Payout about not protecting child soldier
Re: “Khadr rewarded for killing soldier”, (Citizen, July 21)
How do I even begin to respond to Mr. Tom Stephens’s irrational, emotionally charged letter to the editor of The Citizen on July 21? In an emotionally charged situation the left brain shuts down. When this happens the response to the situation lacks rational, logical thought. Hence, raw emotions interpret the situation and respond accordingly.
Without being partisan, I simply would like to remind citizens of the facts: Canada is paying because Canada now recognizes their failure to have protected Khadr and prevented his internment in Guatanamo Bay.
Unfortunately many countries still use child soldiers. I have witnessed such incidents while working as a nurse/midwife in both Chile (1972-3 overthrow) and Peru (Shining Path Massacres). Theses child soldiers are precisely children who are forced into “obeying their parents or adults” often at the end of a barrel in some cases. It is my understanding that in a war situation soldiers are not tried for killing but rather become “heroes for defending their country”.
Mr. Tom Septhens asks if the soldier had been a Canadian would we feel any differently. Because the reason for the payout is NOT about who was killed but rather about a government’s lack of moral obligation to protect its citizen I think a more appropriate question might be: If it were my son, nephew, grandson who was tortured because his government failed to protect him would I still feel that was acceptable?
Kathleen A. Kelly
Chemainus
