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A Protesters Response To "The Ex Charging Bison" Thread

Quote from: Kirkhill on Yesterday at 00:16:55
Is an HIV treatment that cures only 95% of the population to be rejected because 4% aren't cured and 1% die horrible, agonizing deaths as a result of the treatment?
If there's a superior one, yes. And what I want is for us to work toward something better.

I have no problem with working towards a better cure.  In the meantime people are dying all over the place.  Would you continue to let them die until a perfect solution is found or would you use the imperfect tools available to save 95% of them.

I prefer to do something than nothing.  I think those being saved would feel the same.  Even the 5% that weren't would at least be given hope.

If you are looking for perfection, for risk free solutions, I think you need to be talking to Trinity and In Hoc Signo on this site.  That is more their field and I don't think they are likely to find you any answers in this world.

Cheers.
 
So, now that the ex is under way, has anyone heard if it is going well or being disrupted? 
 
Hi, good to see the thread back in action.  quick post before i leave for work!

By now there's almost way too much here to try and respond to point for point.  more generally, i think the statement that the critics are not presenting solutions is incorrect.  translation: you present solutions (follow international law, geneva conventions, use UN security council under article 51, etc.) but i just don't like them.  Also, i think i've been pretty good with presenting facts in my first post, none of which were questioned or refuted yet.  The notion that we believe what we hear on the news is also false, i think the far left are some of the most vociferous opponents of the media especially state run (canada) or corporate (US).  

I usually use (as i said in post 1) government documents, de-classified records, human rights reports, forums like this, and just read it with a critical perspective and pay attention to the most elementary moral truism.  If I apply a set of standards to someone else, i should apply equal if not more stringent ones to myself.  until then, i have no right to comment.  

Then there's the Micheal Moore comment.  Why is it that when we try and present a coherent argument, the response is usually attacks on our character or an attempt to discredit the source of the opinion, instead of attacking the fact itself?   besides, does anyone really take that guy seriously?  he's an entertainer and a TV personality.

"but atleast my bias is based on facts.": still biased.  what we're saying is that there are some very important facts that are not being payed attention to.  

I think if we want to debate the finer points of war in Afghanistan, we should move on to a new thread, anyone with me?

off to work!
 
doncab said:
The notion that we believe what we hear on the news is also false, i think the far left are some of the most vociferous opponents of the media especially state run (canada).

The CBC and the Toronto Star will be devastated to hear that.  Their dedication to tearing down all things conservative has been for naught.  Alas, the ungrateful socialist.
 
In my opinion protestors are committing a sort of idealistic martyrdom. It’s not about finding a practical solution, it’s about being right.
Look I’m right! Carrot juice is murder!

It’s not that they actually believe they are going to get their way.
For example:
Coercion is a powerful tool that is used against us in our everyday lives (advertising, newspapers etc.) and I think if there was less coercion we wouldn't have allot of the problems that lead people into committing violent acts (poverty, lack of hope).
Also, right now the tools aren't in the hands of a functioning democratic society they're in the hands of a select few who are also the benefactors of said coercion and influence and to me that's the vital component. I'm all for Neighborhood Watch. This brings up the critical issue which is who are the police really there to protect, the citizens or the system?
If in all seriousness the government said, “You anarchists are right. In a cost-cutting measure, we are disbanding the police and replacing it with Neighbourhood Watch” the protestors would crap themselves.
OK, game on! Disband the cops! Now you are finally free!
Sure, three meth-heads are in your alley smashing stuff and breaking into sheds. But just go out there in your hemp sandals and have a “dialogue?”
Please … just do us a favour and bring a video camera so we can all have a laugh.

Oh, right, if we got The Sinister White Men in Suits TM out of power, all human sin would evaporate. There would be no more greed, addiction, extortion, abuse, violence … it would all vanish.
Do you really think violence started when someone invented the advertising jingle?

Of course you don’t, but it’s much simpler to separate society into the ‘clever and educated who know better’, the ‘unwitting dupes of the system’ and ‘Dick Cheney.’

In my mind, it’s a fearful reaction to a complex world. Rather than grind it out and come up with practical solutions, you build a wall of sanctimonious idealism around you.
‘I’m too clever to be a victim.’

