(bumped to top due to continuing updates)
From Army.ca, a military message forum, reaction to media coverage over the government’s decision to return to previous traditions when honouring fallen soldiers;
Once again, I’m fed up and disgusted with the media and their “spinning” of non-issues into something more. Yet again, TV tonight is awash with “Conservatives won’t lower the flag” stories – presented with no background and with plenty of people saying what an “insult” it is to soldiers. They have no idea what soldiers think of this issue, yet are ready to jump to conclusions in an effort to speak for us.
To the media reading this (and I have no doubt you are): how much is enough? You have plenty of coverage of the coffins being put on the plane and I have no doubt you’ll have plenty of the funerals – invited or not. Get a grip. We are the Army; it is a sad reality that part of our job is to take casualties on behalf of Canadians and our elected political masters – of whatever stripe. Don’t denegrate that sacrifice with an unseemly and politically motivated display of spin designed to promote controversy and generate ratings. “Canada’s Iraq” indeed…
h/t Mark Collins in the comments. (Mark is also now blogging at Daimnation).
More from Chris Selley, who also agrees with the Conservative policy (and looks back at contrasting news coverage during WWI). No nation can fight a war wallowing in a state of perpetual mourning. The flag should fly high and defiantly.
(As an aside, this debate over the growing frequency of flag lowering is not new – I recall reading a few weeks ago an anecdote about a school flag being lowered on the occasion of the death of a janitor.)
Another comment from an army reservist;
As a member of the army reserve I am sick of the MSM�s facination with flag draped coffins. They are always ready to show the coffin but but there�s barely a mention (maybe one or 2 sentences)of the work done by the men in those coffins.
Journalists are scumbags who are too lazy & dumb to do anything of any value themselves so they have to achieve cheap fame by leeching off the triumphs or tragedies of others. They then justify being the town gossip by pretending everything they utter is in the public�s interest. � Yeah right. Running up to a plane to photograph coffins is in the public interest? geezuz!
What do you low-lifes in the press do for fun? Go down to the dog pound with some pop & chips and watch them euthanize strays?
If you want to register your objection to Craig Oliver’s nakedly political editorializing, you can do so here. If anyone has his personal email address, drop it in the comments.
Commentor ET points to a Globe and Mail message board, where Lew MacKenzie is fielding questions link;
MacKenzie asks readers – ‘We lost 27 killed in Bosnia/Croatia in the 90’s”…and no-one paid any attention…Same in the Sudan, Congo, Golan Heights – “absolutely no-one called for the flags to be lowered”.
He further comments “I’m glad to see the public paying attention for a change – particularly those who slashed the budget and personnel strengths during the same 90s'”
So- why didn’t the Liberals lower the Peace Tower flag before? And why did they reduce the capacity of the military to protect themselves and us?
That is -point two- the flag lowering, once, on the Peace Tower, for those four soldiers killed by US-Canadian error – was a deliberate partisan political tactic of Chretien. It had nothing to do with respect, but was actually disrespectful, for Chretien/the Liberals used those soldiers.
Mark also blogs at The Torch, a “group weblog focusing on the Canadian military”.
Ted
Cerberus
First, my sincerest condolences to the fallen’s next of kin and friends. I am grateful for their sacrifice to keep North America safe, free and strong. They stood between the peoples of Afghanistan, Canada and America and thugs and for that, they are genuine heroes. And anybody who says otherwise ought to get a face full of fist.
Second, I went to CTV.ca and saw the news reports. As much as I want to accredit the Harper gov’t w/ doing the right thing by reestablishing protocol, I think the father’s wishes should be honored. Let the flag be pulled down to half-mast.
And let the families decide if they want pictures of the fallen publicized.
Granted, I despise Cindy Sheehan – but I think the Harper Gov’t must do all they can to prevent creating one themselves.
My .02 from the states. God Bless America & Canada.
“Canada’s Iraq”, eh?
Would that mean, by analogy, that just as American, Britain and allies have liberated the Iraqi people and nation, and are fighting to help them build a free, democratic country, so Canada has helped liberate the Afghan people, and is fighting to help the Afghan people build a free, democratic country.?
