Dear Concerned Citizens of Winnipeg,

I love the new Jets logo, but I was really put off at first by its militaristic nature.

It took me a while to process, as is the case with any love-hate relationship, so I figured I should share my thoughts with an audience that may oppose the emblem for the same reasons I did.

First of all, I’ve always appreciated the Royal Canadian Air Force logo. It’s a circle and a maple leaf – two things I strongly identify with as a Canadian Taoist.

The likeness of the Avro Arrow serves as a remarkably apt representation of the Jets’ iconic return to Winnipeg.

But with all historic accuracies and cultural shout-outs aside, this all has to do with war, right? Well, not necessarily.

Take, for example, our city’s football teams.

Sure, the Bombers’ logo is a big ol’ dubya behind an electric football (NOT a B-52 with a hat-waving cowboy) but they’re still called the “Bombers” and at the home game on Aug. 26 (the club’s annual Canadian Forces appreciation night), the guests of honour in Swaggerville were clearly the soldiers.

As the Bombers have been around since before the Second World War, the recognition of military service has probably become second nature to the organization. After all, they’ve undoubtedly seen a veteran or two become a member of their own rank and file.

Even more noteworthy is that in celebration of their 10th season in the Canadian Junior Football League, the Winnipeg Rifles are dedicating each game to a different member of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Infantry Regiment.

So here is where I feel like those opposed to the Jets’ logo might benefit from taking a few steps off “civvy street,” so to speak.

The tendency for us as civilians to critique the military as a powerful entity unto itself is not new and not something I will ever discourage, but it’s always worth taking a step back to see the bigger picture.

“ The tendency for us as civilians to critique the military as a powerful entity unto itself is not new and not something I will ever discourage, but it’s always worth taking a step back to see the bigger picture.

A military, just like any sports team or tightly knit community, is a group of people working together for a shared goal. And almost every soldier is in a rather unique situation in that he or she accepts the personal duty of being a civilian second to their acquired position within the Canadian Forces.

While I am equally frustrated with the military industrial complex and all of the senseless wars it has brought to the shores of this great planet, we’re a few too many generations removed from its inception to be taking it out on our fellow civilians.

In my honest opinion, there’s no better way to recognize the civic value of soldiers and veterans than through social clubs and sports teams. Each has individual roles that are assigned to members who all perform their duties in unison, hoping to provide the best outcome possible.

Having a shared identity that facilitates working toward a shared goal of the common good is what it’s all about.

The Jets are not advocating modern warfare: they’re promoting a unified society that we’ve lost sight of due to the sheer outrage that’s resulted from black-flag terrorist attacks, forced austerity measures and having a global news source that lives in the back pocket of The Carlyle Group – no relation to Randy.

Those of us determined to realize a world free from war should do whatever we can to remind one another that we’re all in this together, and embrace the many history buffs out there who can help us learn from our past.

Because these days, with the persistence of the status quo in our global economy, we’re staring down a future when Canada might actually need to defend its borders, resources and civilians.

Obviously, the Jets wouldn’t be the ones to do that, but they will undoubtedly serve as a source of inspiration for Winnipeggers faced with any kind of difficult reality in the future.

At times when we aren’t sure if we can overcome adversity, when we don’t know if the end is in sight or if it’s worth having hope, it helps to remember times of personal perseverance, times when everybody told you it would never happen but you believed in it anyway.

Never give up hope. Never surrender. Go Jets Go!

Published in Volume 66, Number 2 of The Uniter (September 8, 2011)