Midnight Run

Channel surfing late Saturday night at a friend's place I came across an interesting news story. Interesting because of the timing of this "breaking" news. No I didn't catch this story on CNN or (sigh) Fox News, it was a purely Canadian story. The body of Captain Nichola Goddard was returning from Afghanistan where it had been terminated prematurely during the Canadian mission there. CBC Newsworld and CTV Newsnet showed live pictures of the repatriation at midnight on Saturday. A very dark and cold military airfield welcomed the coffin back to Canada. Was anyone watching?

From my first glimpse of this story, I recognized that it stunk of politics. Many Canadians, as well as Americans, Israelis and Indians are rightly upset by a stream of coffins carrying their young deceased soldiers home. Remember all the lengths that the Bush Administration went to cover up the initial stream of soldiers killed in Iraq? Now it seems that Stephen Harper is following Bush's lead. Why midnight? Could it be that Mr Harper didn't want Canadians to see the entire unloading but merely the next day's short soundbite?

War is misery. Everyone knows this but still we decide to get into them. I've been told that it's human nature but this is a bogus excuse. Humans are just as capable of building community and embracing nonviolent approaches to conflict. We have choices.

Having said this, I don't believe that we Canadians should cut and run from Afghanistan. For one we chose to support the Americans in their blazing revenge for 9/11. Americans may act irresponsibly and wantonly, moving rapidly from one war to another, but we have to do our duty to rebuild this poor country now that we are committed. The Americans won't, they have their own agenda unfortunately. It's up to smaller countries like Canada and the Netherlands to help the Afghanis. Afghanistan is a terribly sad place and we should work with them to laugh and share again. Imagine growing up with only war and landmines; you'd be as bitter and angry as many Afghani people as well as "terrorists". It may take years but this bitterness can be fought with commitment and honesty.

Instead of hiding the truth of war at midnight on a Saturday night, Harper should explain that we're in Afghanistan because we have to be; and because it's the right thing to do. Give Canadians some credit Mr Prime Minister.