Otherwise, the logical and moral converse in history would be, God forbid, going all the way back to the 1930’s to a “Canada’s Munich”. And I don’t see most Canadians wanting to appease Islamofascist terrorism any more than their grandparents were willing to do so with the Islamofascists’ Nazi antecedents.
There was a time when all the Western Democracies believed it was their DUTY to fight for Freedom, over tyranny. “America’s Iraq”, “Britain’s Iraq”, “Canada’s Afghanistan” are in fact noble Crusades for Liberty.
By giving Liberty to the oppressed of both nations, we also preserve freedom for the free, in our own countries, noble alike in what is given, and in what is preserved.
The protocol for lowering the flag on the Peace Tower is, I believe, tied to dead Privy Councillors (maybe former MPs and senators?) and the Royalty. When I worked in Ottawa back in the day, the flag was sometimes down. When I called the protocol guys, I found out it was for some dead PC (Pricy Councillor, not what you might think) whom we never heard of. Let’s not confuse this with the soldiers and remmeber them in November whe it’s clearly their time.
Agreed – Let’s remember them as soldiers, sacrificing for their country. On November 11th.
Above all, don’t use them; don’t politicize them or their work; don’t turn either into some maudlin psychological agenda of the “We Are The Political Party That Feels With You’.
Notice how the 85 cent/litre gas tax story has been buried now (after the MSM was widely ridiculed in the blogosphere for holding the CPC to promises they never recieved a mandate for)….. but all of the sudden this new “controversey” appears. Pathetic attempt by the MSM to find an issue to taint the tories image with. They keep printing negative stories trying desperately to get some traction with something…..Throw enough mud at the wall and some will stick I guess.
I totally agree with going back to the older tradition. As a member of the military and a proud canadian I understand that the flag on the peace tower is a symbol of our nation strength and unity. The lowering of our flag at the Puzzle Palace (NDHQ) and the operational and domestic bases is sufficent for our purposes and they will acourse be remembered thru out the Nov 11 services. We serve not for glory but for the country.
Shake off the ankle-biters/moonbats from the left liberals, including Mr. Magoo, CTV O-liver.
Here is Graham, ex-mindefcan for the Liberals . Take his words at face value, IMO.
Give the left liberals the facts & more facts. They will gag on them. +
Minister’s Speeches Archive
The Canadian Forces Mission in Afghanistan: Canadian Policy and Values in Action Vancouver Delivery
November 9, 2005
NOTE: The following transcript is presented in the language(s) in which it occurred. There is no translation available. We are providing the transcript for your information.
[ check against delivery ]
PRINCIPAL(S)/PRINCIPAUX: Bill Graham, Minister of Defence
Introduction
It is a pleasure to be here at the Liu Center today to speak to this audience about what I believe to be one of the most important foreign operation the Canadian Forces have undertaken in many years: our mission to Afghanistan. I know that you follow Canada’s foreign policy initiatives closely and will be fully aware of what is at stake in Afghanistan.
And I am sure that you will agree with me that Canadians should know why their government has called upon our military to go to Afghanistan at this time, how this new mission is a logical extension of Canada’s previous commitments to this country, how it reflects our history, how it is an example of our new defence and foreign policies in action, and how it is an expression of Canadian values. +
http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1805
Every casualty we suffer in Afghanistan is covered the same way; shots of coffins being loaded, background story about the soldier and his family, video of the funeral, and maybe an interview with a cornered relative or two shortly after the funeral. dragged out for days.
There is never any mention of the mission these fine men died to accomplish.
I have noticed that since Stephen Harper became Prime Minister there has been a host of issues brought up by the MSM that were either never an issue before: ie Afghanistan, or they are old issues long forgotten: ie the seal hunt off NFLD.
The flag lowering issue is just the lastest attempt.
What does surprise me is the number of people standing up and refuting the garbage the MSM is trying to feed us. Glad to see it.
I have a cousin in Afganistan, Corporal Jim Sinclair. Jim, a veteran of Bosnia and Somalia, re-enlisted at the age of 35 because he believes in what he is fighting for. That is also what he said when he was interviewed by the CBC. The CBC cut him short, But really I’m surprised they played any of the footage at all.
