Foreign news brought close to home

[essayel]

I've just been down into town to listen to the memorial speech for the 200th British soldier to be killed as a result of the Afghanistan conflict. He was 21, a few months younger than my son and, as happens in small towns, I know his parents slightly. He was a good boy and will be sorely missed. And since then there have been another 4 and Lord alone knows how many Afghanis. I've been sad and angry about this war for a long time, because I can't see any end to it, but today I'm sadder and angrier.