I detect a chink developing in Ken Seiling's politically-correct armour. In today's Local section, the Record reports that Chairman Ken was doing a bit of e-mail polling and discovered that the "majority" of councillors supported the move. (See "Regional councillors like ribbons" - which BTW is a somewhat misleading headline.)
Uh-oh... Back-track time.
Waterloo Region Coun. Tom Galloway said yesterday that no one has actually asked the region to affix the symbols of solidarity with Canada's troops in Afghanistan onto regional ambulances. At least not yet.
However, Coun. Jane Mitchell is solidly against the whole idea:
Although she personally supports the mission in Afghanistan, Mitchell said putting the signs of support on ambulances is unfair to those who oppose war of any kind, including Waterloo Region's Mennonite and pacifist populations, she said.
The Mennonites don't appreciate the courage of our soldiers? Nobody is asking them to fight! What kind of convoluted logic is that? I would love to hear from a Mennonite on this one.
There are other ways for regional employees to show their support for the soldiers, and that should be voluntary, she said.
It would be voluntary, Jane! We're talking about an option; a choice. Freedom! Remember that concept? That would be what they're fighting for, Jane.
Agreeing to such a public show of support for the troops makes it difficult to turn down other requests, she said. If her colleagues agree to put the yellow ribbons on ambulances, she'll immediately ask them to approve ribbons that support the fight against domestic violence, too, Mitchell said.
Oh, come on! You're above such childish antics, aren't you?
The councillor doesn't buy the argument support for the troops can be distinct from support for the war. "It's kind of splitting hairs," she said.
Well, that's what it boils down to, doesn't it? That is the whole thing right there. I think we need a referendum on this. Add it to the one in Ontario in the October election.
Let's have a common policy for all Ontario municipalities and get away from the politicizing.
It's embarrassing.
* * * *
If you live in Waterloo Region, please support our troops by signing the 570 on-line petition.
If you live in Waterloo Region, please support our troops by signing the 570 on-line petition.
* * * *
Update: Jane Mitchell, I have a way out for you right here - Many Afghan women choosing suicide by fire. There you go, Jane. No more hair-splitting required.
Vote in favour of the Yellow Ribbons and you'll be supporting the fight against domestic violence in Afghanistan.
Case closed.
Update: Jane Mitchell, I have a way out for you right here - Many Afghan women choosing suicide by fire. There you go, Jane. No more hair-splitting required.
Vote in favour of the Yellow Ribbons and you'll be supporting the fight against domestic violence in Afghanistan.
Case closed.
* * * *
Update #2. - Just caught the tail-end of a Kitchener noon news report. It seems that Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr may be reconsidering his position on the Ribbon issue, even though he personally 'doesn't think we should be there', if I heard him correctly.
I'll post an official statement when I have one.
See? Grass roots action can make a difference.
Update #3. - Newstalk 570 is reporting that Mayor Carl Zehr has announced that Kitchener council has unanimously agreed to allow Yellow Ribbons on city vehicles.
Now waiting to hear from Chairman Ken. Tick-tock.
I'll post an official statement when I have one.
See? Grass roots action can make a difference.
Update #3. - Newstalk 570 is reporting that Mayor Carl Zehr has announced that Kitchener council has unanimously agreed to allow Yellow Ribbons on city vehicles.
Now waiting to hear from Chairman Ken. Tick-tock.
21 comments:
Record link here.
You're embarrassing yourself with this silly ribbon nonsense.
TangoJuliette sez:
RT shows his true colours, and a wealth of his own personal embarrasment with his comments quoted below.
when he said...
"You're embarrassing yourself with this silly ribbon nonsense. Mon Jul 09, 09:17:00 AM EDT "
Any further response to this fool would prove to be a tremendous and needless waste of time and electricity.
I must admit that I do find striking similarities between RT's take of the yellow ribbon thingee, and LibSen Romeo D'Allaire, as quoted in the weekend Montreal LaPresse and Monday's Globe & Mail. Romeo, Romeo, where the hell are your brain and heart at Romeo?!
Rome denigtrates the raising of the WWI-era Red Ensign, over the Vimy memorial site in France. "innapropriate." "Rediculous."
I'm sure that many of the librated French, from BOTH World Wars, might offer the good General, and Liberal
Senator cum stooge, some disagreement.
Like I, along with many of my contemporaries, Senator Dallaire served much of his military career under the Red Ensign, as so many Canadians did.
Unlike most of us, the Senator holds greater allegiance to the Liberals and to their 40 yr-old re-invented version of the Flag of Canada, with the unfortunate result that he is willing to exclude anything remotely resembling accuracy in historical context.
The Senator is a disgrace to the uniform he once had the honour to wear. There were many like him, during my time of service.
tj
Keep up the good work Jo...the only embarrassment that will be felt is by the mis-guided politicians when they reverse their decision...this is a no-brainer and should be a non-issue.
Red Tory, Please explain how Joanne is embarrassing herself. I fail to see it. Just because you do not agree with someone position on a discussion or event doesn't not in anyway imply they are embarrassing themselves. It is called belief in cause, something that should be encouraged not insulted. Step back from the keyboard and have a serious look at the partisanship and attack mode of your own blog over the last few months before you start throwing stones.
Fire and police share as certain kinship with the military as they too serve Canada in a vital and sometime dangerous occupation. It seem only natural for them to visibly show support for the troops serving overseas.
RT,
"You're embarrassing yourself with this silly ribbon nonsense"
So let me get this straight...you think Joanne's embarrassing herself because she believes that it's important to show support for our troops? Is showing support for people serving Canada nonsense?
I think you might want to rethink that statement.
