Mr. Speaker, I am proud to read a poem about Afghanistan written by Josh Forbes, one of our brave soldiers. It is to the member for Toronto—Danforth.
You sit there in your quiet home, no fear is in your heart,
You sleep soundly, certain that it won't be blown apart.
Your children they can go to school and play out in the park,
They've never seen a bomb explode, heard air raids in the dark.
They've never seen dead bodies piled up on the street,
Your wife, she won't be beaten, treated like a piece of meat.
You are free to form opinions, read any newsprint you see,
You enjoy your rights and privileges, in this country wide and free.
The reason you can live like that is because I fight your wars,
I fight and push the enemy back, I keep them off our shores.
I'm here and you're there pretending you know best,
Well, ole [member] now listen close, while I get this off my chest.
You have the right to criticize, you have the right to complain,
You don't have the right to drag me down in a stupid political game.
The thing about your rights...the parts you can't comprehend,
Is you work in the very system, the democracy I defend.
I stand on the fences around the world, protecting those who need it
It is not for you to determine...whether or not it's worth it.
Ask the people of Afghanistan--