It’s fantasy. Idealism is all well and good, but it becomes dangerous when you actually try to hamper public policy to conform with impossible goals.
At their root, all fanatics are idealists.

Here is some idealism, for example
I'm protesting because I'm against the military manifestation of Canada's foreign policy. This thread highlights how contentious the issues are; to me, the big missions on which members of Canadian military institutions are currently deployed are at best ineffective, and at worst highly damaging.

I definitely support a presence in nations attempting to build stability and sustainable infrastructure. That may be one aspect of what we're doing, but I think the negatives greatly outweigh the positives in our case. Western nations have a history of "help" that is domineering and unproductive.

I don't want soldiers to die, but nor do I want anyone else to. I'm not a pacifist and I believe a defensive body is necessary. If we executed truly humanitarian and defensive missions, I would favour training! And the argument that this is preëmptive defense is completely wrong to me.
You are” not a pacifist and believe a defensive body is necessary.” Good. It’s called NATO.
Afghanistan isn’t preemptive, it’s reactive.
So when some knobs … say … murder thousands of innocent people without warning you hunt them down and kill them.
All of them. Without mercy. Unless they surrender unconditionally and mean it.

Am I angry? You bet I am.

I am so sick of ‘murderers and scumbags’ (and if you call the perpetrators of September 11 anything else, we do have a problem) being protected by the hand-wringing and navel gazing of people who are so afraid to admit that evil exists.

Do you know why so many people died in Yugo from ’92 to ’95?
Because the UN was hampered by political tenderfooting. They didn’t want to offend anyone at little places like Srebrenica. Don’t take my word for it, ask almost anyone who was there. Slaughter was happening, the whole world knew it, but we wanted to be “defensive and humanitarian” and thousands died that didn’t have to.

Why was there no Western intervention in Rwanda in ’94?
It’s because our politicians were scared of political fallout from left-wing protestors. They’d just got their fingers burned in Somalia, and couldn’t face another drop in the opinion polls.
Different tragedy, same outcome.

Do you know what stopped the massacres in both countries?
Applied military force.

You do not live in a vacuum.
Protestors do have an effect.
Keep it up, you may just get us out of Afghanistan. Take a bow when it happens.

The army will no doubt make a mistake and you will be there to jump all over it and ignore all the good work that has gone on.
Politicians will sniff an opportunity and embrace your cause.

If you get your way, the army will come home in ‘disgrace,’ Afghanistan will fall back into chaos, and Al-Qaeda will laugh and start planning the next big one.

Oh, and they don’t mess around with water cannons and pepper spray, like the ‘fascists’ you are used to.
Oh, wait, just go and explain to them that you are ‘too clever to be duped by the system.’
They will totally see your point, man.
And then they’ll blow your ass up.

But deep, deep down you know that already. Deep down, I suspect, you feel as long as you keep blaming those who you know won’t strike back (our professional and disciplined police and army) you feel a sense of control, accomplishment, and courage.

Enjoy it. It’s called freedom.
Don’t worry, we’ll pick up the tab.
 
Of course you don’t, but it’s much simpler to separate society into the ‘clever and educated who know better’, the ‘unwitting dupes of the system’ and ‘Dick Cheney.’

Did you know that over the course of your life time, fully 50% of the people you meet will be below average intelligence?

Just something to think about.......
 
~RoKo~ said:
Did you know that over the course of your life time, fully 50% of the people you meet will be below average intelligence?
I know. I just look at the number of people who vote Liberal and NDP!

ba-dum-bum!

Thank you folks, I'm here all week! Remember to tip your waitress.
 
Today the protestors blocked the street and did there little song and dance and cried of the "evils of the military" as a whole the only

thing they managed to do was annoy the citizens of Winnipeg by blocking the street and giving the soldiers a good laugh. I will keep you

all posted of any further developments. Cheers! :cdn:
 
probum non poenitet said:
In my opinion protestors are committing a sort of idealistic martyrdom. It’s not about finding a practical solution, it’s about being right.
Look I’m right! Carrot juice is murder...
...Enjoy it. It’s called freedom.
Don’t worry, we’ll pick up the tab.