At least if we still have a CPC government on Nov. 11 this year we will be able to take pride in our soldiers–not the sneering PMPM et al. I haven’t watched Rememberance Day on TV for 13 years as the hypocritical Liberals oozed contempt with their every word and move.
Now we’ll have a week or more discussing the raising and lowering of the flag for our esteemed dead. Wasted, skirting the real issues tactics going on ad nauseum. From their facial photos you could discern the clean living and thinking Canadian soldiers’ implicit integrity. NO MORE DISCUSSION. FLAGS LOWERED FOR EACH AND EVERY WAR DEAD. THE WORD ON THE STREET IS RESPECT — A CONCEPT IN DANGER OF GOING THE WAY OF THE DINOSAUR.
CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT TAKE HEART IT COSTS ZERO TO LOWER THE FLAG.
Concommitant with crisis of war dead is our food industry crisis. Write your MPs advising gov’t to get the 2 Billion dollar cheque in mail to farmers — obvious priority is the importance of Canadian food production to the nation and the world. Lower the flag, get the meals on the table for the youth, they’ll need physical strength from proper nutrition to take on the suicide-bombers at full speed ahead.
CBCpravdas agenda will be erased if they are sold to Fox.
I agree with Ken on this one. During WW1 and WW2 did we leave the flag at half mast for 11 years? I am not sure but I dont think so. If it was the case I suggest we cut all flag poles in half so we dont have to figure out where half mast is. Also since the left hates the Military why the concern? Oh yeah, politics. If there is to be a debate , and we know how Canadians just LOVE debates,let the soldiers and their families have a say.
I think the flag should stay tall in the sky. “a way up there”, where everyone can see it… and everyone knows what it’s doing there, where everyone can see, that it stands for an honourable nation.
I don’t like war, not at all.
but I wouldn’t want to lose at it either.
I see the msm that calls for the constant lowering of flags, as being apologists for something, that I don’t believe in… that being cowardice and shame, for standing up for what we, the west, believe in.
If a family, on its own decide to lower the flag, in their private rememberance of a fallen soldier, that’s something else, it’s family that has given the ultimate sacrifice, and it is their option.
National Post article up on Neale News: “We are at War: Flag stays up”. Good for the NP.
The NDP and Libs need to go to bed and put the covers over their heads.
Thanks for another great link, Kate.
The media want to turn everything into an exercise in emotional masturbation – like a Dr. Phil show.
Given the opportunity, media will exploit military funerals for all they’re worth, the dead won’t be left with a shred of dignity – like Princess Diana’s funeral, although she would have approved.
Keeping the media away from the funerals of soldiers killed in action is a sign of respect.
The media (and opposition)love to kick up dust about showing proper respect when a soldier’s life has been lost.
The media will continue to do so, even as they race to interview the grieving family before the ink on the message has even dried.
And they will do so, while chosing to detail yet another attack, but ‘declining’ to show the positive things done by the military in Afghanistan.
Only then, will what the military does be truly given the respect it deserves.
Buffalo Bean:
Actually, I don’t think your adopted Iraq analogy works here. I think the media have been particular good and careful to highlight a lot of the good things that NATO has been doing in Afghanistan. As did Rick Mercer who was criticized for it by the current Minister of Defence.
I think, if anything, there may be a bit of a thing going on in the Ottawa Press Gallery – which appears to really be only a few here or there not the vast “mainstream media”. But by and large, with all due respect, I think you are plain wrong about the coverage the war and our soldiers are getting in the media.
Ted
Cerberus
Ted: buffalo bean did not make the Iraq analogy. Your highly respected friend in the MSM did.
Rebarbarian:
I was referring to this:
“And they will do so, while chosing to detail yet another attack, but ‘declining’ to show the positive things done by the military in Afghanistan”
It’s the common argument/chant about the media coverage of the Iraq War by proponents of the war, and I think some are trying to adopt it holus bolus here when it doesn’t hold up to reality. Not only do I read lots of positive stories in the Star and the Globe and the Post and Maclean’s, but I don’t read much positive in the Sun chains which are conservative. Not saying the conservative media is negative, just that it’s inaccurate to say the media is just negative and it’s doubly inaccurate to say the “liberal” media is so.
