Bring the Boys Home

As the casualty lists continue to mount in Canadian troops, there have been discussions of bringing the troops home soon. I have to admit that I am no longer sure if I agree with that.

Two years ago I would have said that we have no right to be interfering in the peace of another country. Two years ago I thought that the world is more black and white than I know it to be now. I also didn't know anyone who was sent overseas. Now I do.

Jann Arden just did a cover of a song from the Vietnam War "Bring the Boys Home." There is no time that is better than right now for that song to be heard again. The part of the song that currently hits my heart the most is when it talks about lovers being parted. I have never dated a soldier and I have no intention of ever doing so, but I am involved with someone who will be heading across an ocean at some point. To be parted from someone who you love is hard and it is even harder when it is a parting that is not deliberate for whatever reasons.

While the debate rages on about whether to bring our fighting forces home, the debate rages on in my mind as well. How far are we supposed to go to protect those who can't? Are we called to step in and step up to protect those who do not belong to our own countries? Who are the innocents in every war and who are the oppressors?

I have no idea how far we are supposed to go in order to protect those in other countries. I don't know how much our interference will be resented in coming years or how crippling out interference may be. Some things we have no way of knowing and we simply try and do the best that we can. I don't know what else we can do and maybe we will be able to bring our boys home soon.