez-faire about the news that another Canadian soldier has been killed. “If you’re a soldier serving over-seas or in any war zone, you need to know that death is a very real possibility”.
There is a risk of injury or fatality for many sex workers, transport truck drivers, taxi drivers, police officers and firefighters. But does that reduce the sadness or grief of family members or friends when they do indeed get injured or killed? Those who loved them still mourn, grieve and
live out their lives with giant black holes where memories once were. Death is death. And to me it matters not the cause or intentions; someone is gone; someone, somewhere is now without.
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2 comments:
Hey J-beans,
I'm glad you've finally come over to the Dark Side of the Internet.
Do you plan to have the majority of your blog politic-based?
Great work with the fence sitting. Love you, miss you, looking forward to keeping up with the good reads on your end.
-Ren
PS> *cough* http://ren-andthensome.blogspot.com/ *cough*
*WINK!*
See my problem with "w-o-m-y-n" is I can never tell if it's singular or plural! Haha.
Hm. Anyway, I agree with you on this issue - it's not as though being anti-war means you're pro-soldier death or anti-forces in general.
I'd also guess that it really depends on where you go and who you see as to your opinion on the war. If you're a politician getting hand-fed the token happy person... or if you're in an area that DOES appreciate. But thinking of where I live, and how it varies street by street sometimes (I live around one corner from massive rich houses, and around another from a little drug-dealing estate!)... the same would apply wherever you went, in war or not, and I think a lot of problems in talking about the current war come from going "it's THIS" "no, it's THIS" "no, it's THIS. " Or, "violence is in the minority." (Which belittles the pain it causes in the same way you were talking about soldier deaths.)
Off topic? I THINK SO!
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