It's about time.

Say, did you know there are Canadian troops in Afghanistan right now?

I don't know about you, but I often forget that we have brave men and women fighting tyranny on our behalf. Nine Hundred and Fifty of them, in fact. Not content with simply ensuring that those terrorist slimeballs get what is coming to them, our troops are also training the Afghan National Army, maintaining and reparing infrastructure, as well as surveillance and reconaissance. You know... all that stuff needed to help a new democracy grow and see those Afghanis flourish in their freedoms.

Right honourable folks, I'd say. Incredibly, amazingly, right frikking honourable.

And what do we do for them? Squat piddly all, that's what. The US Forces in Iraq get care packages and letters from total strangers*. I have never heard of any organization dedicated to doing the same here in Canada. SO WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH US CANADIANS???

It is time, and long past time in fact, that someone took charge and did something about this absolute travesty of justice. Ith at Absynthe and Cookies has turned my head towards RightGirl and her July 4th post. When you scroll down past the patriotic cartoons (no need to scroll too fast, though. ed.) you will read the following,

So what of our Canadian soldiers, stuck in Afghanistan with nothing but a rusted Korea-era tank and a potato gun? Nothing. No blogs that I could find, and worse still - no letter-writing organizations. They've been forgotten. By our government, by our media, by our citizens, and by our charitable Christian women's hearts. They fight shoulder to shoulder with their American brothers and sisters, who receive care packages from perfect strangers, and the Canadians remain unthanked.

She goes on to say that she plans on changing that (thank God there are still women like her out there).

I've signed up. I'm gonna show my support for our troops with more than just words on a blog. And you should too.

RightGirl, anything I can do to help you with this one, you just let me know. What a fantastic idea.

God bless our troops, and God bless Canada.

*This should in no way be interpreted to mean that I don't think they deserve it. Those troops are doing a helluva good job, and have earned all the respect, gifts, and accolades we can give them. The emphasis is on the fact that we enlightened and progressive Canadians fall waaaay short of our American cousins when it comes to showing real support for our Armed Forces.