Consensus Through Fire

Whenever I think of the phrase ‘support the troops’, I hear it in my head through the rich and booming voice of Family Guy’s Joe Swanson (also Seinfeld’s David Puddy). “Gotta support the troops. Yeah.” In light of the recent controversy over whether or not ‘support the troops’ stickers should be displayed on Toronto’s fire trucks, I tried to do some reflecting and researching. What does it even mean to support the troops? If, I assume, it means more than simply supporting the war, what is the nuance behind the phrase? Is the phrase, as the left often proclaims, a means of quashing dissent? Is it a retort to silence any criticism from opponents to the war? Do those who support the war use the phrase as grounds from which to accuse someone of being a traitor to the country?

I have no doubt that supporters of the war have used this phrase for these purposes. But those who use the phrase must first look at what the phrase really means. The difference between supporting our troops and supporting the war must be distinguished. Interestingly enough, one must look to those who claim not to support the war but simultaneously claim to support the troops. As much as I disagree with the views of those who want to end the mission in Afghanistan immediately, I have no doubt that they truly hope that our troops will come home safe, whenever that may be.

And therein lies part of the answer to the question. To support the troops is to hope for their eventual safe return and to add one’s thoughts to a collective of well-wishes. It is to subscribe in the belief that if the country as a whole yearns enough for the safe return of our brave men and women in combat, they will come home unscathed, if only through our united will. To support the troops is to remember the strength of conviction that prevails in the Canadian armed forces and their determination to serve our country. Moreover, it includes remembering those who have fought and died in harm’s way. Finally, we must understand how dangerous their mission is and appreciate the daily sacrifice they are making for our sake.

From this, I believe I can find a broad consensus. This phrase is not a partisan one, and should not be twisted such that it becomes so. Each person has his or her own interpretation of what it means to respect or to understand. To one, supporting the troops could mean pressuring one’s elected representatives to bring the troops home immediately. To another, this could mean holding high the torch that fallen soldiers threw with failing hands, gritting one’s teeth, and continuing to pursue the goals that those in the armed forces tried so hard to reach. What’s more important here is to understand the communal hope that binds us, the collective wish that connects us, and the common desire that those who serve may come back safe.