That’s all.
Ted
Cerberus
Ted: That is kind of the point, Ted. You and Craig Oliver are still filtering this story thru your American Iraq biases. This is a uniquely Canadian story about our armed forces. Tradition is a huge part of esprit de corps. Maintaining or changing traditions which affect the forces should be left to the forces.
The MSM sidetracks our attention from real news again.
While flags are bouncing, what important news are we missing? TG
I would say that the MSM and the Opposition are playing politics with the issue of the flag and fallen heroes.
Fact is that for eighty years it has been practice in Canada to not lower the flag for each and every casualty. The Opposition doesn’t care, however. After all, when was the last time they showed respect for the military? It is the Conservatives who always have respected our valorous warriors and PM Harper who was the only PM in recent memory to go to the front lines and actually live amongst the troops right in the face of the enemy.
The Opposition made a big stink over having an “emergency debate” over the Afghanistan mission, yet chickened out when they realized it could backfire and consequently just spewed a little harmless hot air without really saying anything. I think they were hoping to capitalize on any possible anti-war sentiment in the electorate but found not enough, so they decided to back off lest they harm themselves electorally. Talk about playing politics! They were ready to campaign against the mission like the American Democrats against the overthrow of Saddam but lost their nerve.
Yet here we have the elitist leftist peacenik asshats of the Opposition taking the easy way out by yakking about the FLAG? They talk the talk but don’t have the fortitude to support the warriors and the Forces in terms of funding and moral support for their missions, etc.
Same criticism goes for the MSM.
Those making a big stink over the flag issue don’t really care about the sacrifices of our warriors; they never did and are on the side of those who continue to brazenly take freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights as granted, failing to understand or care that these are gifts paid for in human lives, the lives of soldiers who fell so we could be free. Yet here comes a non-issue: the flag… the gov’t is merely following what is accepted tradition/protocol and the Opposition and the MSM decides to crassly use warriors’ sacrifices to try and hurt the gov’t in a partisan way!
Let’s point this out. The gov’t is not wrong; it’s those who failed in the past to prove that they care in substance who now cry crocodile tears and display phony consternation!
They should walk the walk and support vastly increased funding for the Forces instead! Failing to do so over the years is their true legacy. They’re not fooling anyone… they said nothing while the Forces were being starved of necessary funding, seeing their needs being ignored in favor of the Libranos’ electoral fortunes and obsession with becoming personally wealthy.
So, Opposition and the MSM: back off!
The media have always been ghouls, their dictum is:
“If it bleeds, it leads.”
Why not do something creative and interview those serving in Afghanistan, who are sucking it up and soldiering on in spite of the losses.
How about in depth analysis of why Canada sent forces there in the first place?
Soldiers die in war, no shit shinola! This is one of few professions that potentially require one to sacrifice one’s life in the line of duty.
Policeman/fireman would be another example.
When bullets, rockets or IEDs go off the reality is that someone may be, despite all normal human and military caution, still be in harms way. It is the nature of managing risk in a hostile environment. Most normal people “get it” when viewing the news. What they don’t get is a reasoned historical rationale presented in an intelligent manner.
But if one is the media, looking for ratings and advertising dollars, the drive is for the 15 second sound bite and no analysis. They have to do a little better than a video version of ‘drive by shooting’ to engage the intelligent viewer. If they are going to start calling it “Canada’s Iraq” maybe they should have been paying more attention when the Parliamentary debates were on when the LIEBerals were debating sending them there in the first place.
Oh and while the media is at it, how about scrutinizing the absolute wall of money the LIEberals were sending our CF, so they had top notch equipment, like the fabled Iltis jeep, whom Gen. Mackenzie (ret) referred to as a “piece of shit”. Or 40 year old helicopters, or 40 year old Hercules ready to fall out of the sky?
What is it in the anthem to “stand on guard for thee”? Yeah well the media and the populace went to sleep. The Libs didn’t spend where they should have, and now instead of a robust well outfitted CF, we have some near metal fatigued rubbish ready for the scrap yard, still clinging to the odd updraft.
It got me pissed off enough to email the ex-Prime Minister Paul Martin and demand that they at least get some equipment that deflects mine blasts properly instead of having extra body bags coming home.
