Soldiers make safe the imperfect road
On a drive through the southern United States this summer, I could not but help notice the polarization of the society to the south of us. Republican billboards for Congressional elections held little back in attacking the current president as weak, at best, if not downright traitorous over his policies on health care reform, immigration and the BP oil disaster.
Even ads for local law firms suggest that anyone who has been injured on the job or aggrieved in some way should immediately sue.
For most Canadians, the vitriol of American society is disturbing. But one area in which Americans seem to be unified is the regard most citizens have for their military. Everywhere I went support for the troops was overwhelming. It seems that whether or not Americans agree with their government's current policies on Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else American troops are engaged, very few question their allegiance to the men and women in uniform.
This type of support for the military got me thinking about Canadians' support for our own troops. As a Christian, I struggle with how to support the troops without necessarily supporting war.
This has recently become a matter of acute personal struggle for me as my daughter, Megan, has decided to pursue a career as an officer with the Canadian Forces. In August, Megan left home for the Royal Military College of Canada. What is a Christian parent to do when his offspring decides to join the army and serve their country?
My parental instinct to protect my youngling ran smack into the fact that my daughter may eventually be in harm's way. But that very same parental instinct shifted into absolute pride that this child I have raised to follow Christ's call to make a difference in the world wishes to do so by serving her fellow citizens here in Canada and protecting the weak and vulnerable around the world from oppression and injustice.
In a perfect world, no one would have to employ arms. But this is not a perfect world, and sometimes we have to make hard choices—to allow evil to have its way, because we will not rise up to fight it or take up arms to fight and overcome that evil.
During my trip through the U.S., I read Rick Hillier's A Soldier First, the autobiography of the former Canadian Chief of Defense Staff. The retired general is one of Canada's greatest living military heroes, having served with distinction in Bosnia and Afghanistan before taking over as Canada's top military leader in 2005. But while his achievements on the field are tremendous (as are his famous fights against both political and bureaucratic incompetency), perhaps Hillier's greatest achievement was helping Canadians reconnect with their soldiers.
Hillier talks in his book about the "Decade of Darkness" during the 1990s when the Liberal government of Jean Chretien gutted our military, and the subsequent rebirth of the Forces a decade later under another Liberal prime minister, Paul Martin.
But while Canadians' love affair with their sons and daughters in uniform grows stronger every day, the same can't be said of the federal government's bureaucracy, which continues to put process and procedure above the welfare of our men and women in the Armed Forces.
Indeed, the federal government's estimated $240 billion commitment over the next 20 years for new equipment for the Canadian Forces is likely to run into the same petty bureaucratic squabbles that Hillier fought against during his three years as Chief of Defense Staff.
I would rather that young women like my daughter didn't need to put on a uniform to protect our country or people overseas. I would rather that my heart not break every time one of those incredible young soldiers comes home and travels the Highway of Heroes after making the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms most Canadians take for granted. I would rather spend public funds on education and health care than on the defense industry. But since this is an imperfect road, I am glad every time new money is spent on keeping our soldiers safe and helping them do their jobs.
Canadians should speak out on behalf of their soldiers in Afghanistan and elsewhere where they are making an incredible difference for good. They are our sons and daughters, the greatest Canadians alive, a legacy of the incredible men and women who fought in past wars and kept the peace. Let us support them and ask for God's protection for these heroes.
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