War and Peace
War and peace. We have one and want the other. Where will it all end? No one wants death and destruction but are those things necessary in order to obtain peace? Should we wait until terrorism is at out doorsteps to bolt the door? Can we afford to be complacent about the threat of terrorism world wide? Are we naive to think that those sorts of problems only happen to other countries and never to us?
I have so many questions, but so few answers and I am saddened by news of ordinary citizens in both Canada and the USA taking their frustrations out on each other. Canadians are refused services (gas and restaurants) in the USA; American pee wee hockey players and their parents being booed and made to feel so unwelcome by Quebecers. These are children for heavens sake – what is wrong with everyone. Have we no self-respect? Are we, in our own fear and uncertainty, just lashing out?
I have friends who are flying to Florida shortly to pick up their motor home and drive it back to Ottawa, as they will be unable to holiday there this year. I immediately picked up on their anxiety about this whole trip as we recently discussed their plans. They are currently looking for some pro American flag stickers to put on their motor home to counteract the fact that their license plate is Canadian and they are planning on wearing USA/Canada crossed flag pins wherever they go. They also feel a need to plan their route home from Florida very carefully. I have no doubt that this trip will be filled with anxiety and home sweet home will look so welcoming once their journey is over.
One has only to listen to the radio to hear of trade problems between the two countries. And I suspect that the current hostilities aren’t going to disappear like the fog. They will swirl around us for quite some time to come. Everyone knows that if Canada were in need of support, the Americans would be there for us in a heartbeat so can you blame them for being upset because Canada doesn’t feel the same way?
Our troops are embarrassed that they are not able to join their American peers. Our military wives are thankful (as they turn on the TV to CNN’s dramatic coverage of every shot that’s been fired), that their husbands are home safe with them. No one wants to have a loved one in Iraq right now – regardless of his/her background. But more than that, Canadian military spouses are dealing with so many mixed emotions at this troubling time. They have great empathy and concern for American military spouses. But they also have guilt because their husbands are within a hug’s reach while our American spouses are dealing with all the stresses that accompany having a loved one in a war zone. Whether actively participating in this war, it really does affect all of us.
How far does the public’s ‘need to know’ stretch? When is enough, enough? Isn’t the fact that loved ones have given their lives enough for us to know? Do we really need to know how they died? And when you report that James in New Jersey has been captured and is now a prisoner or war – which James? Are there 10 James from New Jersey serving in the war effort? If so, then what does this type of reporting do to all 10 families? Why can’t names be withheld until ALL the information is known? Why put so many people through unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Having families scouring every close-up shot reported on television in the hopes of recognizing their son, husband, brother is torture. Best to just turn the TV off. But then, is that better or worse? There is no answer that will be acceptable to everyone. Each of us has to find our own path to deal with the current world situation. Just as many Canadian’s believe our government has done the right thing, you will find probably an equal amount that are looking a little further into the future and seriously contemplating just how much this error in judgment is going to cost us.
Whichever way you feel about the war in Iraq, it all makes for much troubled sleeping. May whatever God you pray to, have mercy on us all.