There's only one person that should be embarrassed and that's you.
TangoJuliette sez:
As for Jane Mitchell? If she ever runs for public office as anything but a Dipper or a LibFlipper, I'll probably have to eat my shorts.
Now, unless she is of a Mennonite background, and, judging from her apparently shallow take on the issue, I don't think that she is, her facile dragging of the pacifist issue, in so half-assed a fashion, into the debate, is nothing but sham.
1.) When a Mennonite gets mugged, one of the first calls is for help. Help, from a "peace officer" carrying a gun, who is prepared to use force to aprehend the perpatrator.
2.) Read History Councillor. Some of the Pacifist Mennonites, during the Communist Revolutionary era in Russia and Ukraine, actually formed, and armed, their own Mennonite Rilfe Companies, to fight off and kill the marauding bands of looting, pillaging and raping thugs belonging to the Anarchist movement of Nestor Makhno. Though I should imagine that present day lefitst ignorance is bliss.
3.) There are more than a few young people of Mennonite roots, serving in today's Canadian Armed Forces.
4.) Only soiciopaths, psychopaths and others with strange disorders and maladies would be non-pacifists. Just about everyone I served with in Canada's Military and in our toothless UN "peace" keeping assignments, were, and still are, pacifists at heart. Many of us have not handled weapons BEFORE enlisting, nor AFTER retirning to civvy street.
The worst kind of pacifist to be, is the kinds of disarmed UN pacifists we were forced to be, in the Belgian Congo, circa early 60's. Being constrained, to stand by helplessly, as (mostly white, western) Nuns, Doctors, Nurses and Aid Workers, were being raped, mutilated and butchered,by rebels on the one side, and by government forces on the other.
The by-product of our role of forced witnesses to such savagery, after forty-six years, still manages to provide fearsome memories and countless, sleepless night-time hours of vile memories and flash-backs, along with horrific cold sweats brought on by recalled sights and sounds that nothing seems to be able to block out.
5.) I must correct myself. A far worse kind of peace-keeper/pacifist, is one who knows little, claims to know much and thinks to have the wherewithal to lead, thereby bringing grief and misery to many.
If the good councillor is a mother, or has close contact with somene who is, she should consider this.
The Taliban have strict rules and restrictions regarding males having contact with females, and vice versa, oustide of family or martrimonial confines.
As well, thanks to Talibanic restrictions, females have had no oportunity for education.
The problem in this set of scenarios?
No OB/Gyn males, except for immediate family members. 60,000 to 75,000 deaths, per year, had been the norm,arising out of complicated pregnancies, difficult and compromised deliveries and neo-natal complications, to cite but a few examples.
That's now, 60,000 to 75,000 lives being saved annually, thanks to troops presence over there.
Perhaps Coun.Mitchell ought to engage the mind before putting the lip into gear.
tj
Red who?
Does anyone who is criticizing the display of the yellow ribbons actually know what they mean?
Seems to me the answer is NO!
When elected officials take it upon themselves to place personal and incorrect interpretations on such a simple gesture you need to wonder just what they are doing in a role that is supposed to carry with it responsibility and some decorum.
It is the likes of Councilor Seiling or the Toronto council members that raised the rukus about the issue. These people in the first place are supposed to have actual work of importance to do and yet choose to be an embarrassment to their communities by creating a controversy from something that has nothing to do with their jobs.
Oh yes... for the yellow ribbon is a symbol for the hope of safe return for those who have gone to serve.
In essence those who oppose it's display are implying that they do not wish the soldiers safe return or do not respect the hopes of those who do hold this wish. OR that the opponents of the symbols display are just pig ignorant!
In any case noting and exposing the ignorance and hypocrisy of fools who hold elected office is hardly something to be embarrassed about.
PGP, you are absolutely right, I am in the service, been over twice, and my oldest sister has no use for the mission and thinks we should not be there. She is totally entitled to her thoughts on this, and if I couldn't change her mind when we were younger then there is no way I can no I can now.( Smiles fondly at some of the arguments) She proudly has a yellow ribbon magnetic on all of her vehicles.
Opps forgot to preview my comment, duhhhhhh
forgot to preview my comment
That's o.k. Kingston. We don't nitpick about such things here.
Simply find Jane Mitchell's NDP skeleton's in her closet to understand why she, like those in the Big Smoke are offended by the demonstration of support.
Hey, could it be that the NDP is low on the support ladder these days? I wonder why?
Anon, I know for a fact that she's very big on prohibiting the use of pesticides. Not sure about the NDP link.
was she or has she ever been on your school board? Left-leaning educational organization? People for Education or Kathleen Wynne's former organization of hard left liberals.
Usually of the NDP bent.
I find Mitchell's objection eerily similar to that of the Toronto councillor(also a former educrat)
minus the Mennonite baloney.
To anon. - Not all educators and board members are of the left. Not by a long shot. Don't kid yourself.
Sadly too many play along publicly they'll admit to somethings being better educationally thanks to Harris
(who by the way simply implemented the NDP's Royal Commission recommendations). Notice how, now that they are in power the Liberals aren't getting rid of testing, College of Teachers, funding formula and yet voted against those things in opposition?
was she or has she ever been on your school board?
Good spidey-sense!
"Interesting. This thread was picked up by "Vote for MMP"."
Looks like they have a search engine posting blogs pro, con, or neutral, anything that mentions the October referendum -- as you did.
Wilf, yeah, that makes sense.
I'm still on the fence about MMP. This is an issue I will be addressing as the referendum draws closer. If you have any thoughts or concerns one way or the other, please feel free to email me at the addy on my profile, or even go off-topic on any thread. Thanks.
Post a Comment