Skip to content

Get behind our war effort

May I start off by saying that I was appalled last week when I heard the response of NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan to back the war against ISIS along with, I believe, 60 other countries.

May I start off by saying that I was appalled last week when I heard the response of NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan to back the war against ISIS along with, I believe, 60 other countries.

As well, I was disappointed to read the letter in Monday’s Advocate re: Are we sliding into another war?

I’m not politically minded, but as I read the response of the two leaders, I sensed a lack of patriotism on their part, and it seemed to me that they were playing politics.

First off, we in Canada are dealing with a real threat from a wealthy terrorist organization that considers anyone who does not agree with their ideology to be infidels and should be killed by any method possible. CSIS has been looking into a number of threats of late of this nature and agree that the threats are real, and there are people in Canada who side with ISIS as has been manifested in, I believe, some 130 “so called” Canadians who have headed to the Middle East to join this terrorist movement.

Mulcair suggests it’s not a UN-sanctioned operation all these other countries are involved in, and that Canada should refrain from their support and use diplomacy.

Tell me, how would Mulcair do such a thing while in a box with his head on his lap?

These terrorists do not know the meaning of diplomacy, and one could never trust them in light of their ideology, an ideology that thinks nothing of beheading individuals, and from other reports, cuts children in half plus other atrocities.

Trudeau is too wet behind the ears and too young to even be leading a Canadian party when we are facing such threats. I do not believe that he has the wisdom or experience to understand the dire situation that is facing the free world today by a group such as ISIS.

I am in my 80s and well remember the Second World War and the war effort it took on the part of Canada. My reason for stating this is that both men mentioned the cost to Canada.

Since when have we put money ahead of lives? How well I recall Winston Churchill saying along with other Allied leaders words to this effect “.... we must win at all costs.”

May I suggest that if costs are a burden for the government coffers, why not do what we did during the Second World War? The government sold war bonds and stamps and used what salvage (recycling today) to assist the war effort.

I’m sure many of you can still recall the songs those two precious songstresses, Sally Fields and Vera Lynn, and the words of many songs that helped us to carry on to defeat the enemy.

One more thing: a poll was taken recently and reported to say that 64 per cent of Canadians said they favoured Canada backing the war against ISIS, which is Harper’s plan.

When I saw the results of the debate in the House — 157 for and 134 against — I couldn’t help thinking, if those members of the opposition had been able to leave their party line and vote on behalf of their constituents and good common sense for the common good for all, I’m quite sure the results would have been much different, and the vote would have been more in favour of backing the war against ISIS.

Also, we should be mindful that this plan of Harper’s in no way diminishes the humanitarian aid. Something for all of us to consider: when we stand to sing 0 Canada, do we really mean it?

If we do, we should give Harper and our Canadian Forces our prayers and support to help end this conflict in the name of freedom and peace for all. ISIS terrorism defeated!

Richard Duffin

Red Deer