PNP.... Awsome Post!
Agree 100%
 
Obviously there is a great divide between kgerrards beliefs on international affairs and the military and the viewpoints of the forum members including myself. Kgerrard accuses the Canadian government (and other countries) and our military of doing things incorrectly in places such as Afghanistan, forum members accuse kgerrard of living in a Utopian fantasy world. Who's right, is there any information that can validate either sides viewpoints. In the health care field I work in civvy land there is a strong emphasis on "evidence based" practice and "best practice" approaches to implementing health care. "Evidence based" means you have strong, near absolute, research based information that says something works. "Best practice" means you do something as from all the information you have it appears to be the best way of doing something but maybe there is not absolute proof through research it is. I was sitting here reading this thread and I think if you apply these two standards to the issues debated then it may help answer what may actually be the best way of approaching serious world problems like Afghanistan. First off I think you can throw out the idea of trying to say you have an "evidence based" way of conducting international affairs or military operations as I think these things are more art then science. "Best practice" standard would be best applied in this debate.
Quote from kgerrard
I'm protesting because I'm against the military manifestation of Canada's foreign policy. This thread highlights how contentious the issues are; to me, the big missions on which members of Canadian military institutions are currently deployed are at best ineffective, and at worst highly damaging.

I definitely support a presence in nations attempting to build stability and sustainable infrastructure. That may be one aspect of what we're doing, but I think the negatives greatly outweigh the positives in our case. Western nations have a history of "help" that is domineering and unproductive.

Like some forum members have asked allready do you have any degree of "proof" that what you are asserting would work or that the current approach in Afghanistan will not work. It is fine to state your opinion but is there any real tangible evidence to indicate that what you say is the "best practice". I can think of some obvious examples where the international community/UN did not act assertively with military force that resulted in ongoing conflict, genocide, further human suffering, etc.. Rwanda, Srebenicia/Bosnia, Somalia. Your "approach" in these conflicts obviously would have only further enabled aggressor forces/factions to murder and oppress more and I think this would be a "factual statement". The most obvious example of taking strong action against an aggressor nation and it being successfull would be WWII as parkie stated and can personally attest too. BTW Germany, Japan and Italy did pretty good since 1945, so much for the theory of western nations having a history of domineering and unproductive help (add South Korea to that list!).

The bottom line kgerrard is that yours and your cohorts philosophy on how to conduct international affairs and employ the military effectively in the worlds troubled regions is completely and utterly lacking any evidence to suggest it would work and I don't think you can cite too many examples of where the approach you support has worked (go ahead and try and see how many people reorientate you to the facts). It is idealistic fantasy that you think can work and have convinced yourselves it will. Your lack of knowledge and concrete thinking blind you from seeing the facts.  When diplomacy fails appeasement does not work, didn't work in 1938 for that Neville guy and it won't work now with those Taliban guys and there is allot more evidence to back up this statement then you can to back up yours but go ahead and try.

 
"Working with grassroots, Afghanistani-led initiatives. They know better than us how their country should work, we need to step back and follow the lead. This is beyond our capacity, I feel, however, as we have a long history of "white man's burden".

As was mentioned, the Taliban felt they knew better than we do how to run things, which included destroying thousand year old statutes of Buddha, arranging for mass executions of people who violated various religious proscriptions and preventing women from working and children (particularly girls) from being educated. Indeed, if their remnants can do so, they will arrange to execute teachers for the "crime" of educating children in reading, writing and arithmetic (basic primary education). They were a particularly nasty example of the almost universal urge to execute their "will to power", and only stop their activities by the application of countervailing power (armed forces) .

In the west, we have had several hundred years of devising and refining political and social organizations which channel these urges into safer outlets; for example you don't hunt down and kill people who may have "wronged" you, the State exercises the powers of law enforcement and punishment through the police and the judiciary on your behalf. People cannot arbitrarily kill you for having a difference of opinion about religion, politics or any other subject. I don't understand what sort of political system you are advocating kgerrard, but the evidence would seem to indicate western "liberal" democracies certainly do a better job protecting citizens rights and property than their competitors, and certainly some of these competitors would dearly love to wipe out our societies and systems of government, so as to enjoy the unbridled exercise of power without worrying that the local population is aspiring to our social and governmental systems.

