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Topic: Lower the damn flag! (Read 1002 times)
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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The Hill Times, April 28th, 2008
LETTERS
Then stop lowering flag for politicians, Privy Council members too, says Telegdi
Re: "Liberals should stop playing politics with flag, says Kenney," (The Hill Times, April 21, p. 11).
Conservative MP Jason Kenney is wrong. First of all, my motion to lower the flag for fallen soldiers was a private member's motion, not a Liberal Party motion. Kenney knows better, and Kenney should stop misleading Canadians. In opposition, the Conservatives unanimously supported the policy of half-masting when a soldier is killed in combat. They reversed themselves in government.
This Conservative government commissioned a secret report that it kept from MPs. The panel failed to include any current soldiers or their family members. My issue is not with the members of the panel, the criticism I have is with Mr. Kenney and this Conservative government interfering with non-partisan private members' business.
As a member of the Privy Council, the flag is to be half-masted upon my death. Lord Conrad Black is included, as well as Mr. Kenney in this practice. There are hundreds of others for whom half-masting is the protocol. This is wrong.
I agree with the father of a fallen soldier who said "there is no more important VIP than the Canadian soldier who gave his life in the service of his country." Eliminate the politicians and Privy Council members.
Mr. Kenney and this Conservative government should apologize to the soldiers and their families for downplaying their sacrifices, for having banned the media from repatriation ceremonies, and for ignoring the wishes of Parliament and the Canadian people.
The Conservative government should follow the will of Parliament and half-mast the flag.
Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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Posts: 3108
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Golly, I made the local rag in Niagara...
Flag should be lowered as a sign of respect
Updated 1 hour ago
I FEEL THE FLAG on the Peace Tower should be lowered as a sign of respect - respect surely earned through the offering of the ultimate sacrifice. I am not alone.
Parliament voted to support such a change and enact a policy that had, lest we forget, already honoured many of our fallen heroes. The Conservative Party was the only party to vote against the bill. The Conservatives then ignored the vote of parliament and the will of the people (if one can trust the polls) and buried the bill in committee.
We are a nation at war.
When one of our brothers, sisters, mother, father, sons or daughters is repatriated to this great nation, is not such a simple gesture as lowering the flag on the Peace Tower the very least we can do to honour the sacrifice and the soldier's parents, spouses, children, loved ones and friends?
I find it sadly ironic that valiant young soldiers are dying in the War on Terror so we, in Canada, can live by the precepts of parliamentary democracy. The Conservative government, by ignoring the parliamentary vote, belittles their sacrifice.
Why does it have to be about Remembrance Day?
I fail to see how honouring our fallen heroes on their repatriation to Canada has anything whatsoever to do with the national day of remembrance. Polls have consistently supported parliament's decision, Canadians want to show their respect, one only has to witness how thousands flock to the Highway of Heroes to pay homage to the sacrifice borne and to comfort and support those left behind during that last, poignant journey to Toronto.
Let us honour their sacrifice and let us, united, demand that the will of parliament, and the people of this nation, be enacted, not besmirched as some political ploy.
Pro Patria.
Michael Blais, C.D
Niagara Falls
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Doug Clarkson
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Right on Mike!! Excellent article, Job Well Done!!
