News

Excuse me for asking rude questions, but aren't the news media, including this newspaper, making far too much of a few deaths in Afghanistan? Aren't they playing straight into the hands of the enemy with those big black headlines, sob-story writing and dramatic televised clips of coffins, with pipers lamenting — not once, but twice, as they leave Afghanistan and then arrive in Canada?

The Taliban know they cannot defeat us on the battlefield, but they are well on the way to defeating us on the home front as morale sags and demands rise to "bring the boys home." When we decided to go to war to root out the Taliban, which was hosting Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network, didn't we know that some of our soldiers would be killed?

Our soldiers volunteer to fight if necessary, and we spend billions training and equipping them to kill those who threaten us. So why do media outlets keep saying that those who die are heroes sacrificing their lives for Canada? A very few may choose to die in order to save others, and they are heroes. But you can bet your boots that few go into battle actually expecting to be killed.

Actually, it's the suicide bombers on the other side who sacrifice their lives, but their motives are suspect. Apparently, they are assured they will go straight to heaven and unlimited sex, with other amenities not always available in their puritanical society at home. That's hardly heroic. In fact, if we could use psychological warfare to spread doubt about the rewards of blowing one's self up, it would do more to defeat terrorism than the entire Canadian contingent in Afghanistan.

You may accuse me of underestimating the effect of the loss of life among our troops. After all, as I write, 67 have been killed. Every death is a tragedy for family and friends, but we must keep things in perspective: Fifty people are killed in Toronto alone every year, many by gunfire, and many more across the country. Three months ago, we celebrated the victory at Vimy Ridge. About 3,500 Canadians died there in the span of a few days, among 60,000 who perished during the First World War. Another 42,000 died in the Second World War — and several hundred in the Korean War.

I'm not suggesting the news media should not report it when Canadians are killed, only that the stories not be treated as big, shocking news. And that reporters who lay on the blood, sweat and tears with big brush strokes consider the impact.

Anthony Westell is a retired journalist who served without distinction in the Second World War.