I also find it funny in an ironic kind of way that the protesters are free to make demands of our government (ill thought out though they may be), while in places like Taliban era Afghanistan, Ba'athist Iraq, current Iran, China or North Korea they would be arrested and most likely shot out of hand, or tortured and sentenced to long periods of hard labour in "re education" camps. Which system would they preffer to live under? Since very few seem to emigrate to places like Iran, North Korea or China, I think the answer is self evident......
 
kgerrard seems to be labouring under the impression that we are in there dictating to those poor opressed Afghans (don't say Afghani, people. That's their monetary unit. I had that explained to me in some depth by an annoyed/amused Police chief in Kabul.) how they will run their affairs. That seems to be a major beef with him.

Can someone in CIMIC explain to him just HOW we do our thang?

You know, how we ASK the locals what sort of government system they want? How we can best help them reach the end-state THEY desire? What, exactly, we do in our meetings with Police, Military, Government, Religious leaders, and tribal elders? Maybe some other people can give him first-hand examples of the assistance we provide to the various NGOs (and then get lambasted in the media by them for doing so)?

Maybe some troops can let him know what we do when we set up impromptu Aid stations with our medics? Or tell him about the farming equipment we provide, so they can grow crops? Maybe some troops can tell him about the locals running to them for assitance in Jurisprudence matters?

Actually, you know what? I think I'll just dig up some of my letters home and post them. 

kgerrard, you read the following posts. They're going to be letters I wrote home from my tour. You read them and tell me I'm some sort of jack-booted thug, who's intent on enforcing some sort of diabolical plot created by the evil powers that run the world, my friend.
 
IMAGES:

a little boy asking "does your Rules Of Engagement allow you to use lethal force? That's good, 'cause the Taliban is comin'." Then running away.

turning into an alley so tight I can touch both sides at once, and watching the rats scatter through my Night Vision Goggles.

walking point on a night patrol and having my slack man sweep ahead of me with his rifle-mounted flashlight and being face-to-face with a pack of feral dogs.

a horse, harnessed to a cart, so starved, it's labouring to breathe.

a man beaming with pride at some silly little trick his child has accomplished, surrounded by mind-numbing poverty.

a wall being constructed out of hand-picked rocks by a family, without tools, looking down the top, and seeing it as level as a pool table. all done by eye.

a brand new mercedes sedan roaring past a cart being pulled by two ancient men, constructed of hand-hewn planks and car tires.

the hatred in a man's eyes because your skin is too pale, your religion is not the same as his, and you're on HIS soil.

the unconscious grace displayed by black-eyed, black-haired, black-veiled women as they go about their daily chores, balancing loads heavier than I am.

a 14-ton armoured vehicle caught in a traffic jam. stopped by a herd of starving cattle. all being herded by a boy younger than most of my tattoos.

the quiet dignity and mischievous humour in an old man's eyes as he welcomes you to his country and thanks you for caring enough to come.

a wall that has stood since the time of Alexander the Great...with a satellite dish on top.

sunrise over the mountains, with a dusty haze turning the normal oranges and yellows into a thousand different shades.

the eerily beautiful flashes of light beyond the mountains from American bombs falling for hours on some poor bastard that really wishes he was somewhere else.

a child. dirty, hungry, skinny, and smiling.

the tear in a paratrooper’s eye as he looks upon these
things.

may Allah smile upon you all
Khoda hafez


Man, I love night operations! Tonight was especially fun. Driving down the streets of Kabul, almost no illumination, in a two-jeep convoy, weapons bristling out of everywhere, with the cool night breeze blowing the sweat away from under your helmet. Damn, I love this shit!

Walking point down dark, deserted streets, with an M203 over/under combo, 300 rounds of 5.56 ammo, 6 High Explosive 40mm grenades, 10 inches of scalpel-sharp high carbon steel, total infrared night vision superiority, and a bad attitude. (Hey, all I've ever asked out of life was an unfair advantage. Well, that and a hot blonde chick. Whattaya know! I got that too! Life is good.) It's especially good when you're the baddest dog on the block, with the biggest teeth. heh, heh, heh. "Yea, though I walk through the shadow of the Valley of Death, I shall fear no evil...for I am the meanest sumbitch in the Valley. Thy automatic rifle and thy grenade launcher, they comfort me."

