(no subject)

[theweaselking]

In an effort to encourage Canadians to forget that our Armed Forces have soldiers dying overseas, the government has ordered that the flags on Parliament Hill no longer be lowered to half mast when Canadian soldiers are killed in action.

Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor says the dead need only be remembered one day a year, and that's not for another seven months.

Comments

[waterspyder.livejournal.com]

But we quite like lowering the flags for any half decent reason. Heck, I wouldn't know about most things (before I had you on my journal) until I say a flag flying at half-mast and go "Huh, I wonder why that is?"

[sbproductions.livejournal.com]

I can understand the reasoning behind the goverment excercising this new rule, but as a son from a military family its a little strange. My family isn't the sterotypical type of military family that is gun crazy, and in fact the only reason that every single one of my family members enlisted in the armed services, is due to the pride that each one of them hold for Canada, and their willingness to defend this great country or help out those in need. Im sure if I forwarded that link to each of them they would turn an eyebrow up.
The reason for the inconsistency, is because of a conservative goverment trying to control thought:
There is no flag at half mast... then there is no deaths...

Excuse my french, but that is BULLSHIT!

Every time I see a flag at half mast, whether it be from a Canadian staff, or from another country like the USA, England, or Germany, I am not inspired... I am not happy.
Every single time I see a flag at half mast I am reminded of what the world is like... and what I should be doing to make the world a better place to live... not making me want to pick up a firearm and join the fight.

I guess the conservative goverment is just going to have to remind people like me of my humanity another way... or maybe they won't at all...

haha final word... fuck that shit... would the flag fly at half mast if harper died?... what makes him any better than someone willing to go out and defend canada and make the world a better place?

-G

[cmseward.livejournal.com]

Yeah, saw that on the news the other day and it pissed me off as well. After looking for more info about it, it appears they may be right. Still pisses me off (and looks pretty bad on them), though.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Define "may be right", please.

May be going back to the way it was done before, yes - but we weren't cleaning up our largest ally's unprovoked war of aggression before, either, were we.

If the flag flies at half mast when Harper dies, it deserves to fly at half mast for people who actually work for a living, too.

[cmseward.livejournal.com]

Yeah, like I said, it still pisses me off, too, and I do think that your summary of the article is exactly what's happening.

By "may be right", I mean that the Veteran's groups are some of the people who say that the flag shouldn't be lowered for every soldier, because they think it takes away from those who were killed in previous wars and didn't have the flag lowered for them. I think that the word "wars" there is the important bit, since we supposedly aren't currently fighting a war, but I can see their (the Vets) point-of-view.

[reyl.livejournal.com]

When the flag on the Hill is lowered, it makes me really nervous. Makes me think the Queen died or something. They are still lowering flags at NDHQ and the such.

CANFORGEN 069/06 CMP 029 111410Z APR 06
HALF-MASTING OF FLAGS IN THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF A CF MEMBER DEPLOYED ON OPERATIONS
UNCLASSIFIED


REF. A. A-AD-200-000/AG-001 THE HONOURS FLAGS AND HERITAGE STRUCTURE OF THE CANADIAN FORCES



IN CONSULTATION WITH HERITAGE CANADA, THE CF POLICY ON HALFMASTING OF FLAGS WAS AMENDED. IN THE EVENT OF THE DEATH OF A MEMBER OF THE CF WHO IS DEPLOYED ON OPERATIONS TO A SPECIAL DUTY AREA, UNLESS SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ARE RECEIVED, FLAGS WILL BE HALF-MASTED AS FOLLOWS:


ALL FLAGS WITHIN THE TASK FORCE TO WHICH A MEMBER IS ASSIGNED AT THE TIME OF DEATH SHALL BE HALF-MASTED FROM THE DAY OF DEATH UNTIL SUNSET THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL


ALL FLAGS AT THE HOME BASE/STATION OF THE MEMBER SHALL BE HALF-MASTED FROM THE DAY OF DEATH UNTIL SUNSET THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL


ALL FLAGS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT (SEA, LAND OR AIR) TO WHICH THE MEMBER WAS ASSIGNED SHALL BE HALF-MASTED FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET ON THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL AND


ALL FLAGS AT NDHQ (101 COLONEL BY DRIVE ONLY) SHALL BE HALF-MASTED FROM THE DAY OF DEATH UNTIL SUNSET THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL


DIRECTORATE OF HISTORY AND HERITAGE WILL AMEND REF A ACCORDINGLY

[frith]

No longer lowering the flag at half mast on Parliament Hill to mourn the death of Canadian soldiers indicates a lack of respect for their sacrifice. That it wasn't done for the soldiers fighting in WWII is of no consequence.