Wounded Warriors, Yes They Can!

No, I don't mean the entitled Quebec student protestors getting arrested, I mean our real warriors, our men and women in uniform, that put it all on the line for us, and our country.



Just because they are not actively participating in Afghanistan anymore, does not mean that they should be forgotten. Our lefty politicians like to denigrate them, like they did over the prisoner exchange, and the upcoming Khadr issue is sure to be a sideshow. Shame on them. They want to make every dollar our national defense team gets seem like they are taking that money away from some poor homeless drug addict who would spend it better. They have no respect for our military.

Well I do, and most Canadians (left and right) do as well. A perfect example of that is the "Highway of Heroes". We get it.

Former President GW Bush gets it as well. He just completed a ride with 20 US wounded warriors, and it looks like everyone had a great time. 

On April 26-28, 2012, twenty servicemen and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan will join President George W. Bush for a 100 kilometer mountain bike ride in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. As part of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the W100 highlights the bravery and sacrifice of the warriors wounded in the global war on terror, as well as those organizations that have made continuing commitments to supporting America’s heroes.

The three-day event provides an opportunity to highlight the good work of military support organizations and is sponsored by several companies and individuals that have generously contributed their time and resources to support America’s servicemen and women. The 2011 W100 was the first event for the of the Bush Center.

For a 65 year old, GW Bush can still keep up with the young ones, even if they are wounded!  I hear the Secret Service had a hard time keeping up with them...maybe too much partying?

It's nice to see people supporting our troops. I really hate the people who say "I support our troops"..... BUT.

There should never be a BUT to your support, it's a cowards way out.

Those wounded warriors are anything BUT cowards. Good for GW Bush

and MacKay for showing their support. We were all riding with them too.

They Support Our Troops....BUT!

Why would Canada not stand up in defense of Afghans, especially the women and young girls? Why would the opposition think it was acceptable to abandon those who need our help? The NDP, supposedly the party of the people, are the biggest hypocrites. Make love not war is still their motto. Unfortunately for the NDP, we have moved on from the sixties.  We understand that our troops can help oppressed people better than some lefties shouting give peace a chance.  Thank goodness the Liberals opened up the door for our troops to stay in a non-combat roll. They actually took a principled stand for what was best for Canada and Afghanistan. Clap, clap, I seriously applaud you! (No I am not being sarcastic!)

Canada can now hold it's head up at the NATO meeting. I will always support our troops without any "buts". They are sent into missions by our government, and they do a superior job, always. It's time for the lefty opposition to grow some balls and stop being fake pacifists. If Quebec doesn't want to support our troops, Alberta would be honoured to become the new home for the Van Doos! I suspect the Van Doos would have something to say about that, as they are proud Quebec Canadians, too bad their own province does not recognize their worth.

It is easy to sit at home in our peaceful Canada, and be passive, it is much harder to put your life on the line for your country. The Conservatives and the Liberals should call the NDP and the BLOC on their lack of support for our troops. They always say they support our troops, ...........BUT!



There should NEVER be any BUT's in our support.

Support For The Military Has Fizzled.

PM Harper started out strong with his visit to Afghanistan. Finally the troops were getting the equipment and support they needed and deserved. Canadians came out to Red Fridays to show their support, people began actively displaying their support for our troops for the first time in decades, the Highway of Heroes is a prime example of grass roots support, which thankfully is still going strong.

Then, it all fizzled. When is the last time that the Prime Minister has visited Afghanistan? I can't remember. All we hear now is that the mission will end in 2012. What a slap to the faces of our men and women who have poured their hearts, souls and in 146 cases their lives into our mission in Afghanistan. I am sickened by the opposition dictating to Parliament that our mission must end, but I am also just as disappointed with the Conservatives for not fighting it harder. Remember that the government DOES NOT have to consult Parliament on matters of national security, so if the government wanted to they could extend the mission.

I know Quebec doesn't support the mission, but they didn't support WWII either, so why are the Conservatives letting them have more power than they deserve? It's become all about votes, and that saddens me. Our troops should never be used as political pawns. The opposition has made them a political target, and the Conservatives are doing nothing to stand up for our troops.

The Conservatives distinguished themselves with their support for our troops early on, and the plans for the Arctic met with great support, but that has all fizzled, they are now no different than the opposition. They are so intent on winning a majority that they have forgotten what got them into power in the first place.

I am strongly supportive of our military, and I feel the Conservatives have abandoned them, I wonder how much more betrayed the people in the military feel. The opposition has been pounding our military for political gain, this is backfiring on them. Canadians are patriotic. We might not show it, but it is deeply ingrained in our identity.