I get a little weary of hearing people back home say that Canada has no business in Afghanistan, or Iraq, or anywhere else. I grow weary of hearing that soldiers are war-mongering baby-killers. (Yes, I've actually been called a baby-killer. Me. A baby-killer.)

Soldiers hate war. Any soldier who has seen war or the effects of war, hates it. He hates what it does to a proud people. He hates what it does to the cities and fields. I have seen what war does. But, I serve my country's interests in foreign lands that those same effects never happen in my country. If we do not stop evil away from our borders, we will have to deal with it within our borders. And I do not want to see Canadian citizens living under these conditions.

If you were living surrounded in poverty and squalor, at the non-existent mercy of selfish and greedy men, with no hope of succour, wouldn't you want someone, anyone, to come help you?

These people need us. Ever since ISAF came to Afghanistan, crime has taken a dramatic drop in the streets of Kabul. Ever since the Americans freed the nation from the Taliban, the people have flourished. They smile now. They love Canadian soldiers especially, because we stop and talk with them. We listen to their problems. We try to find ways to help them and lighten their burden. Canadians are natural-born peace-keepers. It's in our breeding. We talk to people. We're curious about their customs, and respectful of their ways. And when shit turns bad, we kick ass like nobody's business. Canadians are fierce fighters. Always have been. It's what happens when you finally get a calm, tolerant person really pissed.

I like these people. They are a reflection of their country. You look at the mountains and desert and think this is the most inhospitable, bleak place on earth. Then you find an oasis, and it's a paradise. The city is a maze of high walls, with narrow windows, and barred doors. Then when you enter the people's compounds you find exquisitely-tended gardens and orchards. When you enter their brown, mud-walled house you find an explosion of colour. Rugs, carpets, tapestries, cushions, and pillows. All hand-made, and a riot of colour and texture.

The people are the same. They appear grim and unapproachable, but they will take you to their heart in an instant. Humour is in everything they do. (I suppose when your life is this desolate,
you HAVE to laugh that much more.) They are poets by nature. Lovers of music and art. Friendly to anyone who shows them the same.

Hospitality is one of their three pillars of social convention. (Along with Revenge and Sanctuary.) When a man who has no food offers you his last meal, how can you think he is anything but generous?

They are warriors. Their strength in the face of deprivation shames me as a North American. I see what these people have, and more importantly, what they do NOT have and I feel embarrassed to be Canadian. Look at how we deal with strife. A snowstorm in Toronto and the Army is called out to shovel the sidewalks so that the beautiful people won't get their shoes damp.

Take care everyone,
May Allah smile upon you
 
well, ya'll
I gotta tell ya, I am some kinda sick and tired of fixing or repairing jeeps. The Iltis is junk. It seems to be the major part of most of my days. It' not that it's complicated, they're just jeeps after all. But it's never-ending. And monotonous. Every day something new goes wrong with one of our jeeps. And I can't just have it taken to the mechanics, because they're so back-logged I'd never get the damn thing back. Then my Platoon would be down a vehicle, and we only have 3. By rights, we're supposed to have 9. There are no parts in theatre, so everything is held together by gun tape and 550 cord. Good thing I'm hillbilly/white trash and am used to this sort of thing.

I've been into town a few more times now, and have made arrangements with a buddy to go along on his patrols as well. I'm here for a purpose. I stir the pot because that's how you get results. I dig for Int because that's what patrolling is for. The CO needs Intelligence. So, as a Recce patrolman, I'm gonna get it for him. My buddy, Chevy, is also a paratrooper and a Recce Patrolman. We kinda have the same ideas, except I'm sneakier, and he's more aggressive. But, we get results, and we work well together. Good cop/bad cop sorta deal. He can be a scary little bastard, make no mistake. I come across a friendly, lazy ol' hound. 'Til they piss me off. Then I bite, and it's actually more un-nerving for them. Especially since I'm twice the size of the average Afghani. Hell, in all my kit, I'm almost 300lbs, and I stand over 6'2" in my boots.

