VAUDREE

What was scary is that it showed how naive and trusting this young man was, how easily he'd been betrayed, how little his "innocence" had been respected by the people he depended on. Also important - he trusted Donahue to honour his commitment, his injuries and his dignity.

It says a lot for Donahue that he understands at a visceral level the responsibility that someone's trust confers.

Compassion - long time since we've seen it in action.

(nods in agreement)

That was much better than I could have put it.

NDP motion supporting War Resisters passes Committee

http://www.oliviachow.ca/page/286

Motion: - The Committee recommends that the government immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their immediate family members (partners and dependents), who have refused or left military service related to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations and do not have a criminal record, to apply for permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and that the government should immediately cease any removal or deportation actions that may have already commenced against such individuals.

tobee4 January 3rd, 2008 5:04 pm

Well said. The killing and destruction will not end until we end it. The healing begins when we make the commitment of time, money and consciousness to that end. There is never a lack of resources when the desire is there and the option of war is off the table.

peace,
st john

Bob Woodward depicted some of the post war anguish I am glad to read that more of the sacrifice and suffering is going to be depicted.
I would hope that this film could be mailed to all Presidential Candidates as well as members of Congress so that they COULD BEGIN TO STOP THE MONEY FLOWING INTO THIS NIGHTMARE and fund only enough to get all U. S. Personnel home as well as any Iraqis who aided us and want to come here, as well as money that will begin the repair of the land of Iraq.
WE NEED TO SPEND ALL THE MONEY THAT IS CURRENTLY GOING TO FUND ALL THIS SUFFERING INTO ANYTHING THAT WILL LEND ITSELF TO THE HEALING OF ALL INVOLVED.
Sorry if I wandered off topic for a bit.

Didn't know that Damien and yes , freedom is seldomed maintained only with a ballot box . I've been trying to encourage American progressive posters by reminding them of their rich legacy of the foot-and-wallet voting of the civil-rightsters ( awkward ). See Little Rock Nine and Montgomery Bus Boycott . We're lucky , the cartoonist at Delta , BC Optimist had no problem buffooning the Bush directive about coffin photographs.

Now , all Americans gotta do is tell their MSM to go to hell . Do you think they are smart enough to find the on/off switch or their NYT subscription bill ? If not,they deserve to get and will get many more un-photographed coffins;their own sons , maybe.

RE: - They tried to stop media attention of casualties in Canada and the people and the media told them to go to hell. Freedom is not maintained only with a ballot box.

It was a bit different, you could see the coffins boarding the plane to the sound of bagpipes or bugle and, if the family allowed it, the eulogies at the funeral were televised. It was just the coffins coming home that Harper was banning (though it was probably a start).

I think that one reason that the soldiers want it televised is so that their buddies back in Afghanistan can watch since they get the CBC.

Right now, it is up to the families, which is as it should be.

Military officials opposed repatriation media ban

OTTAWA -- Senior military officials opposed the Conservative government's controversial ban on media coverage of homecoming ceremonies for soldiers killed in Afghanistan, documents obtained under the Access to Information Act suggest. ...

At his daughter's funeral in May, Dr. Tim Goddard gave a stirring eulogy saying the young woman died to protect Canada's freedoms, not to restrict them. Nichola Goddard was the first Canadian female fighting soldier to die in combat.

At Cpl. Matthew Dinning's funeral, his father Lincoln Dinning mentioned Harper by name and criticized the government's closed repatriation ceremonies.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060702/media_ban_opposed_060702/20060702/

Here are the eulogies for Goddard's funeral:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060503/afghanistan_template_060526/20060527/

There must be women in the American military but we don't hear much about them.

The calendar for Question Period is at the bottom, click on date for context of the following:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/housechamberbusiness/chambersittings.aspx?Key=2006&View=H&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Hon. Brenda Chamberlain (Guelph, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to speak on behalf of one of my constituents, Master Warrant Officer James Tolmie, who has served this country for the past 33 years as a member of the Canadian Forces.