As far as I am concerned it is pretty piss poor that you have to shame the CFs political masters into buying equipment. If a few of your soldiers have to die, then never let it be for lack of proper equipment.
If the media had any brains, they would have been hounding the LIEberals on their equipment replacement cycle years ago.
Instead you get vacant videos, when the pulse is gone. Ostensibly the media still has a pulse, but the brainwave activity seems to be flatlining. But boy did we get a lot of media coverage of “soldiers with guns, in your streets, in Canada” bullshit during the election.
We saw precious little media scrutiny of CF funding levels, troop numbers, equipment purchases. Nah, don’t scrutinize policy, get the sound bite; that’s reporting the news.
Oh spare me!
Dont be shy people,, It wont change with the MSM until enough of us express our thoughts and outrage.
News Editor
1. This email is concerning Mr. Oliver’s comments during Duffy on the 24th of April. His comments concerning the restriction of the press at CFB Trenton were rude and immature. He is a professional journalist not one of Mike’s pundits that are there to invoke a political leaning or lobby. We the public expect more from him. A clear concise stating of the fact not sprinkled with Anti Bush/Anti American rhetoric. The nightly news from the two big national newscasters is becoming more and more predictable as we are now being offered pre packaged solutions on the way we should think. Canada has a excellent education system and a very high literacy rate, give us the fact, leave the personal feelings out of it and lets us decide.
2. As a member of the military who has served overseas I personally would not want the country watching on as my family stood on a cold wind swept tarmac waiting to accept my remains. This is a matter for the military family community to decide not the MSM.
3. Thank you for your time in reading this email.
Mr. Oliver–the media spin being promoted by you, your station and other Liberal boosters in this country, is abhorrent to any thinking Canadian.
Yes, we are saddened when our soldiers die–but please have the courtesy to report that it is the Liberals who put them there, it is the Liberals that went for a ‘reality show’ to lower the flag–while at the same time starving our military of resources to truly protect themselves.
What good does it do for the dead soldier or the family to go through the media hype? Instead, the media should follow the real story–the Liberals and media being oh so ‘respectful’ of the body etc., but then, when the media hype is over, the Liberals failed to properly fund the pensions for these families. I am saddened that the MSM prefers to play a Liberal game of all show all the time. Get a real story. A lowered flag or media circus does nothing for those that are left. True respect must be shown in funding for equipment, the families–this is not Canadian Idol–this is real life!
Craig Oliver has always thought that his opinion actually counts for something. He is irrelevant now and is becoming even less so as his career lingers on. Ignore the man. Don’t even attempt to get your news from the MSM. Visit the blogs. That is where you find the truth and more and more Canadians, indeed people all over the globe, are finding that out.
My condolences to the families and friends of our fallen heroes. They will not be forgotten. The work of our military men and women is what keeps me and my family safe and I am eternally grateful. God bless them all.
The Halifax Chronicle Herald today ran an editorial, a commentary from a university professor, a front-page article, a second section front-page article (in which they tracked down the grandmother of Pte. Richard Green and got her disapproval on record), and five letters to the editor all opposed to the new (well, old) protocol. There was one scant mention in the editorial of why the protocol was changed, or should I say reverted. No explanation of why the Liberals changed the protocol in the first place (remember that it was immediately after the friendly fire incident — knowing the Liberals, I wouldn’t put “stirring up cheap anti-Americanism” past them as the reason).
That’s just about pushed me to the point of cancelling my subscription.
To all those who want to turn this issue into a Liberal-Conservative, left-right politics dancing on the graves of soldiers, you may want to consider this Edmonton Sun article.
Now for the chorus to start singing that Klein isn’t a conservative.
Personally, I think the old protocol makes sense because, once fully into a real war, the flag would potentially be at half mast every day. Not good for morale. So I don’t have a problem with what Harper is doing. But I’m also not prepared to demonize the Liberals for wanting to honour our first war dead in a generation by lowering the flag. I thought then that it wasn’t a smart move because if the death toll ever started to climb, then you’d have to at some point backtrack which is worse. But I think when they did it, the country appreciated the recognition and honouring, so it’s hard to say and quite clearly partisan to say that it was such a horrendous politicized move.