I want the Conservatives to come out in support of our troops again. I do not want Canada to abandon the women and children of Afghanistan. I do not want us to cut and run. I do not want us to retreat like the opposition and Quebec want. Winning votes in Quebec is not worth it. Our troops have been in the toughest part of Afghanistan for years, and they have been making progress, now we are telling them that because it is not politically expedient, they must give up. It sucks. It makes my stomach churn with disgust. Disgust at all political parties, who are making our military a political target.

Our people in the military are human beings, not robots. They have families who love them, they have feelings. The opposition have done their best to smear them, and they are not allowed to fight back. It is up to us to show our support. Why isn't our government fighting for them anymore? Why are they allowing the opposition and media to define the issue? Maybe they should show Canadians the human side of our troops, like this video:



Maybe Conservative MP's should get back to their roots, and get the stale, poisoned Ottawa air out of their heads.

Do We Stay Or Do We Go?

I thank PM Harper for making his first international trip to Afghanistan, it started a new era for our military. Millions of us realized that we could actually show that we felt good about our military. We knew they were doing an excellent job, but under the Liberals, with spending cuts, our military was at the bottom of the barrel. That visit by PM Harper, plus the extra spending on our military, gave us the go ahead to actively show our support.

Unfortunately, it appears that support was fleeting because the opposition actually has control of the House. Even with two anti-military parties (NDP/Bloq) the government has been able to extend the mission twice thanks to some level headed Liberals. I think PM Harper made a huge mistake by allowing Parliament to vote on matters of military importance. Only the government of the day can send troops into battle. The Liberals sent our troops into Afghanistan without consulting Parliament. I will never forget the pictures of our troops in green camo's out in the desert. We had to rely on Russia to transport our troops and equipment. That has changed, it started with Paul Martin, and continued with PM Harper, and it should continue every year no matter who is in power. A country is only as strong as it's military.

Now we have Hillary telling us to stay the course. Normally I would be agreeing, but my opinion has changed.

I wanted our troops in Afghanistan to protect the women and children, and I support the desire of our troops to stay the course. They are the pros, and we should listen to them, and respect the memory of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The political landscape has unfortunately changed, and the Conservatives have gone from outright support of our troops, to a, sorry boys/girls we can't do it, because the opposition are anti-war. Consider what province is most anti-military in Canada! Right, Quebec. This should not be about votes. This does not wash with me or the millions of Canadians who have gone from indifference towards our troops, to support like on the Highway of Heroes. Canadians do not want peacekeepers, they want warriors. I want to know that the government supports our troops and will continue to fund them.

My support for our troops remains solid, what has changed my opinion is the corrupt government of Afghanistan. They do not care about their own people. They want to invite the Taliban to the table. If that is the case, it's time for our troops to leave. The Afghan people supposedly want us, but Karzai seems to be abandoning his own people.

NATO offensive may not go ahead: Karzai

At a fractious "jirga" meeting of about 2,000 tribal elders, politicians and citizens from Kandahar province and neighbouring provinces, Mr. Karzai asked those assembled if they were worried about the operation, expected to be NATO's largest-yet in Afghanistan.

"We are worried!" many shouted back. Mr. Karzai then assured them, "There will be no operation unless you are happy."

His administration will engage in further consultation with the province's people before deciding about the operation, Mr. Karzai promised at the meeting in Kandahar City.

It is time for the Afghan people to take up the reins of their own country. Karzai wants the Taliban back, and the people are unwilling to give our troops information that would lead to the capture of the Taliban.

I wish our troops could stay, but as a strong supporter of our military, I want them home, because as far as I can see, Afghanistan doesn't want to change. Iraq changed because the people wanted it, I see more hope for Iraq than I do for Afghanistan. Afghans do not want to help themselves, if they did they would have built up a professional army to look out for it's people. They would have a law system that would protect the women and children, and lock up the drug criminals. The problem is that most of the drug criminals are part of the Afghan government.

Keep some troops there to train the Afghan military and protect the companies doing reconstruction work, but that is it. Do we stay or do we go? It pains me immensely to say this, but I say go. Enough!

Remembrance Day, With A Little Help From My Friends!

Remembrance Day is a great day to honour our troops, but we need to remember and care about our troops everyday. My first friend, my husband, talked about a commercial from Walmart he had just seen, a Christmas wish, I found it for him.



Then we have my friend, Jen, who gave me the link to "A Pittance of Time". You need to read the singers explanation about how the song was created. The guy paying no attention to the two minutes was a real person, make sure you aren't that guy this year.