Mr. Tolmie has expressed his sadness and disappointment in the government's decision not to fly the flags at half-mast for the fallen soldiers in Afghanistan. He feels as though our government owes this gesture of respect to all the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty while serving our country. I would agree.

I would like to recognize all the members of the Canadian Forces who have served and who are presently serving our country and to let them know that this House honours their commitment and respects the great contributions that they have made at home and abroad.

We are grateful and we are indebted to them.

Thursday, June 1, 2006

Hon. Keith Martin (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the 100 days of "harpocracy" continue.

Number 51, refusing to lower the flag in honour of our fallen soldiers.

Number 52, insulting the families of our fallen soldiers by banning media coverage of the repatriation ceremonies.

Number 53, muzzling the Chief of Defence Staff, General Hillier.

Number 54, stopping the acquisition of urgently needed tactical airlift to replace our Hercs.

Number 55, breaking promises for icebreakers for the Arctic.

Number 56, compromising the legal protection of our soldiers by ordering them to operate in conflict outside the Geneva convention.

Number 57, cutting funding to Hamas but not allowing these funds to get to the Palestinian people.

Number 58, having foreign dignitaries greeted with latex gloves and body searches.

Number 59, playing politics with the lives of our soldiers by demanding a vote on an Afghan mission with less than two days' notice and six hours of debate.

Number 60, the Prime Minister asking for that debate and saying that it did not matter what the House decided, he was going to extend the mission anyway.

"Bush doesn't allow coffins of dead soldiers photographed"

That is also the fault of the people and the media. They tried to stop media attention of casualties in Canada and the people and the media told them to go to hell. Freedom is not maintained only with a ballot box.

I've been waiting a long time for the press to step up to the plate. So far, they haven't, mostly. But I continue to hear how the media are liberal, anti-administration, etc. Can you have it both ways. Either way, the media have not done their job.

RE: - It's scary when I realize how much he trusted me.

What point was Phil making concerning Tomas Young (and possibly others like him) when he made that comment?

I was wondering when Phil Donahue would make it on here.

Phil Donahue on The Hour concerning his new film:

http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1674

now we need someone to do another documentary on an iraqi who has suffered the same due to the war.

coco put "deadline iraq uncensored stories of the war" into a search and you'll find pieces of one.

There seems to be more than the usual number of journalists who have been killed in Iraq making it too dangerous to produce such a documentary - or, at least, more dangerous than usual.

Most of the stories we are getting are from local bloggers and from those who have left Iraq with their stories.

Even Alexandre Trudeau was embedded when he was there.

Bravo to anyone who de-sanitizes any element of the war.
I'm a big fan of truth.
I think anybody who makes a film that tells the TRUTH about war, cannot possibly AVOID making an anti-war film.

However...
One of the things that amazes me is how a an abuser, or a sociopath can do the mental gymnastics required to see HIMSELF as the victim and avoid responsibility for the consequences of his actions. No sympathy or compassion for anyone but himself. The rapist complaining that his victim fought back and almost scratched his eyes out. Why, that bitch!

We invaded Iraq for the most ignoble reasons, the many and various fabricated justifications notwithstanding. I don't know HOW many of their people we've killed now.
Is it a million yet? More?
A goodly number of those being women, children -- even infants --and other "non-combatants."

I have enough compassion to go around for the misery of any human being, even foolish young soldiers, too immature and too plain stupid to understand how they're being misused. (Been on that merry-go-round, myself.)
And in a poetic sense, I suppose the soldiers are as much victims of the lies as anyone.
But I find it disturbing that we seem to have more sympathy for our "rapists" than for the victims we sent them to rape.
We're moved by the sad plight of one of our hired killers, but don't seem to care much about the innocent people we sent him to kill.
We hurt someone else, it's all right because we have "good intentions."
Somebody hurts us -- even while we're doing wrong to them-- and we get all pompous and indignant. As if THOSE people don't have any right to fight back.

There's something very wrong there somewhere, don't you think?

Liberty & Justice,

SJ

www.spartacusjones.com

RE: Bravo to anyone who de-sanitizes any element of the war.

You mean like Romeo Dallaire?

http://www.dallairemovie.com/trailer.html