How many of today’s complainers complained about the lowering of the flag when the Liberals did it? Don’t seem to recall hearing from Harper or O’Connor back then.
Ted
Cerberus
I’m with PMSH and the CPC on this one.
The time to honour all are brave fallen military is the 11th minute of the 11th hour on the 11th day of 11th month.
These solidiers made the ultimate sacrifice and should all be honoured in the same way, equally.
interesting to note that the MSM never mentioned that the liebral policy of lowering the flag was very selective and not observed in all cases.
I’d fully agree with Ian in NS. The lowering of the flag (under Chretien) was done only for the ‘friendly fire incident’ – a mistake on all sides – for neither side knew what the others were doing. The Canadians were only carrying out a non-combat exercise; the Americans were flying on actual combat.
But, Chretien, remember, had only one agenda. His power. He USED their deaths for his own political agenda to remain in power. He used it to ‘unite’ Canadians in his hostile anti-Americanism (while he and his oil-rich friends in France supported Hussein). Anti-Americanism, remember, is a key policy of the Liberal platform; it is used to emotively bind people together.
Remember their most recent election ads – they used anti-Americanism by default as a major component.
Harper is refusing to allow these soldiers to be used by partisan politics. Now- that’s respect. Chretien/Martin’s lack of respect and blatant political manipulation, dishonours us all.
And, Harper is refusing to allow the MSM to jump in the fray- because the MSM is openly, blatantly, an appendage of the Liberal Party.
I sent the following to CTV News
Tell Craig Oliver to stop his political editorializing and just give us the news. There are two sides to this story and he should choose neither like a responsible newsman.
Audio of interview with Maj. Gen. (Ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie on CFRA, Ottawa, Tuesday morning.
http://www.cfra.com/chum_audio/Lewis_MacKenzie_Apr25.mp3
While he supports the flag decision, he doubts the wisdom of banning the media’s covering the coffins’ return at Trenton.
Excerpts from his Globe column Tuesday (full text not online):
‘…it was the right decision…
The federal government’s return to the flag protocol that saw this nation through two world wars, Korea, and more than 120 fatalities on numerous peacekeeping missions will once again result in the Canadian flag being lowered at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa and at each base across the country where a deceased soldier was stationed…
The Canadian military has begun a long overdue rebuilding process. There is no guarantee that process will succeed. Sympathy for the fallen is gratefully appreciated, but our young men and women abroad and at home need the public behind them in more ways than one.
I leave it to a Canadian soldier to have the final word. Having served in Afghanistan, he called in to a Toronto talk show on Sunday just after I had finished my interview. I wish I had recorded his name. To paraphrase, he said, “We wear the Canadian flag on the sleeve of our uniform, we salute it every day in theatre and if we are killed, it drapes our coffin. That is how the flag respects us. If the public wants to show its respect for us, give us the funding, the equipment, the training and the support to do the job you order us to do.”
I wish I had said it that well.’
Mark
Ottawa
Last night I turned on the news and saw Craig Oliver and Lloyd Robertson handling the story of the flags and the coffins.
It’ll be a long time before I ever switch NewsNet on again.
Afghanistan may not be ‘Canada’s Iraq’ but CTV NewsNet is definitely ‘Harper’s CNN’.
A couple of references to reality –
1. The flag is a national, sovereign symbol. There is a protocol for flying, dipping and handling it (freely available on the gov.ca website; half-masting policy at http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-).
2. National half-masting for casualties in the line of duty could be authorized by PM under “special circumstances.” Whether a soldier’s death is a “special circumstance” calling for NATIONAL mourning or not, is an emotional debate only. We accept military casualties as a matter of course, or we wouldn’t put them in harm’s way, and soldiers accept the fact that they might be killed, or they wouldn’t sign up. Let’s keep personal emotions out of it, and let the Government be realistic and honour them nationally in the old, established ways.
3. The display of flag-draped coffins sadly is a political football. A small number of arrival ceremonies promotes patriotism, a large number national revulsion. Media access to military bases is controlled easily in line with political or military direction. The Liberal Government had no problem showing arrivals when these were exceptional. The Conservative Government perceives a problem if arrivals become routine,(we know the role body bags played in the Vietnam War.) So it is a matter of realistic political calculation, not party politics.
