A positive letter from the Toronto Star

From Julie Freeman, from her letter to the editor, Toronto Star, today.

I want to thank Rosie DiManno for her article about Afghanistan. One of my closest friends is fighting in Afghanistan right now and when he left I hated the military and the government for sending him somewhere so dangerous for something that meant nothing to me.

I felt this until I asked him about the mission, and until I educated myself about why Canadians are fighting, and dying, in a country that is so far removed from mine, both geographically and ideologically.

I felt this until I learned the inhuman things that the Taliban were doing to the Afghan people. I am now thankful every single day that I can go to school, work, express my opinions and even dance and sing in public if I feel like it, without fear of repercussions.

Now, when people tell me that our soldiers are dying out there "for no reason," I try to help them understand the noble and generous sacrifices these people are making. To willingly put your life on the line so that people you may never meet can have a better life is the bravest act and the greatest example of kindness toward all humanity that I can possibly imagine.

Thank you to the men and women of the Canadian Forces who have given their lives for others. And thank you to the men and women of the Canadian Forces who continue to fight, and support those who fight, under frightening and dangerous circumstances for this cause.

Supporting the troops means more than wearing red

Yesterday as I walked through Bloor West Village, I saw two kids from the Royal Canadian Air Cadets walking toward me. These are girls and boys between 12 and 18 who are learning the disciplines of the Canadian military in a structured but fun part-time environment. Many of these youth will grow up to have further affiliation with the Canadian Forces. They are the next generation of our soldiers, airmen, sailors and submariners. Several times a year they do fundraising drives, asking for spare change. I always make it a point to give them whatever I can. To me, supporting the troops we have deployed right now not only means writing letters and wearing red - it also means helping to groom their replacements; the ones who will one day be defending our country.

When you see the Cadets fundrasing in your neighborhood, be sure to drop a few coins in their collection box.