The storms here are awesome. Yesterday, I stood outside and watched a curtain of sand blow over the camp. It came over the wall like a wave, and you couldn't see 20 feet. The wind was blowing tents over, and the poor little locals and Nepalese workers couldn't stand upright. I couldn't stop grinning. Then the thunder rolled like the world's biggest kettle drum. It echoed off the mountains, and reverberated through your body. And then came the lightning. It seemed to flicker from cloud to cloud before striking earth, like a laser-light show at a rock concert. And then came a downpour that only lasted minutes, but drove into you with the force of hailstones. All at the same time. Dust storm, thunder, lightning, and rain. Visibility was nil, and I stood outside giggling and howling into the fury of nature, totally awestruck.

Even the storms are cooler than in Canada.

I love this place.

two nights ago was a very bad night. It began in farce and ended in tragedy.

The first people we met were a family clustered around a woman on the ground. We stopped to investigate. "She's ill", they said. "She's stoned" Chevy said. She had taken a handful of Valium. At least it looked like Valium to us. But the family wouldn't let us (kafirs) touch her. So we stopped a passing vehicle and got them to drive the family to the local hospital. Or what passes for a hospital here.

The rest of the night got sillier and sillier. So, we headed into my AO. It's the wild, wild, west. I got every kind of scumbag in Afghanistan preying on the people in my AO. They are mainly Hazara. They're the poorest, they're the least armed, they're the religious minority. Easy targets. I'm doing my best to change that, and the crime rate is dropping dramatically there, but...

Then, we heard a woman scream. The kind of scream that chills you instantly. You can hear, you can FEEL the pain and terror in it. We began down the alley it seemed to come from, but the local police officer refused to go. So we radioed for permission to go on our own (which is against our mandate). We were refused.

Something terrible happened to someone in MY AO, on MY watch, while I was THERE, and I failed to prevent it. I don't know if the cop refused to go because of cowardice or complicity/corruption. Both are equally plausible explanations. What I do know, is that I failed the people who were counting on me to protect them.
I failed.
I will be hearing that scream for a long, long time.

So, how's your day going?
 
article by a young trooper of mine: good kid

An orange glow lingered in the darkening sky above the hills on the western shore. A southwesterly rustled through the trees like an eerie song and was beginning to force white caps on the waves. The fog that spent the day on the horizon, was creeping its way into the bay, bringing with it a chill that cut through Shaun's olive drab jacket. He knew that if he didn't fire soon he would have a long empty handed trudge home to a supper his mother had left for him in the oven. From where he lay, he didn't have a clear shot. But there they were, not two gunshots away three black ducks cleaning themselves in a tidal pool at the base of the jagged cliff. He edged his way forward, cradling his twelve gauge in his arms like a baby. " Get up here " he whispered. Skipper stepped cautiously toward him and lay down. Brown bog stained the white patch on his chest like camouflage. Shaun looked back down over the crag and realized that he couldn't get any closer. He knew it was a long shot and it was now or never. He slowly raised the gun to his shoulder, taking a bead on the birds below. Skipper edged his way toward him in anticipation of what was coming next. He closed his left eye, took the safety off and slowly depressed the trigger.

"Hey Ryan," It was Cory, his fire team partner. "Get up man, we're on shift."

It took him a second to come too, as anyone that knew him could attest. Shaun was never the easiest creature to stir from slumber. He realized with disappointment that he'd never know if he walked home with those ducks. With that came the reality that he was nowhere near the waves that crashed the rocks on his island. He was trapped between barren mountains in landlocked Afghanistan. He crawled out of his warm sleeping bag and thought to himself,

"What in the name of God am I doing here?"

Minutes later he was standing guard over hundreds of sleeping bodies from an ancient palace overlooking Camp Julien. He peered through thermal binoculars at a shepherd sleeping in a field surrounded by his flock. Then he scanned the city beyond the camp. For a city of almost three million, Kabul was ghostly quiet at night. The crisp breeze and silence reminded him of walking the roads of his tiny fishing community on an autumn night.