Another friend and frequent poster, MaryT sent me this:

A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges

Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms.. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story.

We need more teachers like that one to instill in our children the pride and honour for our troops that they deserve.

Thanks for all the help from my friends!

Finally, I want to thank everyone who comes out, no matter the weather, to the 50 bridges covering 170 kilometers, to send our heroes home in style on the "Highway of Heroes". I am sure it comforts the families of the fallen to know that Canadians care. Understand that for every single person standing on those bridges there are another 1000 from around the country who wish they could be there to send our troops home, with respect for their sacrifice. Even Prince Charles mentioned our "Highway of Heroes". Get your Kleenex out.



May we have no more people who have to gather on the bridges to welcome our heroes home. May we gather next time to welcome them home, with a job well done, and all troops having their hearts, minds and souls, intact.

Tomorrow, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, take two minutes of your time to remember, ALL of the men and women who fought and died for our freedom. It's the least we can do to honour our troops.

My Pick Of The Year!

My salute goes out to the people who line the Highway of Heroes to show their support for our troops! You represent all Canadians by honouring our fallen heroes. I will never be able to be there, so those of you who can be, have my thanks for going out in all kinds of weather to represent me and all Canadians.

Silent, sad salute for fallen

PORT HOPE — The sound of the three revving engines of the hearses was all that broke the mournful quiet cast along the Highway of Heroes yesterday.

None of the more than 400 men, women and children huddled in the cold across the Ontario St. overpass broke the salute of silence as the convoy of hearses bearing the flag-draped caskets of Sgt. Gregory Kruse, Pte. Michael Freeman and Warrant Officer Gaetan Roberge headed to Toronto.

Please click on the link and watch the video. I can not be there in person, but I am standing there in spirit with you!

I salute our brave troops for upholding Canada's flag with honour and valour. May 2009 be a kinder year for all people involved in conflicts.

One Or One Hundred, Each One Matters!

As I was making perogies today for Christmas, I was thinking about the political storm that hit last week, and I felt shame. How do we expect the people of Afghanistan to respect democracy, when our own politicians play silly power games. How can we expect our troops fighting for Afghanistan's freedom to sit silent and not comment.

We were so busy fighting amongst ourselves, that we forgot about those who are fighting for us in other countries. Many will be far away from their families for Christmas, and three brave souls are returning to us tomorrow. May the Canadians lining the Highway of Heroes give some comfort to the families and friends of these 3 fallen soldiers.

In this busy time, just before Christmas, let us remember all our troops, and what they fight for, our freedom. A Different Christmas Poem:



Our troops are not political pawns, they are sons and daughters, Mom's and Dad's, they are Canadians doing what our government has asked them to do, let them do it, with our support and blessings.

Dear Mr. Obama

One final comment. Some have suggested that the McCain Campaign paid for this ad. Nothing could be further from the truth.

McCain would never use soldiers for political gain. He has honored them, but he will not use them.

Unlike the Obama who has used Tammy Duckworth to score political points. McCain has such reverance and respect for our military men and women, he would never use them as political posters.

Nuff said.

Too bad our media does not have the same respect for our military.



I grew up in a town that had an army base a few miles (yeah, yeah, I'm still not metric) away. My father worked on that base, although he was not "in the army", it kept us fed, and gives my parents a good pension.

I hated how the "townies" thought they were so much better than the people serving our country. Talk about biting the hand of the people who feed you, they loved having the soldiers in their bars and restaurants, but didn't want to "associate" with them. That's why I left, and never went back.

Elitist thinking. Like Obama. Like lefties. They think they are the only ones who understand what we need, not as individuals, but as some sort of "collective" society. They can't stand Conservatives because we don't band together for the "common cause". We don't protest, and we don't file human rights complaints. We are too busy working and volunteering. We are the silent majority.

Don't let them fool you into thinking that they are the majority. They are not. They are a vocal minority, and it's time for the silent majority to swat them down with our votes.

Sweet Memories, Awesome Commercial!

After I graduated from university, first thing I did was get a job, second was to buy my first car. A white Ford Mustang with a T-roof, 302, 5 speed, it was one sweet ride!

When I met my husband, I wasn't too sure if it was the car he liked, or me! HA. The car is long gone, but hubby is still here, so I guess I have my answer. I would love to get a Mustang convertible, but kids and big dogs (planning on rescuing 2 greyhounds this fall, don't tell my husband, he doesn't know yet!) just won't fit. So, when I saw this commercial, it really brought back the memories!



It's an awesome show of respect for our troops, while promoting their product, but who cares, if you support our troops and love the Mustang, it's a great blend.