I keep hearing that Colonel Russell Williams has disgraced the Canadian military. Even General Walter Natynczyk (Canada's top soldier) says the arrest of Williams on murder charges feels like a "body blow."
Then there are those Trenton Air-Force personnel who say they are ashamed to wear their uniforms in public because of the Williams affair. When will people learn that the military, like any other profession, has its share of bad seeds and, regardless of their crimes, they don't disgrace their professions or families, they disgrace only themselves. The majority of our military personnel are fine, patriotic Canadians who have no need to shoulder the guilt, provided he is convicted, of Colonel Williams. On the contrary, they have every right to feel proud of themselves and the good work they do both at home and abroad.
CFP “Poet in Residence” William Bedford was born in Dublin, Ireland, but has lived in Toronto for most of his life. His poems and articles have been published in many Canadian journals and in some American publications.
