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We could all do more to support the troops

Barrie Advance
Collingwood Connection
Innisfil Journal
 
July 9, 2007
 

CFRB Radio talk show host John Moore recently stated that he thought the “Support Our Troops” magnets are simply an empty gesture.

I’m of the opinion that even the smallest gestures are meaningful.

For a lot of people, taking an active role in supporting the troops is hard to do with our busy lives.

That and the fact that perhaps we have so many other worthy things to support (run for this, cycle for that, march for this, hold a rally that), we simply can�t actively participate in everything.

I collect food and money from donation bins for the Barrie Branch of the OSPCA and drop it off at the shelter. Could I do more for them? Sure, I could. They always need dog walkers and volunteers to clean the animal’s cages, but what I do is needed too.

I run in the Terry Fox Run and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics every year, but every time I put on one of their t-shirts, hats or buttons, it tells everyone that I support their efforts, regardless of what I am doing. In other words, advertising.

On and around Remembrance Day, people wear poppies to pay tribute to our war veterans. While I think more people should take time out of their day to attend Remembrance Day services and talk to veterans, I would rather see people wearing poppies than not.

Sure, there are probably some who wear poppies just because of the social pressure, just like the Support our Troops campaign can shame opponents of the war into supporting the people fighting it (a tactic I disagree with), but it still does get the message out. Seeing one person with a Support our Troops magnet doesn’t say much, but seeing thousands of people; well, that does say a lot.

That said, John is right that there is always more that we could, and really should do, to actively support the troops in Afghanistan.

What have I done? Well, I have written letters to the editor to various newspapers expressing my support of our troops. I am a freelance writer and have written several pro-military articles profiling training exercises of Reserve units, detailing the recruiting process and the benefits of serving (including the same reason some WWII veterans served, that being adventure), and reminding people that our proud military past includes more than just peacekeeping missions.

I have even considered taking a more active role in supporting our troops.

I’m a former Navy Reservist (Military Police) and have considered re-enlisting so that I could serve in Afghanistan. For personal reasons, I don’t see that happening. However, I am a police officer, so maybe I will have to plead that this is my service to my country. Even in the darkest days of WWI and WWII, even when our Federal Government instituted the draft, we still needed police officers patrolling our towns and cities.

Oh yes, I do vote regularly in the elections, too.

To see the full Barrie Advance article, go to – http://www.simcoe.com/article/41589

About the author

Bruce Forsyth

Bruce Forsyth served in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve for 13 years (1987-2000). He served with units in Toronto, Hamilton & Windsor and worked or trained at CFB Esquimalt, CFB Halifax, CFB Petawawa, CFB Kingston, CFB Toronto, Camp Borden, The Burwash Training Area and LFCA Training Centre Meaford.

Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/we-could-all-do-more-to-support-the-troops/

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