The war
If it hits home do we pull out?
That’s basically the question I was asking people this morning after a second Calgary soldier died in the war in Afghanistan. Nathan Hornburg was killed only a month after being deployed in the war-torn country. The 24-year-old died in a roadside ambush while repairing a broken track of a tank.
Nichola Goddard was the first Calgarian to die in Afghanistan. She was in a battle with Taliban insurgents in May of last year. She was 26-years-old.
It was an interesting shift because everyone I spoke with had a strong opinion on the matter. Many say it really does hit home when a local soldier is killed and they would like our men and women serving abroad to come home. But there are others, also hurt by the loss, who believe our mission in Afghanistan is a Noble one and we need to stay the course.
The argument for pulling out is simple. Too many Canadian soldiers are dying (71 since the mission began) and it seems that we are making no progress. The people I spoke with are calling for action, saying every Canadian should contact their MP or write letters and hold rallies to influence those who make the tough decisions.
On the other hand there are many who view the war quite differently. There is a large number of people in our city supporting the mission in Afghanistan. They tell me what our troops are doing in the war-torn country is helping people who are being terrorized by insurgents. They add Canada needs to help stabilize Afghanistan and not leave them in a land of turmoil.
One man, who has a brother in-law serving in Afghanistan, told me anyone who wants a pull out should take some time to talk to those who have finished their tour of duty. He says they will hear the real stories from the war-torn country like schools being built by the Canadian army, families being given protection from insurgents or Afghani children being taught English by soldiers.
No one I spoke with believes we should be extending our mission but some did say they would take a wait and see approach. If our presence is needed they feel we should hang around to help out.
So what do you think? Should our politicians be bringing our troops home or should we stay the course and finish the mission we started?