Harper pulls a Bush and censors the media...

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Banning the media from broadcasting images of Canada's war dead.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/...allen_soldiers

I was happy when Harper became leader and the Conservatives took office, but this is dispicable. The nation needs to understand the cost of war and honor the dead. I'm so disappointed to hear of this decision. Why would Harper take a page from the Bush playbook?

[Bobblehead]

This the the lead story on the abbreviated "The National"

A very poor precident.

[FlamesAddiction]

I think there might be more to this story than what is being said openly.

When the 4 soldiers were first killed, one of the names of the dead was withheld by request of the familiy. Now the name is released, but the ceremony was sheltered.

I think it might be possible that one of the families requested the ceremony to be private for personal reasons. Or maybe Harper is being a dolt. We just don't know on this one.

[Bobblehead]

They just interviewed some of the extended family members who were upset that they couldn't watch ceremony because they were ill or infirm and couldn't fly to the base.

[jimmy11]

I'm sorry, but I dont see whats wrong with letting the families have some privacy upon their sons return. There are still plenty of opportunites for media to show these tragic pictures. They are allowed to show coffins being loaded onto the planes in Afganistan, and they are allowed (with the family's consent) to cover the funeral.

I agree that there is much more to this story than the media is letting on.

[transplant99]

The nation needs to understand the cost of war

Canada is at war?

I missed that one.

[Flames-4-ever]

Hey I got an idea! Lets just completely compare everything our leader does too America's! Its not like hes simply doing what he feels the families of the fallen soldiers would want! He must be trying to be Bush...... In related news........

Harper pulls a Bush and gives people a tax cut.

Harper pulls a Bush and puts criminals in jail for longer.

Harper pulls a Bush and gives more funding to the Military.

Harper pulls a Bush and increases foreign aid.

Harper refuses to be like Bush and get into better shape!

Harper refuses to be like Bush and employ a deputy leader!

The NDP takes a note out of Bush's playbook and overuses the phrase flip-flop.

[calculoso]

I loved the "update" from Mansbridge during the Flames game.

Lots of coverage on those that oppose the decision to broadcast the ceremony.

Then, towards the end of it, he mentions that the troops in Afganistan support the ban on the media from the ceremony. Of course, this last point gets overlooked by the media.

Also, the traditional approach to not celebrate these less than happy events is overlooked. The fact that the Martin / Chretien governments cherrypicked and decided which ones to "celebrate" and which not to is overlooked.

But.. there's no bias here.


Personally, I don't want to see the ceremony but for those that do I can see why they'd be upset. There should be a firm policy one way or the other, and it should be based on the wishes of the troops and their families, not the desires of the media. If this is the traditional "keep it private" approach, which Harper and his govt has chose, then so be it.

[Clarkey]

I can see why they chose to keep the media out. The problem is that in keeping the press out, you get a media whine fest which undermines the death of the soldiers.

[Red Mile Style]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Canada is at war?

I missed that one.

If only the media would educate the Canadian public that sending troops into Afghanistan is freeing up American troops that are then sent into Iraq. Canada is latently fighting in Iraq. There's something you won't read in the Western Standard...

Secondly, Harper should not be dictating to the Canadian public what the families of the victims want. If you can not see Harper's obvious motivations for censuring the funerals, you must be an Oilers fan

Harper is, without a doubt, going to be taking that money from social programs. I can't speak for everyone, but I would rather have health-care than nukes.

[browna]

BS on CBC. All Liberal-bias.

Immediate family were there.

The defense minister said FAMILIES can request (and I assume in this case, but the Defense Minister is not going to pin this on the greiveing families) the future cases of this.

The Legion, Troops, and others have stated that they agree with the steps the Conservatives are taking the right steps in letting the families grieve without photo-ops, and the lack of lowering flags to half mast.

Calc is right...witht he media barred, they're pouting, and turning a mountain into the molehill...and turning to anyone and everyone who will agree with them.

CBC going so far as saying that this could knock the Cons out of office. Garbage.

And to draw paralells between this and the US situation is assinine.

Although it can be argued either way that the government in the US's bread and butter to stay in power is a "sucessful" war and that keeping public morale up as opposed to down is of interest to the governemnt as a result, there is no reasonable way you can say that a Canadian government that's been in power for 3 months, with a much smaller presence, with troops that are there that were sent in by the last government's mandate, is using the same tactics....again, CBC pouting that they didn't get to zoom in and show show Momma and Poppa crying when sonny comes home draped in a flag, and getting "experts" to agree with them and tossing out the US comparison to fire some shots at the Conservatives and fuel the general public's outrage without providing all the facts..

[Daradon]

If this was about privacy and the families I would agree with the decision. But I think that it's obvious that with the current heat the government is in with troops taking casualties in Afghanistan and the mood of the people, that there are obviously other forces and motives at work. Personally I always agreed with the Afghan war and think we should still be in there. The sacrifises our soldiers are making maybe aren't vital to our security, but they are making the world a better place, and Canada as a 'have' nation, I think should be involved in that. Of course, support for the effort is waning drastically.

