After seeing the front cover of your paper's last Balham & Tooting edition on December 5, which featured a photo of soldiers from the Royal regiment of Fusiliers marching through Balham, I felt I had to challenge the position of your paper, and those other who blindly support 'our' military.

Civil obedience is our problem.

As long as people, and the media back 'our boys' no matter what, then this country will continue to fight (often) illegal wars, kill many thousands of innocent people around the world, and which makes us all less safe.

The notion that soldiers die for this country is a complete myth.

They die so that the powerful elite in this country become wealthier by controlling more of the world's resources and at the same time we see public spending cuts, forced privatisations, and our NHS sold off!

Campaigners and community volunteers are the real heroes.

They are the ones that give up their time, and try to help the lives of others.

Yes it's true that they don't put their lives at risk (unless the police give them aggro on a demo), but they don't kill anyone doing what they do.

And yet, tucked in on page 3 of the same edition, was a little article about a local awards event in Tooting.

My point is that the media, and on this occasion the Wandsworth Guardian, have played along with this adulation by featuring these soldiers on your front cover.

I think that your readers who may have family in Afghanistan and Iraq may find it extremely offensive.

Why are British soldiers still fighting in Afghanistan, 12 years after 9/11? That war is wrong. Iraq was wrong.

War itself should be abolished.

Your paper and readers should take steps to make that happen.

Colin Crilly; Tooting

Do you agree? Leave your comment below or send your letter to letters@wandsworthguardian.co.uk.

 

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