I am trying to make sense of the very un-Canadian military pageantry which took place in Ottawa last week. Members of our military who took part in NATO’s activities in Libya were present to receive public accolades.
Don’t get me wrong – I am very grateful to our military for all that they do and represent for our freedoms. However, in my mind their primary role is to defend our borders, not to extend the geo-political aspirations of parties which I’ll leave unnamed.
Last week we learned it was actually a Canadian in charge of NATO’s bombing campaign in Libya. Rather than viewing this with pride, I am saddened at Canada’s changing role in world affairs. How did we get here from the peacekeeping role Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson created for us? It earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 and brought Canadians a lot of international esteem. Now, that’s something to be proud of.
C.A. Archibald, Surrey