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6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday November 21, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER Group Publisher Media Group Ltd. NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Something to think about "We're being transformed from a country that has traditionally focused on peacekeeping, internationalism and the rule of law into a country that is more focused on being a combative nation in the world." Journalist, former Oakville resident Linda McQuaig "It's very hard when you come home and people don't seem supportive. People don't realize how much that's hurtful, especially for people who have lost friends or who left family for six months and wanted to be home." Capt. Stephanie Smith In the Saturday, Nov. 17 edition of The Oakville Beaver we printed two distinctively different stories, but on the same controversial subject -- Canada's involvement in Afghanistan. One story described the hard work and dedication of Capt. Stephanie Smith, a former T.A. Blakelock High School student whose passion for nursing took her down the long, hard dusty road to Afghanistan. Her father is also a proud military man, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Smith, who has also done a tour of duty in the war-torn country. Another story shared the views of outspoken journalist Linda McQuaig who made a presentation at St. John's United Church recently to mark the release of her new book Holding the Bully's Coat: Canada and the U.S. Empire. McQuaig believes it's none of this country's business to be in Afghanistan, suggesting Canada's presence does nothing but harm. That certainly is not how Smith views her position as a military nurse. She told our reporter that at one time a huge number of Afghan women died during childbirth because they had little or no access to health care. Six years ago, just 1020 per cent of the country's population was able to access medical care, said Smith. That number is now up to 80 per cent. Living in a country like Canada that allows freedom of speech, means vastly different opinions on a topic. It's doubtful there will ever be a consensus on this country's participation in Afghanistan. Yet, we should all be able to agree on one thing -- our unwavering support of the people who are members of the Armed Forces. They must hear from all of us -- loud and clear -- we are behind them 100 per cent. Even if you do not agree with the mission, our troops need to know their bravery is appreciated. There is a bumper sticker currently making the rounds that suggests that if we do not stand behind our troops then perhaps we need to stand in front of them. Something to think about. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Canadian soldiers supporting NATO anti-terrorist vision Re: Oakville Beaver Saturday, Nov. 10 story, Why are our soldiers in Afghanistan? Outrage and exasperation cannot begin to describe my sentiments in response to the article about author Linda McQuaig. I would like to express my most sincere apologies to our Canadian troops. The author fails to realize Canada's presence in Afghanistan is to stand ground on an international scale following a devastating attack against the Western world on 9/11. The title of the book, Holding the Bully's Coat: Canada and the U.S. Empire places Canada in a submissive position to the U.S. and denies the due respect our heroic soldiers deserve as they jointly battle terrorism with the same intended vision as possessed by all nations within NATO. The fight in Afghanistan involves the support of the Afghan National Army alongside troops from Canada, the U.S. and other NATO countries to counter Taliban insurgency and destroy the terrorist networks. I find it alarming the author possesses such a lack of understanding of how the Taliban treated women and children, forbidding women to expose their skin, speak freely or attend school without fear of being brutally attacked. Being such an obvious humanist in her viewpoint, the author should feel proud by our government's decision to free people denied fundamental essentials of life we, as Canadians, enjoy as a result of democracy. By implying our troops are ill-advised participants forced to support our U.S. trade partner, the author is assuming our soldiers are fighting in futility and the Afghanistan people can independently override their oppressors. Any terrorist attack against one NATO country affects us all. The author has forgotten that historically, our soldiers have always fought alongside the Americans. Perhaps the opinions of this author, who presumably leads a comfortable life in North America, would have sounded more convincing had they been documented from her condo in an upscale Afghani suburb where she could plead with Canadian soldiers to go home in order to grant her the peaceful serenity to live her enviable life as an oppressed woman with writing ambitions. As a Canadian, I would like to think the author would appreciate the sacrifice our troops are making to grant her the right of free speech, which she uses to accuse our government of lying to the Canadian people with the implication our military is fighting an unjustifiable war. Such an insinuation is not only destructive to the morale of our soldiers, but also to the nation's unity. SEBASTIAN SZOPA Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.