Editor:
Re: Maintain modern armed forces, Observer Feedback, April. 13.
I sure hope Mr. Topham wiped the froth and foam from his mouth before he licked the envelope containing the letter he sent you.
I have to say that I disagree with most of what he said in that letter. In particular the part blaming Stephen Harper for our troops being in Afghanistan, were they not sent there when the liberals were still in power?
Also the point of our troops being just peacekeepers, a strange term indeed to be using in reference to an individual who is at first and foremost a soldier, a fighter.
If I recall correctly it was Lester Pearson, a Liberal, who initiated this foolish and pollyannaish notion of sending an armed soldier out to stand in between two other armed individuals who want to kill each other and say “hey guys, lets stop all this and talk a bit, pretty please?”
That’s the job of the diplomats, when the shooting starts things change, they are soldiers first. Then along comes Pierre Trudeau, another typical liberal, and the neutering of our great military is completed.
A sad and dark time for the military. Apparently during the Bosnian conflict our soldiers were passed over numerous times when a mission was being set up and a force put together because they carried the burdensome rep of being a peacekeeper.
“Don’t ask the Canadians to go with you, they are not allowed to/can’t/have to ask permission to fight.”
Frustrating indeed!
But now move forward to 2005, under Paul Martin, another precious Liberal, he clues into the fact that its finally time to muscle up the Canadian military and that he did, under the expert and exemplary leadership of General Rick Hillier.
I do sincerely thank Paul Martin for initiating bringing back our military to what they are first, fighters. Canadian military history is second to none in the world when it comes down to getting the job done.
We all can and should be proud of what they have done and are now doing in the areas of conflict they are sent to serve in.
Is Stephen Harper not just carrying on in this as prime minister? Bravo Harper and bravo Hillier, for this reason and others of course, I am voting Conservative.
R. Cave
Quesnel
