Afghanistan thoughts.

Candace's cousin Robin emailed me asking my thoughts on Afghanistan. This is what I sent back to her. I typed it out over the last hour or so of spare.

You wanted to know what my opinions are on Parliament’s decision to extend the Canadian mission in Afghanistan and Cpt Nichola Goddard’s unfortunate death. My opinions are varied and confused, I truly don’t know what to think. I remember when I heard on Power 107 that the United States had started its invasion on Afghanistan in October 2001, in the parking lot of North Hill’s Safeway. I was an immature grade seven student and I guess I thought that it was the best thing the world community could do, to uproot the bases of the terrorists and the fundamentalist government that fostered them.
You could say I was a supporter of the war then.
I was interested when I heard my then new friend Kate’s sister was in the military, she was out in Roger’s Pass triggering avalanches with her artillery unit, then later on she was fighting forest fires in BC that next terrible summer.
I guess when I completely realized that Kate’s sister Nich was in the military and could go on missions in dangerous places around the world, I was concerned for her safety and wanted to make sure that she’d be okay so that Kate wouldn’t have to deal with the trauma of losing one of her beloved sisters. When Nich was told she was going to be deployed to Afghanistan from about February to August this year, Kate was so scared for her, and I for the both of them. I, along with all her friends, reassured her that Nich would be fine and come home safe.
I have become slightly more pacifistic over the years, in a selfish kind of way: I wanted Nich to be safe and not have to fight but I didn’t mourn the other soldiers as much as I now know I should have. I didn’t support the idea of going in and bombing the country further into an abyss of underdevelopment and destruction and anarchy, but I felt like I had to support it because Nich was there, as many of our friends did. I listened voraciously to all the news reports and cringed every time I heard a soldier had been injured or killed, afraid that it would be Nich but it never was; when the reporter said “he”, in a terrible way I was relieved, not my friends’ family, not as dire a problem.
But then Nich did die and I didn’t know what to think. Do I support Afghanistan for Nich’s memory? Do I change my mind and cut and run and let other people take care of the people of Afghanistan instead? Let other people die for our security and freedom or send our friends and family?
It’s tough. I don’t actually have a solid opinion. If I were asked if I was in favour of the motion in the House of Commons, I would probably vote for it. But would I still feel bad about it? Yes. It’s a really difficult decision to make and I don’t know if I could really support one side or another.
Anyways, that’s my opinion. I hope it gave you food for thought and something to write about in your editorial.
All the best,
Michael Maher.