The only difference in the case of Trooper Blais' death was gender; Karine was only the second female Canadian soldier killed since Canada's "mission" in Afghanistan began in 2002. Like her dead compatriots, Blais went to Afghanistan to make things better for the people there, especially the women and girls, long-suffering under what we Westerners perceive to be an archaic, primitive, patriarchal society.
The Afghani politicians Canada's youth are killing and dying for spent the latter part of this past week defended the signing into law of provisions legalizing marital rape (in the case of wives and their duty to their overlords), and so-called honour killing, (wherein male relatives of women raped by those other than their husbands are legally slain by their brothers and fathers for the shame their victimization brings upon the family name) and downplaying the murder of Achakzai as the random act of religious extremists.
The adoption of the radical, Taliban inspired, interpretation of Sharia Law Afghani president Hamid Karzai signed off on is so egregious hundreds of women around Afghanistan came out into the streets this week in protest. In a country where female children going to school can have acid thrown in their faces, and women can be beaten to death for failing to dress in the fashion random street zealots favour, the courage these women show is considerable. That courage is underscored by the murder of one of the country's most prominent women's rights advocate.
Monday's assassination was no departure for Afghanistan's men-folk worried about losing chattel-holder's rights over the weaker sex; the killing follows a
predictable pattern of murder and violence promised any who would attempt dragging the mullahs and their Dark Ages adherents into the 21st century.
For their efforts, the women demonstrating were, in at least one case,
pelted with stones, but late
news coming out of Karzai's office is of a "revision" of some of the cruder aspects of the law signed. It seems "Mayor of Kabul" Karzai must again attempt to walk the high wire between his determinedly primitive constituency and the Godless foreigners whose blood and treasure maintain him.
Meanwhile, two households seperated by half a world are
mourning women lost to the lost cause of "civilizing" the savage tendencies of a people unwilling to give up the trappings of oppression.
The body of Canada's 117th soldier killed in Afghanistan made its way down the 401 to CFB Trenton. Like the too many preceding it, it was a young body, one with many years and much promise contained within it. And like those bodies making up the long train of its dead comrades, the body of 
