The complexity of war
The Canadian Soldier:
Hero or murderer?
Honourable or corrupt?
Patriot or traitor?
Their missions in the Middle East:
Home to invaluable oil supplies…
Do soldiers really aim to protect civilians?
Or rather, do they exploit their oil supplies,
Protecting the resources instead?
Is their presence a catalyst for ongoing wars,
Or a resolver of conflict?
Does it promote peace,
Or encourage combat?
There is propaganda going both ways,
But the truth is far more complex.
War is a disease that spreads quicker than the flu in a pre-school,
And preventing its expansion requires delicacy…
A quality very few possess,
Leading to mistakes being made,
Lives being lost,
Reputations being tarnished.
War is a disease,
One for which we have no known cure
Or efficient treatments,
Just band-aids and bandages.
One thing is certain, however.
Regardless of how respectable we believe the Canadian Army to be,
We must never disrespect the Canadian soldiers,
Who fight for what they believe in:
For peace and for human rights
Of civilians in countries they’ve only ever seen the worst of:
Countries being destroyed due to human greed and hatred.
Yet in spite of the human malice they are subject to every day,
They fight for the human rights of these civilians.
It is true that some are corrupt,
Some commit crimes,
And some are only after the oil,
Uninterested in providing humanitarian aid.
But should we let this minority,
Dictate our perception of the average Canadian soldier?
Poem by: Sophie Dufresne
