We tend to think about our own war dead and wounded when Canada is in conflict, but soldiers from other nations also die, including six Italians who were killed by a roadside bomb last week. This photo is of the seven-year-old son of one of the fallen. It breaks my heart, which makes me a bleeding heart, I suppose. I can live with that moniker.
Our 131st Canadian fatality also occurred last week and the family of the slain young man spoke out about the futulity of the mission in Afghanistan. I honestly don't know if this war is "unwinnable" nor am I sure about Canadian withdrawal. I am convinced that life will become harsher for women and children if alliance troops leave, but there are many countries in the world where circumstances are horrendous and Western nations have not invaded.
The older I get the more I am convinced that war is one of the demonic inventions of the human species. It kills the young and dehumanizes the participants and siphons away resources that could be directed toward the alleviation of poverty. And it leaves children bewildered and grieving and fatherless.
My mother cautioned me as a boy about using the word hate, because it is a strong word. I hate war with a passion. I hate how we justify it and how we glorify it. I will say again that I respect every brave soul who has served on behalf of my country and others. These sacrifices should be honoured. And war is still a bloody disgrace for beings of supposedly higher intelligence.
As I look at the bereft boy in the photo I want the world to listen to Jesus and to the calls for peace in every religious tradition. That may seem incredibly naiive and simplistic, but it makes more sense to me than war.
3 comments:
Could not be put in any better way! I believe there are many of us that feel the same way. Thank you for putting our thoughts into words.
More need to hear this message. I was in a check out line when I heard a child saying: "I want... I want.... " The mother's response was, "Yah, well I want world peace, and that's not going to happen." It made me stop and think that if people have these attitudes of no hope, peace will take even longer to accomplish.
Thanks for responding. In retrospect, this is an indignant blog on my part, but there are times when the outrageous behaviour of our species seems to require indignation. I would like to think it is righteous.
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