4. The real question is whether we want to face how many soldiers die in pursuit of national policy, or whether we prefer denial. We then should make our individual preferences known to the Government.
Does CTV not have a retirement policy? The two fossils, Robertson and Oliver should have retired years ago. Oliver’s reporting during the last election was absurdly biased. He was apparently a close personal friend of Trudeau, and should have packed it in when Trudeau did.
My condolences to the families of the soldiers killed in combat, now the MSM has to show some class, and respect the families’ privacy.
First off my sincere condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers. They paid the ultimate price for freedom.
I agree with the defense minister. The flag should be lowered only on November 11 as a sign of respect to all fallen soldiers not just the ones who died after the Liberals turffed protocol in favor of PR and political gain.
To the MSM I say SHUT UP! Just SHUT UP!. The people of this country do not need to see wall to wall 24 hour coverage of every fallen soldiers return or funeral. The media has done a disservice tot his country and to the soldiers who continue to fight against the Taliban . First by not questioning continued cuts to our military. Second by jumping on the band wagon for an unnecessary debate on our mission in Afghanistan. Third by trying to link the Afghan mission with George Bush trying to stir up anti-Americanism. Fourth by now trying to get even with the Harper government for putting a stop to your parliament hill scrums by flinging mud whenever you can. The MSM actions are unbecoming a profession that was once noble and respected. As a special mention to Craig Oliver. Sir you disgust me.
Robert
The Ottawa Citzen and Liberal National Defence Critic Ujjal Dosanjh depict Prime Minister Harper as the devil (oops, George Bush) incarnate.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=9f79a313-d86e-497f-bb43-95b9e9d7ac5c&k=35931
‘Canadians won’t see fallen troops come home: Just like the U.S., media barred from ceremony
The Harper government has decided to bar the Canadian public from viewing today’s ceremony to repatriate the remains of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan on the weekend, evoking parallels with the Bush administration’s controversial policy of barring photographs of the coffins of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq…
The decision to bar access to the repatriation ceremony evoked parallels within military and political circles of the unsuccessful attempts by the Bush administration to ban images of flag-draped coffins of its troops killed in Iraq. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government is already under political fire for its decision not to lower flags on Parliament Hill to half-mast in honour of Afghanistan’s war dead…
Liberal defence critic Ujjal Dosanjh blamed Mr. Harper for the decision to bar the media from CFB Trenton, calling it “absolutely un-Canadian.”
Mr. Dosanjh accused the Conservatives of adopting the same tactics as the Bush administration — keeping images of the death of Canadians in Afghanistan out of the public consciousness so they won’t undermine public support for the mission, they way U.S. support for the Iraq mission has waned…
…”This is simply Prime Minister Harper or, dare I say, President Harper’s effort to lift a page from the Bush book to keep the tragedies out of people’s view hoping that they remain out of people’s minds.”..
“I believe that this government is absolutely scared of sharing the reality of the Afghanistan mission with Canadians,” Mr. Dosanjh added…’
Truly sick-making. And don’t Liberals et al. mock, and pretend shock, when someone down south says “un-American”? Maudits hypocrites.
But the Globe’s editorial gets in right (full text not online).
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v4/sub/MarketingPage?user_URL=http://www.theglobeandmail.com%2Fservlet%2Fstory%2FLAC.20060425.EFLAG25%2FTPStory%2F&ord=17823263&brand=theglobeandmail&redirect_reason=2&denial_reasons=none&force_login=false
‘…
To make a national show of mourning over each soldier who dies — lowering the flag on Parliament’s Peace Tower and other public buildings; sending the Prime Minister to meet the bodies when they are brought home to Canada — almost suggests that the country has been shaken to its roots. That is not the message that Ottawa wants to send at a time when our soldiers are facing a ruthless foe in foreign fields. Far better to mourn in quiet dignity, marking the loss and then moving on. This is what soldiers do when they lose one of their comrades. This is what we at home should learn to do, too.
