Posted on 08/25/2007 11:04:07 AM PDT by knighthawk
What can Cal-gar y Mayor Dave Bronconnier possibly be thinking? So what if there are few extreme anti-war types in his city who view "Support Our Troops" stickers on city vehicles as civic support for the war in Afghanistan? There will always be a fringe few who are offended by anything and everything, and others whose objections are ill-informed or just plain wrongheaded.
Support for troops who daily risk their lives and limbs on our behalf cannot be contingent on whether one supports their mission or not. A less politically correct politician would have no trouble seeing that. Besides, there is nothing wrong with our Afghan mission. In addition to keeping the bloody, oppressive Taliban at bay with force, Canadian troops, police, prison guards, judicial system officials, diplomats, teachers and humanitarian workers are busy reconstructing a country, economy and society that have known little but war for 30 years.
Thanks goodness most Canadians are not as confused as Mayor Bronconnier.
On Friday afternoon, thousands turned out in red shirts for the "Red Friday" rally at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in Toronto. Their sole purpose was to demonstrate their unconditional support for our soldiers, sailors and pilots, regardless of where they are stationed or what their mission.
Sunday, as they have for past corteges, thousands more are expected to line the overpasses of Ontario's Highway 401 -- Canada's busiest -- to wave flags as the bodies of Canada's latest Afghan casualties, Master Cpl. Christian Duchesne and Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier, are returned home.
Even the very Liberal Ontario government of Dalton McGuinty is so supportive of our troops that it has decided to rename that stretch of the 401 from CFB Trenton to Toronto "The Highway of Heroes." Surely that is as easily misconstrued as support for war as a few decals on the bumpers of Calgary police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. Yet the Ontario government showed no timidity similar to that of Mr. Bronconnier.
Even Toronto Mayor David Miller -- as reliable a follower of fashionable lefty causes as any municipal politician in the land -- managed to see the light when the public demanded he reconsider his initial sticker ban. And Ottawa, hardly a bastion of hawkish conservatism, has also recently approved the decals for municipal vehicles.
Despite repeated reports that support for our Afghan mission is only 50-50, outpourings of goodwill towards our Armed Forces is such that we don't believe polls claiming lukewarm support.
Indeed, as we reported on our front page yesterday, when Canadians are asked whether they support our mission, their approval is upward of 80% to 85% when pollsters first explain the breadth of our humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.
Still, it is not up to pollsters to drum up support. That is the government's job. And on that task, the Conservatives have been wanting. Fearful of offending war-skeptical voters (particularly in Quebec), the government has offered only tepid explanation of all we are accomplishing.
This appears about to end. After Labour Day, the government will begin regular briefings on the progress there. And it has stepped up its efforts to explain the mission on various government Web sites, especially Protecting Canadians, Rebuilding Afghanistan at http://www.canada-afghanistan.gc.ca. Not a moment too soon. Canadian troops deserve to have their valiant work better known. Perhaps such knowledge, too, will help prevent the creation of any more feckless politicians like Mayor Bronconnier.
Ping
These knuckleheads just don’t get it. You cannot support one without the other because the two are inextricably linked. The sheer stupidity of liberals who chant “We support the troops but not what they are doing” never ceases to amaze.
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