"A FEW GOOD HUMANS"

"LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD SOLDIERS"...an ad in the Toronto Star?



As meek and somewhat friendly as the title appears, the subliminal message is very loud and clear: "Uncle Stephen Wants You!"

We can all agree that the American soldier has dominated the press, long since the Vietnam era up to and almost including Afghanistan, however, sadly, Canadian soldiers are coming home in boxes from that same area and are now making headline news on most Canadian television networks at suppertime.

So, what exactly is the "big deal"?

In the past, we have seen some Canadian military exhibits and reviewed them with a "ho-hum" and moved on to the the other exhibits without much thought. Today, the Canadian military is out to attract new recruits in most major cities. The exhibit now is the size of a "football field near the Princess Gates" (Canadian National Exhibition), and as reported in the Star, it "is more than just a public relations pitch".

Let's face ti, the display is a great demonstration of military might, while a Leopard C2 tank has a 12 foot banner draped across the side wherein the public can sign messages to the active Canadian soldiers overseas.

Hey, it would be legal for the new recruits to carry guns, they would also belong to a unit (gang), and they would not take up our valuable resourses of the local police departments here at home.

But why the real push for military might expansion? You're guess is as good as anyone's, although bare in mind that Prime Minister Harper (Uncle Bob) did not visit the troops overseas for a vacation, there was a subliminal message here, just as there is with the title: LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD SOLDIERS.

Editor's Note: This blog was submitted to the Editor of the Toronto Star, August 27, 2006. I wonder if they will reprint?