Ottawa should not sanitize what is going on in Afghanistan or try to play down the fact that our soldiers are dying, but neither should it let grief undermine resolve. It is a thin line to walk. Deaths like this weekend’s are a tragedy but they are not a crisis. We have seen their kind before in our history and we will see them again. They are the cost of defending freedom.’
Mark
Ottawa
Wonderful! Even after everything is said and done, the MSM is still saying it! Reaffirms my belief that MSM wants to “create” news rather than just “report” news. Would the flag EVER fly at full mast if we lowered it every time a soldier was killed? I respect our military always and openly show this respect and thank them on November 11.
In my opinion, this is a debate that should realistically be ended by the military. If the military is prepared to take a position on this, I would think that the rest of us, MSM included, could just shut up and abide by their wishes. These are the people who are putting their money where their mouths are. Or are putting their lives where the flags fly, so to speak.
Mark:
I saw that too and will post on it over at Cerberus tomorrow. The Globe has an editorial saying that not lowering the flag is the right thing to do. They pay Maj. Gen. (Ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie to write a column in which he says that not lowering the flag is the right thing to do but not allowing photos of coffins is the wrong thing to do.
What do we get here? MSM is evil, undermining our troops, out to get Harper at every opportunity. Someone should try reading the whole newspaper next time and not just selectively nit picking stories.
So one commenter picked up on one issue and got it wrong. So what. The country is almost fully behind the soldiers and the war effort in Afghanistan, folks. Left, centre, right. Sorry to say but your attempts at polarizing and dividing Canadians along political lines are disconnected with the reality out here.
Ted
Cerberus
I look at our Flag, flying high, as a message to the enemy. You will not defeat us, we are a proud nation, and support our troops. We the people will not give in, even tho the media and leftists have. Just maybe,if the media had supported our troops by demanding better equipment and supplies, our vehicles could withstand these attacks. Maybe the media is responsible for all the deaths, along with the libs. Time to make the MSM take responsiblility for all the crap they have supported during the lib reign.
Ted: While I congratulate the Globe, the whole tone of the Citizen’s “news” story reeks of bias and spin. And that is all too true of much our media’s “reporting”. Remember also that both the pieces in the Globe are clearly opinion–thanks goodness the opinions are, er, right.
I have grave doubts that “The country is almost fully behind…the war effort in Afghanistan” (omission intentional). Certainly many in the media do not appear to be.
See: “Afstan: could the Taliban be right that Canada will cut and run?”
http://www.damianpenny.com/archived/006227.html
Mark
Ottawa
In case anyone forgets why Canada now has a decent and respectful government:
“I can’t imagine any other Canadian prime minister trying to manipulate public opinion by hiding the caskets of fallen soldiers,” said Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh (Vancouver South), the party’s defence critic.
“He has borrowed a page from Bush’s book,” Dosanjh said, accusing the government of following practices of the George W. Bush administration, which has sought to limit media coverage when American casualties are brought home from Iraq.
“I find it absolutely un-Canadian,” Dosanjh said. “He hopes that out of sight is out of mind. Canadians are not going to accept that.”
Dosanjh is one fine piece of work!
Has anyone here read the Globe at all over the last two decades? Or the National Post? Our two national newspapers and both have been consistent about about 3 issues more than any other: demanding fiscal accountability, demanding a more open debate on health care, and demanding more money for our military.
If the two national newspapers are supporting the war effort, reporting the positive as well as the deaths, calling for more funding, supporting the decision not to lower the flags… then how is the monolithic “mainstream media” responsible for the deaths in Afghanistan? for demoralizing our troops?
Sorry, folks, the whole “biased MSM” myth doesn’t fly normally but it really truly doesn’t fly with respect to Afghanistan.
Time to take the tin-foil hats off on this one.
Ted
Cerberus
As someone who spent 9 years in the military i feel for the ones who are lost every time I check to see if it’s someone I know….
However we should keep things in perspective far more people are killed on the streets of winnipeg and I bet no one who reads the globe has ever seen a front page story about them.
When I was in the forces I took the kings shilling and volunteered for the risk. Contrast that to the people in winnipeg where more die than places where the country is at war.
Maybe we should do what Jack Layton wants and pull out of Winnipeg,