voice of innuendo clamours

“Patriotism, better said is the love for your country above the love for humanity.” - J.D.

Nearly everything normally associated with patriotism – wars, rituals of nationalistic loyalty, sentimentalized (or invented) traditions, parades, flags, etc. – is quite dreadful and full of appalling claims of superiority and pre-eminence. Can you still remember those days when one believed there was nothing more important than to serve our country, even die for our country, defend it against invaders and we heard or were rather told "don't ask what your country can do for you but what can you do for your country" At that time of hearing it, it all sounded quite correct and logical, like many other tunes from the day, like....the Spice Girls.

After a trip to the dentist my jaw feels broken. Especially when hearing about Captain Nichola Goddard of the 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery who was killed in firefight near Kandahar yesterday. She’s apparently the first Canadian woman to die in combat since 1945

"Capt. Goddard was killed while Canadian troops were supporting Afghan security forces in an operation against the Taliban, who had massed in the district. Hundreds of Canadian troops are involved in the clash, which was one of the biggest firefights since the arrival of the 2,300 Canadian troops in Afghanistan."

I have very mixed feelings about Canada’s role in Afghanistan. Primarily, I believe we have no buisness being there. As the events unfolded while debate raged in Parliament about our Afghanistan mission. The Conservatives extended the mission by two years to 2009 (notably, the year President Bush leaves office and apparently the earliest possible exit from Iraq). Harper called a vote on the issue yesterday afternoon, and won it by 4 votes.

How, exactly, does one reach the conclusion that by wanting to end a war, those fighting it aren’t being supported? It seems to me that the best way to support a soldier is to promote peace, and thus their removal from a situation that could very well claim their life and the lives of others including the innocent.

Over the last few days I’ve received numerous response about my website, people condemning me for not focusing on the positive aspects of tragedy or in fact... myself... and I have sat here in silence, blankly staring at this screen, stunned by them.

Have we been so submerged in denial as to not be able to look at this plainly? Have we become so accustomed to living each day in a state of constant self affirmation and arrogance that we must intrinsically find some fantastic aspect to all of this to better demonstrate that even in the face of mass incompetence, tarnishing our fantastic exterior is inconceivable?

If positivism or thoughtful insight on flights of fancy is what you’re after, besides going to the club to have it away, or on the other side, donating money to help the victims of any disaster, start asking yourself some tough questions about government, about how we view the loss of life in other parts of the world, about the realities of poverty and inequality in our society, and how we have grown distant from each other despite the fact that there are more of us now than ever before. Perhaps, when all is said and done, tears should encompass more of our days. Maybe then more might be done about the state of this world rather than very little, with a smile. As my mentioned, cold and sterile self in a voice of innuendo clamours and your neighbourhood blinds shut, the half dazed answer to your curiosity of my long weekend will not be as if it were rehearsed, or nothing, but wherever it may be I will be split like lightning. Gone.