A Commentary by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper
For as many years as I can remember, I’ve written stories and columns honouring our veterans and those who died in past wars for Remembrance Day or Veterans Day as they call it across the border in the United States.
But this year, in these days leading up to Remembrance Day this November 11th, I have been struck by at least two things on the Canadian side of the border.
First, I have not found a single veteran left from the Second World War in the usual places, in front of malls and beer or LCBO stores, asking us to contribute a buck or two for a poppy. It’s been almost seven decades now since members of what has been dubbed “the greatest generation” fought and died in that war and it is understandable, yet so sad, that there are few if any – most of who are left in their late 80s and 90s – are not out there with boxes of poppies any more.
The second thing I have noticed is how many of the politicians involved in the Senate scandals in Ottawa and the Rob Ford crack catastrophe in Toronto, including ones that are lying about it, are wearing poppies on their lapels. Almost enough, me thinks, to turn one off from wearing one yourself.
Finally, and what really bothers me here, is the extent to which our donation for these poppies and for other not-for-profit campaigns by groups like Wounded Warriors on both sides of the border are supposed to make up for the fact that this federal government in Canada and the one in the U.S. has cut back hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for organizations that work to assist physically and mentally wounded veterans coming home from wars as recent as Afghanistan and Iraq.
What I finally wish to ask is this. Where are the governments that sent these young people to these wars and hyped the rest of us to support our troops? Where are all the fatter cats that went around with cheap “support our troops” bumper stickers on their SUVs, but don’t seem to want to pay more taxes to support them when they come home with lost limbs and traumatic brain injuries?
It is apparently okay, in the case of Canada, to go on with plans to spend tens of billions of dollars to purchase more jet fighters and to waste hundreds of millions more on a useless senate. But where is the government when it comes to supporting the young people who served in wars it sent them off to when they come home and need medical help and a job?
As if my dropping a few bucks into a cardboard box for a poppy is going to make much of a difference.
Shame on the governments of Canada and United States and shame on any of us who slavishly, through blind partisanship, support them for not investing the money necessary, through the general income tax pool, to properly look after these most deserving people who stood in harms way for our countries.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
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It is indeed horrendous what the current AND previous governments have done to marginalize the men and women who have over decades and multiple wars defended what Canada stands for.
Did they ever go on strike demanding outrageous benefits, more pay, sick days, holidays…..? NOPE!
We are not talking about service in the terms our public service and police services use…. I am talking about REAL service! I am talking about REALLY putting your life on the line and exposing oneself to REAL harm. I am talking about the months/years spent away from loved ones while on duty. Everything that is associated with a life in the armed forces.
And what do we do to recognize that selfless contribution to our society? We neglect them when they need us the most!
It just goes to show how out of touch our government is with what is right and wrong in how we are governed, the services ALL levels of government provide and how they provide them.
It really makes you wonder. As Doug mentioned there is a ton of waste, inefficiency and mismanagement at ALL levels of government that if it did not exist would allow us to do right by our armed forces…. and to deal with other issues like the one presented in the recent Food Bank piece. If it were not for how poorly ALL levels of government operate, this region, province and country could be a much better place to live for ALL…..
This is where I am at odds with Doug…. We don’t have to raise taxes…. It seems that that is always the answer…… raise taxes,,,,,, tax this….. tax that……. Doug we are taxed to death….. ALL OF US!!! except of course those who don’t contribute to the tax base in a meaningful way. It’s about time ALL levels of government start to use the ABUNDANT resources it already has more effectively. If it did things like taking care of our vets would not be a problem.
A little embarrassed to be a Canadian on this front…..
Sadly,,,,, Just sayin….
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As someone who at 17 came quite close to joining the army as an “apprentice solder” (under age solder), I have a problem with what appears to be implied in the poppy campaign.
My objective for considering military service, in a tight job market, was a way of leaving school with an income and to learn a trade – though military trades at the time were not very highly regarded in civilian life. Fortunately a railroad apprenticeship came to my rescue.
The poppy campaign rightfully remembers the sacrifice of those lost, wounded and “not visibly” wounded. It implies we remember so such wars never happen again. But happen they do.
Where are the veterans of past conflicts, with the wisdom of their experiences and maturity of their years, questioning governments moving, yet again, towards conflict? Why do our military personnel and their families – some not interested enough in politics to vote in elections – blindly follow a government’s direction to war when we see scandal after scandal unfold before our eyes? What could be worse for a veteran arriving in their middle years coming to the understanding when they thought they were fighting for freedom, it was actually against freedom!?
These same governments undermining solders, and their families, future security by ongoing tax cuts and social benefit cuts. Its well known the not so prosperous are over represented when it comes to boots on the ground.
Unfortunately I have seen no leadership from the poppy campaign to counteract the move to war. Nor is there leadership from opposition parties in Parliament, provincial legislatures or municipal councils. All fall into line behind the federal government. Surely someone has questions???
A W.W. 2 veteran once said to me: “The only thing to remember about war. THERE ARE NO RULES!”
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