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Cornwallis 78 - 79, 1 RCR 79 - 84, Cyprus 84 - 85, 1 RCR: 85 - 89, Cyprus 89 - 90, 1 RCR 90 - 92, Kingston 92 - 94, 1 RCR 94,
Croatia 94 - 95, 1 RCR: 95 - 97, 3 RCR 97 - 98, Bosnia 98 - 99, 3 RCR 99, CFJSR Kingston 99 - 04, DAT Kingston 04 - 07, Retired: 07, Class "B" BCWO Assistant CFB Kingston 07 - Present
UNFICYP 2, UNPROFOR, NATO Former Yugo, CFPSM, QGJM, CD1
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
Offline
Gender:
Posts: 3108
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Thanks. Funny enough in one of the articles which provoked me to write, my local MP, Rob Nicolson, claimed the legion supported the government action so there... I was thinking, since when did the leadership of the legion overrule the will of parliament? Pretty bizaro. eh? ON the western frontier... Alderman urges council to review flag protocol Kim Guttormson, with files from Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald. Calgary Herald Friday, May 09, 2008 The Canadian flag in front of Old City Hall was lowered to half-mast on Thursday to honour Cpl. Michael Starker, who died Tuesday in Afghanistan. CREDIT: Grant Black, Calgary Herald The Canadian flag in front of Old City Hall was lowered to half-mast on Thursday to honour Cpl. Michael Starker, who died Tuesday in Afghanistan. An alderman wants to re-examine when the city lowers its flags to mark the death of a local soldier, following confusion about the practice this week. Cpl. Michael Starker, a Calgary paramedic, was killed Tuesday while on patrol in Afghanistan. The city was to fly the flags in front of Old City Hall at half-staff today, when Starker's body arrives back in Canada, but they were also lowered Thursday. They will stay at half-mast until sunset the day of his funeral. Flags at EMS headquarters were lowered the day of Starker's death, and the flags at all City of Calgary facilities will be lowered the day of his funeral. The city also has a condolence book in the City Hall atrium. There appears to be no written policy about when city flags are lowered in the case of a soldier's death. Starker is the fourth Calgarian to be killed in the war in Afghanistan. Ald. Andre Chabot wants a policy in writing and he believes the flags should be lowered when the news breaks. "I think they should have been lowered immediately," he said, adding he wondered why the EMS flags were down but not those at City Hall. Mayor Dave Bronconnier said the question of when the flags were lowered this week detracts from the more important issue. "I don't believe in distractions in what should truly be a focus on a fallen Canadian soldier, a City of Calgary employee, a husband, a son, a brother, who has lost his life," he said Thursday. "I'm not going to allow a controversy . . . to overshadow what this community is going through, which is the loss of a young Canadian. "Our focus is and will remain on assisting the family and the employees at the City of Calgary who are grieving." At its meeting Monday, council will have a moment of silence for Starker. Others agreed the city's flag protocol isn't an issue. "Like our military leave policy for our city reservists, our flag policy is honourable, exemplary and respectful. I have no further comment at this difficult time," said Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart, who sits on the Canadian Forces liaison council. Colleen Rowe, executive director of the Calgary Military Family Resource Centre, said the timing of lowering the flags at City Hall has never been raised as an issue for local military families. There is no standard policy for municipal buildings across Canada. Some, like Edmonton, home of 3 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, lower flags the day of the funeral. The federal government has also been criticized for not lowering the Peace Tower flag to half-mast when a Canadian soldier is killed overseas. One former military man walking through City Hall on Thursday said he believes the flags should be lowered right away, "especially for a city employee, like (Starker) was." But Gareth Williams said the timing doesn't matter as much as the act itself. "Lowering the flag is an additional statement that (the death) doesn't go unrecognized," he said. kguttormson@theherald.canwest.com |
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
Pro Patria
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Jim Hickson
CWO H.J. Hickson, MMM, CD. (Retd)
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Hi Mike
Good article!
Jim
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1961-Depot San Lenorado
1962-1st Bn RCR Ex Gagetown
1962-JR NCO Course Grad 19 Oct
1962-1965 Germany B-C-D-A Coy (Revecated Nov 64)
1965-1967 Sigs Pl Cyprus Prom CPL 'til xmas and C of Drums
1967-1973 Cpl, MCpl, Sgt, Sigs, D Coy
1973-1977 CFOCS Chilliwack Prom WO
1977-1982 UEO, Sigs, Pl WO RECCE, CSM B&A Coy,
1982-1984 SIT School
1984-1988 Career Manager (Prom CWO 1986)
1988-1990 RSM 1RCR
1991-1995 CWO Adm(Per) - C Of S
1995-1999 Base CWO Wainwright
1999-Retired
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