An open letter to the PM.

Stephen Harper,

You do not have a mandate to extend the mission in Afghanistan. Take your plan to our House for a vote. You know which House I mean, it’s that really big one, where policy is supposed to be debated and then voted on. You are playing politics with the lives of Canadians here. Citizens who have the moral fortitude to enforce our policy when asked to do so. I have seen no evidence that we are welcome in Afghanistan by the women and children you love to invoke endlessly in your speeches. In fact, I have seen much evidence to the contrary by Afghan women such as Malalai Joya and RAWA. Afghans will look at a NATO uniform as a hostile occupying force no matter how you spin it at home. And our “training” force will be targeted by insurgents, even some who were NATO trained and equipped.

I fail to see how Canadian Forces will train police in classrooms, when they are not trained for policing themselves. The Afghan military answers to a puppet regime, not democratically elected. But that wouldn’t bother you, would it? Mr. Harper, here’s the thing. You can’t impose democracy, it can only be won by determined citizens. The longer we have any military presence in Afghanistan, the longer it will take for reasonable debate to occur there. The more women and children will suffer and be killed.

My son left this morning for pre-deployment training. My heart is breaking right now that he will be carrying out orders from an Executive that does not seem to comprehend the gravity of the political decisions that are being made arbitrarily by you alone, without a proper mandate from the People’s House. These are not the actions of a democratic government.

I also fear that your decision is going to affect the military members who deploy under your new rules. Do they lose Veteran’s Status and services because you deemed this a “training” mission? That is not very supportive of you, is it? Obviously, your children will never be called upon to defend your decisions with their lives. If they were, I am confident that you might consider the implications before arbitrarily changing Canada’s Foreign Policy.

I will not rest sir, until my voice is heard on this matter. You and your Minister of Defence/Offence have mouthed empty words about supporting our troops, but you have done nothing to back those claims. Put your money where your mouth is and bring our Forces home. There is a diplomatic solution, it only lacks your will.