I don't see what the problem is with allowing the media a 'media area' as they have had in the past, where they are allowed access to the event, but are kept away from the families. I don't recall familes complaining at the last event. This will give the nation it's opportunity to remember and honor the sacrifises and give us transparency of the system and effort.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by browna

The defense minister said FAMILIES can request (and I assume in this case, but the Defense Minister is not going to pin this on the greiveing families) the future cases of this.

I might be misunderstanding what you are saying here, but with respect to the media coverage of the coffins arising, apparently the defense minister has said it is permanent, and that they never consulted with the families to reach the decision.

[HOZ]

Retired Major-General Lewis MacKenzie has his say on the flag lowering and media ban. Agrees with one and disagrees withthe other.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...eRequested=all

Gen. Lewis MacKenzie: I certainly see the argument, appreciate the concern and respect the intent. However, as the veterans organizations have pointed out, it is important to treat the deaths of all those who voluntarily accept unlimited liability when they join the Armed Forces equally and that is done eloquently on the 11th of November. In fact, I'm pleased to see that the attention paid to Remembrance Day is expanding every year.
I don't believe you are quite accurate regarding the flag protocol regarding federal buildings — for MPs and Senators the flags are only lowered in the riding of an MP and the residence of a Senator.
In the case of fallen soldiers, the flag is lowered at National Defence Headquarters and at the Canadian Forces Bases where the soldiers were stationed prior to deployment and in the villages, towns and cities where the soldiers had an association at the discretion of the local political leadership.


Allan Lougheed, Oakville, Ont.: General MacKenzie: What do you think of the government's decision to ban the media from today's repatriation of four soldiers? To me, this takes us back to the 90's when there was virtually no coverage of soldiers killed in operations.
Gen. Lewis MacKenzie: I don't like it. There is an old rule in the military — never give an order you can't enforce. The media will be there filming from outside the gate the arrival/departure of families, VIPs etc. and the ban will become the lead story — what a shame!

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Canada is at war?

I missed that one.

Oh sorry, for the neo-con supporting ditto-heads, "The nation needs to understand the cost of supporting the half hearted, non-commital, ineffective righteous battle against terrorism in Afghanistan."

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

Oh sorry, for the neo-con supporting ditto-heads, "The nation needs to understand the cost of supporting the half hearted, non-commital, ineffective righteous battle against terrorism in Afghanistan."

Is that what they are doing?

Here i was led to believe by the bleeding heart Libs they were there as a peacekeeping force.

My mistake.

[White Doors]

Originally Posted by Flames-4-ever

Hey I got an idea! Lets just completely compare everything our leader does too America's! Its not like hes simply doing what he feels the families of the fallen soldiers would want! He must be trying to be Bush...... In related news........

Harper pulls a Bush and gives people a tax cut.

Harper pulls a Bush and puts criminals in jail for longer.

Harper pulls a Bush and gives more funding to the Military.

Harper pulls a Bush and increases foreign aid.

Harper refuses to be like Bush and get into better shape!

Harper refuses to be like Bush and employ a deputy leader!

The NDP takes a note out of Bush's playbook and overuses the phrase flip-flop.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

It's funny 'cause it's true!

[White Doors]

Read and learn:

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnis...6/1550728.html

[Bobblehead]

Hey. I agree with the action in Afghanistan. I agree with supplying out armed forces with respectable equipment, supplies and backing.

If the gov't wanted to change the practice regarding the lowering of the flag, then that is their perogative, but to do this when 4 Canadians have been killed is a political blunder. Smart would have been to do it this time and explain that this will be the last time, that henceforth they would return to previous ways. They painted themselves in a poor light.

The with their media ban, they took something that would have been seen on once in a 5 minute segment on the evening news and instead made it the lead story on many newscasts. I disagree with this policy, I didn't see any political parties attempting to make any political points from previous military losses, it appeared to me that Canadian sensabilities were better than that. This is another misstep.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by White Doors

Read and learn:

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnis...6/1550728.html

Read and learn what? What does this clown have to say that has any bearing on the Canadian government's censoring of the media? Roy Clancy is an idiot of he thinks for a second this issue is about the position of a flag on a poll. Roy Clancy is missing the point all together as this is about his right to write this column at all. I could give a steaming coil about the petty politics between the Liberals and Conservatives, what I care about is the government muzzling the mechanism that provides the consequences of action for the people to see.

ANYONE who defends the governmental censor of the press, especially when it is on the coverage of the result of government policy, has a few screws loose. You give an inch, the government will take a mile. The censoring of the media is the issue here, not the flag at half staff or the wishes of the family, all arm waiving by the usual suspects to blur the issue. I guess the media should have been barred from covering the deaths of the four Mounties in Alberta last year too? That was intrusive on the grieving families was it not? Let me guess, that was different in some way? The nation has the right to know what the cost of supporting a military incursions is, and they have the right to honor the dead. The government prohibiting the media from reporting the facts is dispicable.