"There are probably more soldiers patrolling the streets than there are locals walking around", he thought to himself as he spied two jeeps leave the front gate of the camp.

Hours later Shaun found himself in one of those jeeps. The sweltering heat of the Afghan day had long melted the cool desert night away. The locals outnumbered them now, thousands to eight, and swallowed them in a swarm of bicycles, cars, trucks, horses and donkeys. They may be outnumbered, but by people who are on their side. That didn't crack their solid alertness. They turned down a narrow dirt side street and left the busy market area. The jeeps stopped and Shaun stepped out, narrowly missing a pungent stream of human waste. Almost as soon as his feet hit the ground he was surrounded by tiny, dirty faced children, laughing and yelling the only english they knew, "how are you, how are you!" A little girl approached him, handed him her kite and in almost perfect english said,

"Thank you for coming to Afghanistan." It was probably her only toy. It dawned on him why he was there.

He was there for the people. The man that didn't have to fight for freedom anymore. The woman that could show her face from beneath a burqha if she so desired. He was there mostly for the children. The little boys that could play in the streets and not have to grow up to fight. The little girls that could go to school for the first time in years. He knew that in the big picture he was there to support the Afghan Interim Government. On a smaller scale, by him setting foot on that piece of ground, he would deter any militant from harming those men, women, and children around him. He surely knew that if Newfoundlanders were the ones fearing for their lives in a province of lawlessness, that they would want foreign soldiers to walk their roads and bash through their thick forests and deep bogs to find pockets of terrorists.

As they approach the front gate of Camp Julien, Shaun lets his alertness down for a moment. He curses the fog skirting the mountains off in the distance.

"Oh yeah," he mutters to himself, "Sandstorm."

He is not in Newfoundland anymore though it will be a welcome relief when he can stand on her shore again and watch the fog envelope the hills across the bay. He is eager to traipse through those forested hills and feel the pristine salt air in his lungs. He can't wait to smell the smoke from the chimney roving home in the twilight, with three ducks on his back and Skipper at his feet. He'll never take his freedom for granted again, that's for sure.
 
