Mind of a Protester

[jonstarks]

I was wondering if someone could shed some light on this.  I have a hard time understanding the mind of a protester who opposes the war in Afghanistan.  I have talked with numerous people who oppose the war, only a few that have protested but never less their mindsets are all the same.  The average canadian (my experience from what I have read and people I have talked to) does not follow politics very closely, knows a little about the military, but even less on the Afghanistan mission.  They have never talked with a solider who has been there and they know very little on the history of Afghanistan.  A protester goes home at night and sleeps in a bed in their house with their family, wakes up in the morning goes to their 9-5 job where they come home and the biggest decision is where to order take out from.  A protester has never been to Afghanistan, has never seen the impact of the hard work and dedication of the soldiers efforts, have never been shot at, have never watched their friend die, are not at risk of getting with with IED's on their way to work. Yet these people feel so strongly about a subject that they know so little about and have no connection with, they feel as though it is their duty to actively voice their opinion and instruct the gov't and the military how to do their job and tell soldiers what is good for them. 
How on earth can a protester, not to mention a civi tell soldiers who are being killed, maimed, away from their family and friends in a foreign country who are constantly in the face of danger even when in the base, who see the dead bodies of the afghans, insurgents, and their fellow soldiers, where they are always in line of an RPG being fired at them, who are the ones sleeping in the middle of a desert, who are building schools, roads, and hospitals, who are the ones who see first hand the changes that they have made to this country, who understand the mission, and on top of all that they are the ones who fully support the mission and believe strongly in what we are doing.
I do not know if their are any protesters or people who oppose the war on this site, but if you could explain why you think you have the right or obligation to tell a soldier how do their job when you do not have a clue what your talking about please explain it to me because I do not understand the reasoning behind it.

Support our Troops!!!!

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I understand where they are....in our civilized society war should be repungant to the average person. That is why it is much easier to have a protest against war, really, what fool stands in the street and yells" Hey ho, kill 'em slow"?
It is just way too easy to cry "no war" than to go against your gut feelings and actually investigate the reasons that such action MIGHT be neccessary.

 

[George Wallace]

These people have been brainwashed, and in such a manner that they think the rest of us are the ones who are brainwashed.  It really is amusing how simplistic some of them really are.  They really can not debate or support any of their arguments.  They usually don't have enough initiative to do any research for themselves to find out the true or differing facts.  These are the type who should not be allowed in the Gene Pool and Natural Selection has let us down by allowing their survival.  Sad isn't it?

Back in the '70's I had a girl who was working Security at the University Residence that I was staying in, ask me what I did.  When she found out that I was in the Army, she said "How gross!  You kill people."  I then asked her what she was doing, besides part-time Security.  She told me that she was going to Holland College Police Academy.  In those days, who was more likely to have to shoot someone, a cop or a soldier?  I just went  : and left her to her delusions.

 

[patrick666]

It's the easy way out. Why spend hours reserching and developing educated opinions when you can stand on the corner and hop on the protester band-wagon as it swings around. After all, protesting is far safer than protecting.

 

[career_radio-checker]

I have had discussions with protesters who oppose the war for realist and pragmatic reasons. For starters they through out the Human Rights Charter as any valid excuse for interventionism. It actually is a product of Western utopianism, which was doctored by the west and imposed by the West on to the UN nations who thought it necessary to sign in the days of West vs East tensions. I can actually see eye to eye with this because if the world really did take Human Rights seriously we would have to invade A LOT of countries.  Any conflicts the UN or NATO was actually whole heartily committed to, that had a Human Rights undertonne (Bosnia, Kosovo) were actually responses to global security threats that were to close to home. (Bosnia we were affraid of Serbia's connection with Russia)

Secondly they view wars in the middle east as a waste of time. They point to the Sectarian violence breaking out in Iraq. Lewis Mackenzie said it best regarding interventionism: "restrict yourself to wars of aggression but do not get involved int Civil Wars" (Dalhousie Review, p463).

And lastly, they see the Afghanistan as a waste of Canadian life in a war that does not concern us. My own mother is one of these people, she says the Afghans aren't stepping up to the plate, they are letting us do the fighting while they stand back -- watch, and collect a paycheque. Same can be said with our allies who don't want to come down to the South and help out. She said we should pull out of Kandahar and concentrate our efforts to the North where if we build a road, a school, a well -- it won't be blown up.

I think it's somewhat of a selfish point of view, but that's how realists think.

 

[Infanteer]

It's the easy way out. Why spend hours reserching and developing educated opinions when you can stand on the corner and hop on the protester band-wagon as it swings around. After all, protesting is far safer than protecting.

Of course, that swings both ways.  It's quite easy to stand on the box and say "Kill all the dirty A-rabs" too....

 

[rifleman]

They protest because they can. Yes, there are some that are on the band wagon, but then those supporting the war has those blind followers too.

Some believe we shouldn't be getting involved in other's affairs, some because they support the other side, some are people who believe that they are helping because soldiers wouldn't be dying and some are fundamentally pacifists.

I just always tell them that its the government that makes the decisions on their behalf and they are wasting their time trying to convince me. Soldiers go where they are required to be and leave when they are told to go.

 

[gaspasser]

+1. Jonsharks, can I print that and post it here at work.
You've written something that needs to be heard, alot and loud.
GP

 

[a_majoor]

I spoke to a father at my son's school (who started on the "Afghanistan is America's war" when he saw the SFOR patch on my jacket) and looked like I had nailed him with a 2X4 when I calmly told him Canada deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 under the Chretien Liberals).

