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Keeping the home fires burning

CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 12:22 AM EST 20/04/08

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  1. Bert Russell Paradox, BC from Canada writes:
    You have the guts to face the truth and tell it the way it is. One of the few GM writers I respect.
  2. Kan Tankerous from Tronna, Canada writes: Yes Bert Russell Paradox...but not all of us consider someone with an historic habit of fawning and slobbering over the military to be telling the truth. Difficult to get around the heavy bias to the hard facts.
  3. Sarah Currie from Pembroke, Canada writes: I watched the Lifetime series 'Army Wives' once, for about 5 minutes, before turning the channel in disgust. This is a much greater tribute to the role we play. I'm not always your biggest fan, Ms. Blatchford, but I appreciate these words, as I am sure do many of the other wonderful, strong, and caring wives I've come to know. Thank you.
  4. Sara Emond from Trenton, Canada writes: Thank you for writing about the other half of the equation and for writing about that blog. I laughed and cried while reading that blog, all the while understanding exactly what that wife is going through, having felt the same way about my DH. Thank you Christie for showing readers the softer and more personal side of our armed forces time and time again, its a pleasure to read your articles.
  5. robert bolton from Calgary, Canada writes: I have read your columns over the years as well as your recent book for many reasons but primarily because it is such a pleasure to read your prose. Finding someone with intelligence and wit is difficult enough these days Ms Blatchford, but having you combining these talents with a your hard earned skill in using language to provide crystal clear vignettes of Canadian life creates a treasure. Of particular note is your willingness to suffer real emotional pain in order to allow us on the home front to experience what our brave soldiers and their families are living through. Thank you from an proud old Canadian.
  6. gar gurr from nanaimo b.c., Canada writes: You should interview second and Korean war wives they knew what it was all about no whining,no dramatics just loyal and dedicated Canadians who accepted their role as did their husbands too much Ophra . six months away from their husbands. How about six years?
  7. Bert Russell Paradox, BC from Canada writes:
    gar gurr: different times different attitudes. Remember when the Liberals put Japanese Canadians in camps ... you can bet your bottom dollars it wouldn't happen today.
    Bill 21 in Parliament introduced by Conservatives would free Aboriginals from their Patriarchal system where the Chiefs control government funding and allow free elections, including womens rights .... and the NDP and Liberals are against it.
  8. Janet M from Kingston, Canada writes: My vote is with Christie here. Army wives are remarkable women. The military, although changing is still patriarchal and tends to protect its own.
    To some civilians this can come across as clannish and cliquey.Having a career can not be easy either. My mom was an army wive and doggedly continued her career through the many postings. I spoke with one army wive who said some of these marriages go because of insistance on the wife( or husband) maintaining his or her through the postings. I am pleased to see the amount of support given now to families left behind. Canada had a small contigent of officers who went to Viet Nam to try to sort out a peace during the Tet Offensive and my dad was one of them. There was nothing offered in the way of support at that time and it was pretty hard. My take is that people chose to marry into this situation and that is that.
  9. captain steele royal, mounted from Canada writes: 'army wives are remarkable women.' sure. if you meet someone in the military you should pick up on the fact the ol'man isn't going to be around all the time.
    blatchford should get back to covering crime. i never bothered reading her then. now she's waving the flag, and 'telling it like it is.'
    get back to scaring single men at parties.
  10. Ben Hong from Canada writes: To some of the 'men' who responded to this article; why shoot the messenger? Are you such misogynists that you begrudge even this tiny bit of attention paid to the plight of military wives? Soldier up guys, and accept the fact that we need a military component in our country and spouses left behind during deployment are a part of the whole.

    Good job Christie...as usual.
  11. Ron MacGillivray from Flatbush, ab, Canada writes: I'd like to know more about what the husbands of these bloggers are doing. Most Cdns when they hear that so-and-so is in Afghanistan it conjures up images of lone ranger types heroically riding thru a hostile countryside to save the damsel in distress -in this case, the Aghan people from the clutches of evil Islamic fanaticism.

    In fact, the opposite is true. Most of our troops in A'stan never leave the base. Let's face it. They have few worries, no pressures, no traffic jams, no two hour commutes...Hey, I just thought of an idea. Maybe we should open up a resort area on the base where high class tourists who are looking for adventure with an element of danger can come in for a week or two, mingle with the troops, have their photos taken, share war stories, etc. This would be a great way of paying some of the costs of this war.
  12. Dave Bower from the Peg, Canada writes: To Kan Takerous from Tronna:

    'slobbering and fawn ing over the military', you say? Hmmm given the Liberals abysmal support for the noble institution that is our military, I belive that it is high time someone did 'fawn and slobber' over us. Yes, I serve.
  13. Dave Bower from the Peg, Canada writes: to Ron Aubry from Calgary:
    Sir, the manner in which you speak of our military leads me to believe that you have extensive experience in said profession. Might I inquire into when and where you have served? (End sarcasm)
  14. Dave Bower from the Peg, Canada writes: Bravo Christie, on a very fine article! Your words pay tribute to those people that are our REAL strength. Our wives. This tribute was long overdue. Thank you!
  15. captain steele royal, mounted from Canada writes: dave bower thinks the best way to settle something is to beat the snot out of those who disagree with him. there's always someone who takes great pleasure in settling things that way. it never ends unless you use such incredible force that any sort of resistance is futile.
    2500 canadians on the ground in afghanistan will go on forever.
    too bad we can't put your name in cement along with all the other flag wavers, so years later we can know whom to blame for the carnage that didn't solve a thing.
  16. David Brooks from Toronto, Canada writes: Her writing style is so overblown and over the top. Less is more.
  17. a brown from Canada writes: Another pile of pap from the Queen of Pathos. She should call up that pontificating blowhard Rex Murphy and together take their 'two, two, two righties make a wrong' show on the road.
  18. Kan Tankerous from Tronna, Canada writes: A hero biscuit is in order for Dave Bower. even though midnight shift gas station attendants, convenience-store clerks and construction workers do far more dangerous work, a hero biscuit nonetheless.
  19. The NeoCynic from Cayman Islands writes: Uxorious romanticism from a war spinster. Blatchford, media vulture, dines upon the loneliness of army wives to feed her propaganda mill for the war. What next, the glory of being a war orphan?
  20. Paul Schroeder from Winnipeg, Canada writes: As a parent of an Army Reservist currently deployed to Afghanistan I do sympathize with the Army Wife. By the time our son comes home he will have been away for a year and a half. He has already been injured during training and now goes into harms way on a daily basis. No one on this blog should be underestimating the stress the families of deployed Soldiers are under. If they are like myself, I only worry about him while I am awake.
  21. Josua Cord from Courtenay, Canada writes: Thank-you for taking us behind the spin. I appreciate your careful depiction of wives of the military and cannot for the life of me, understand the criticisms of your work mentioned above.
  22. della baird from vancouver, Canada writes: dee vancouver: once again christie ,you have come through when someone needs an ear. once i was in an horrific situation in toronto and had ,had a heart attack from the stress. .i was very concerned and half out of my mind when i called you from a pay phone then ran out of change and you asked me to call you back.I WILL NEVER ,EVER FORGET HOW KIND YOU WERE TO ME OVER THE PHONE. i did not call you as one lousy thing just lead to another and i became ill again. i just want to thank you so much again for acting with such decency. i am back in vancouver now and have never forgotten.things have gone from bad to worse and i have lost the strength to continue for now. by the way , at the time i spoke to you,you worked for 'that other paper'. when i am stronger i would still like to speak or write to you. i do not care what some smart a.. posters remark. i believe you are a person first,and a journalist second.thank you.

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