letter to a young schoolgirl from me

22 Oct 03

Hello Grace,
Before I truly begin, I must apologize for typing this letter. It’s kinda impersonal, I know. However, if you were to actually see my handwriting, you would understand, believe me. My wife is the only person I know who can actually decipher the hieroglyphics I call writing. (Chicken-scratches are a more accurate term.)
I am a soldier in 6 Platoon, November Company, 3RCR. It’s an infantry battalion. I’m currently posted to Camp Julien, Kabul, Afghanistan, in the ?heart of the mysterious Orient?.
Although I come from a small immediate family, with just my little sister and I, I have many, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and about a bazillion dogs. We get together every chance we get and spend as much time together as we can, so I can relate to a chaotic family life. Besides, I’ve been in the army for somewhere around 8 or 9 years, and we excel at chaos.
In your letter, you asked what it’s like to be so far from home. Well, I spend most of my life away from home, but you never really get used to it. It doesn’t much matter whether you’re in south-West Asia or just in the woods around CFB Petawawa, you’re still ‘away‘, if you know what I mean. You’re still out of contact with your loved ones and away from the creature comforts we all take for granted. (I tend to spend the first 2 days back just staring at the TV. Oohh, pretty colours, moving lights.)
As for your questions about what it’s like to be in a place where people don’t want you, and to live under the threat of attack. Tough questions. Well, first, you called them “dumb questions“. There are no “dumb questions“. The only way we learn is by asking, right? I mean, if you don’t know the answer, then the question isn’t dumb, is it? (There are, however, dumb answers. I get a lot of them myself, and have even given a few.)
Second, the vast majority of Afghani people do, in fact, want us here. I know this, because they tell us so at every available opportunity. It only stands to reason, really. These poor people have been at war for more years than you’ve been alive. 25 years, actually. Man, I was just a kid of eight, when the Soviets sponsored a coup in 1978, then invaded in 1979. There’s been a constant state of warfare ever since. With all the horrors and terror that usually accompany Man’s most tragic activity: War. On top of warfare (with the attendant rapine, pillage, disease, and poverty) the entire nation has been suffering from a six-year drought. Wouldn’t anyone welcome someone who was willing to put a stop to the warlords and bandits marauding the countryside? Anyone who was bringing safety and security to the nation? I know I would. The Afghanis know that Canada is here to help and they are grateful. Heart-wrenchingly so.
Third, hmmm?. living under constant threat of attack. That’s a difficult question to answer, really. Well, you fall back on your training, your instincts, and that ridiculous belief we all have that “it won’t happen to me“. In all honesty, I can’t say that I think about it much. A sense of fatalism helps, I suppose. If your number’s up, then it’s up. There’s a cheesy Army saying I’ve always found amusing (in a dark sort of way). “It’s not the bullet with your name on it, it’s the one marked ‘to whom it may concern‘.” I lost a very good friend and a role model a little while ago. But that’s the risk we volunteer to take, I guess. I dunno. Someone has to do it, and if we don’t, who will? I’d rather face the risks myself than have someone else do it. Besides, I’d much rather stop the fighting and terrorism over here, than have to face it in Canada.
How do we deal with the loneliness and fear? Is that what you were getting at? We form bonds of friendship that are even closer than family ties. We in the Infantry, especially, use humour. (Mind you, it’s a dark, cynical, sarcastic form of humour, for the most part.) I’ve found that laughter is usually your best defence against the darker emotions. There’s always something funny in even the worst circumstances. And when you are surrounded by Man’s inhumanity to Man, you either laugh at it, or spend your time crying. And that accomplishes nothing.
What’s it like in Afghanistan? Totally unique. In some ways, it’s like living in an Indiana Jones movie. Like stepping back in time. You can touch a wall that’s stood since the time of Alexander the Great. With a satellite dish on top of it. Bizarre. I love it here, personally. I’m glad to be on a real mission. I find the people here to be a reflection of their country. It’s a nation of tall, bleak mountains. Imposing, aloof, appearing untouchable. But with beautiful valleys hidden away. Their homes are the same. Stone walls, barred doors, narrow firing-port windows. But the interior is a riot of colour. Tapestries, curtains, carpets, pillows, orchards, and gardens. The Afghan people are the same. Grim and serious at first glance, but underneath they are warm, humorous, and generous to a fault.
What would I change the most? It’s the children and the animals that tear at your heartstrings the most. They live a life that is horrifying by North American standards. But, they still laugh and play. What else can they do? And, with the help of the International Community, things will get better. Circumstances here improve every day. And Canadian soldiers are a big part of that. I?m proud of my boys. I’m proud to say, “I’m a Canadian soldier“ again, and it feels good. We are a positive force here. We’re doing a good thing.
If your teacher (what was his name, Mr. G.?) would like, I can e-mail him some pics of the city, the countryside, the people, and the troops.
So, to you, Grace M., I say “Thank you“. Thank you for your letter. Thank you for taking the time to write to a stranger. Thank you for your good wishes. I hope you have a long life, full of laughter, love, and joy. Treasure your family (even when they’re really annoying). Be happy
 
Holidays in Kabul
well, it's 0-dark-stupid. I'd just finished radio watch, was almost asleep, when some dumbass downtown set off a bomb or launched a rocket. Right. Wide awake again.
hmmmm, sounds like fast air flying over the city.
"Peace on Earth." Hopefully, someday.

I wish everyone a truly happy holiday season. Especially those boys and girls deployed out there on the sharp end. Be safe, be careful. Those of you at home, please enjoy the silly season to the fullest. It's the best 'thank you' we can receive. To know that you folks are safe and happy, and can enjoy this time of year with loved ones is what makes this job worthwhile.

All the best of the season to everyone out there, regardless of faith.

Joyeaux Noel
Feliz Navidad
Merry Christmas.



there you be, kgerrard. Heart-felt letters home, most of them written fresh after finishing my patrol report. I dunno, dude. As I read them over, I don't see much in the way of hate-mongering or Gestapo tactics. As best I can recall, I don't think I ever saw anything of the sort.

Maybe age is making me addle-pated.
 
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