When speaking to people about our dead in Afghanistan, you might consider using the following points as a guideline (very very broad brush strokes, you might only have a few minutes):

Canadian soldiers deployed into the Panjawai district in part to allow farmers to send their crops to market, rather than have to grow opium poppies to fund the Taliban

Canadian soldiers fought a battle to take a school back from the Taliban, who oppose children from going to school, especially girls

Canadian soldiers are under attack while guarding the engineers and men who are building a new road into the Panjawai district. The Taliban do not want the people to have easy access to other places.

All the things we take for granted in Canada; working to feed your own family, going to school, being able to go freely from place to place, need to be defended in Afghanistan against people who will kill to prevent these things from happening.

Remember these brave Canadians who gave their lives so the people of Afghanistan could live in peace and enjoy the same rights and freedoms we do, and remember the soldiers who remain to carry on the work on our behalf.

Feel free to use these points.

 

[twistidnick]

How many people have been asked "so when are you going to Iraq?" or  or " I disagree with the Conservative government decision to be in Iraq we need to bring our boys home." and then have to spend 5 minutes explaining that we arenot Iraq and how the liberals sent us to Afghanistan. i personally find it extremely frustrating.

 

[vonGarvin]

My neice called the other night to wish me a happy birthday.  She asked if I was going back to Iraq.  I told her that I had never been in Iraq.  She was confused.  Then I said "You mean Afghanistan".  She said words to the effect of "Yeah, whatever, same thing..."



My own flesh and blood, but after all, she is "only a girl"  :
(don't flame, please, that is NOT a serious comment)

She can play that part sometimes, though, but I was patient and explained the "difference" to her.

 

[twistidnick]

You have to be patient explaining theses things b/c talking to anyone anti-war or anti-Harper or anti-whatever they want to be anti of this week, is like talking to a small child you have to explane slowly and over pronounceate or they don't understand.

(this is in no way directed at you niece von Garvin)

 

[jonstarks]

Re. Gaspasser

By all means post it up if you want I am glad you liked it. I was recently talking with a young women who was against the war, she saw my small back asked if I was in the military and then proceded to tell me what we were doing was wrong.  I asked her very calmly some of those question: How long have you studying the war? So you follow politics very closely? You have been to Afghanistan? You have studied the country of Afghanistan? and so on.  Not to my surprise she answered No to each one of my questions.  So I asked her "Well how did you formulate this opinion of your if you have no idea of what is happening?  I got a blank stare back.   I love people's reaction to those questions, they look at me like I am retarted and of reply "Of course I have never been to afghanistan, NO why would I study the country, No I do not pay attention to politics" To me it is common sense that would it not be better to let someone who is over in Afghansitan and haveing to deal with all violence and politics to determine whether or not we should be there, and not some avg canadian.  I am just very frustrated with people telling me that what we are doing over there is wrong when they do not have a bloody clue what they are talking about.  These protesters formulate their option around the media, which shows a combination of three things: Suicide bombings, innocent afghans dying and Canadian soldiers dying, so in their eyes no good is coming from us being there.  I have never seen the media tell the public a school was built, or anything productive we do.  I love the argument demanding what right I have to tell another country how raise their citizens, analogy of telling your neighbour how to raise their children.  I simply say you are absolutely right I have no right.  Response: Then are you not a hypocrite because that is what you are  doing in Afghanistan?  I say I have no right to tell my neighbours how to raise their children, but if I see them abusing and neglecting them I feel an obligation to stop it because no child should be beaten by their parents, unfit parents should not be allowed to have children.
Thank you a_majoor for posting some of the productive tasks Canadians are doing, those are some of the standpoints  I have used and it is very important for people to realize all the good those soldiers are doing over there.  I am still waiting for someone to give me a legitimate reason why we should not be there and offer an alternative.

Anyways i am done ranting and raving I just needed to get that off my chest.

Support our Troops  

 

[Pte_Martin]

Pte. Amlin, How Long have you been in the military for people to ask you "so when are you going to Iraq?"

 

[twistidnick]

Pte. Amlin, How Long have you been in the military for people to ask you "so when are you going to Iraq?"

i have only been in a year, but its not people I know that are asking me it's strangers. Like, when I stop for gas or go to the store on my way home from the garrison. How dose how long i have been in the military have anything to do with that?

 

[vonGarvin]

You have to be patient explaining theses things b/c talking to anyone anti-war or anti-Harper or anti-whatever they want to be anti of this week, is like talking to a small child you have to explane slowly and over pronounceate or they don't understand.

(this is in no way directed at you niece von Garvin)

That's ok, I didn't take it that way.
She is a typical 20 or so year old urbanyte.  She grew up in the north end of Toronto (York maybe?  I'm not really sure.  Just south of Finch and Bathurst anyway).  Ask her a fashion style, well, she is in the know then, but foreign affairs?  Naw, not really

 

[twistidnick]

lol

 

[Pte_Martin]

i was just curious on how long people are in and when other people start asking them questions like that. That's all

 

[twistidnick]

i was just curious on how long people are in and when other people start asking them questions like that. That's all

ok thats cool.

 

[Brad Sallows]

>I have a hard time understanding the mind of a protester who opposes the war in Afghanistan.

First you have to separate the protesters into two groups: those with minds who have thought through the issue and can explain their position coherently, and those who live by a collection of the opinions of others who they admire.  Ignore the latter unless you're capable of understanding emotional states.