HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times-Advocate, 2002-11-06, Page 4It’s been a long time since I wrote about how
much American politicians disgust me, so here
goes.
Actually, what set me off wasn’t an American
politician, it was (even worse) a failed American
politician — TV host and right-wing thug Pat
Buchanan. Buchanan, remember, used to be a
loyal employee of the late President
Richard Nixon, which may provide you
some insight into his character.
Buchanan, who has made a career out
of failing miserably in presidential elec-
tions, lit into Canada last week, calling it
‘Soviet Canuckistan’ for our government’s
correct objection to the fact the U.S. was
going to pass a law demanding photos
and fingerprints from Arab-Canadian vis-
itors to the U.S.
Apparently, Buchanan is all in favour of
this law, which seems medieval and an
obvious infringement on the human
rights of people whose only crime is they were
born “somewhere else.”
Buchanan also spewed out the typical right-
wing garbage that Canada “is a complete haven
for international terrorists,” ignoring the fact the
Sept. 11 terrorists made their moves from within
the U.S. and were even trained in the U.S.
No evidence supports the suggestion Canada
was a link in the Sept. 11 attacks, but the
American right-wing propaganda machine keeps
rolling. “Blame everybody else,” should be their
motto.
On the same day last week, Foreign
Affairs Minister Bill Graham announced
U.S. ambassador Paul Cellucci told him
Canadians carrying Canadian passports will
not be treated differently no matter where
they were born, a development which must
have broken Buchanan’s heart, if he in fact
has one.
In the past, Buchanan, who stands just to
the right of Attila the Hun on the political
spectrum, has said, “Canada is sort of like
a case of latent arthritis. We really don’t
think about it, unless it acts up.”
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about our
neighbours to the south. Like an uninvited drunk
at a party, the U.S. simply can’t be ignored, no
matter how hard you try.
Wednesday, November 6, 2002 5Exeter Times–Advocate
Editorial&Opinion
Jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Don Smith Deb Lord
General Manager Production Manager
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Buchanan’s comments typical right-wing rubbish
SCOTT
NIXON
AND ANOTHER
THING
This Remembrance Day, we will have four
more names on the list of Canada’s fallen
heroes.
The fact the four lost their lives in Afghanistan, not
Europe, to what is called “friendly fire” instead of
enemy fire, does not negate their sacrifice. They
donned this country’s uniform, knowing they could be
called on to face danger anywhere in the world.
In time of war, be it a conventional war, a peace-
keeping mission, or an assault against terrorists, lives
are on the line. The men and women who serve in the
Canadian Armed Forces accept the risk as part of their
commitment to their country. They always have.
Come Remembrance Day, people who have known
the horror of war will stand at attention as the Last
Post is played. There are fewer of them each year, but
they still march with pride to each community’s ceno-
taph. The expressions on the faces of our war veter-
ans speak volumes. Some gaze at the cenotaph which
lists the names of those who fell in battle, and you
know those eyes are seeing not a stone monument but
smiling young soldiers, sailors and airmen heading off
to serve their country, confident as only the young can
be, and so very brave. Some of the veterans glance
at the Scouts, Guides and cadets marching in the
Remembrance Day parade, and remember marching
off to war when they were not much older than those
children. And we know the veterans are praying
today’s youth never have to march away to war.
To most of the crowd at the local Remembrance Day
ceremony, the names on the Honour Roll belong to
heroes who gave their lives for their country. But there
are still people who look at a particular name and
remember not a hero, but the boy who enjoyed a good
joke, played pranks on Halloween, and hit the home
run at the championship game that summer before he
joined the army.
As we pay special tribute to those who made the
ultimate sacrifice for their country, we must remem-
ber them not only as soldiers, but as farm boys, nurs-
es, the kid who worked in the hardware store, the
young man who sang in the church choir.
Had the war not intervened, they would have raised
families and taken their rightful places in this commu-
nity. In the ranks of fallen heroes are those who would
have become wonderful teachers, astute businessmen,
inspired political leaders. So many lives would have
been enriched had they lived. But without their sacri-
fice, the children lining the parade route might have
grown up in a far different, dangerous, grim world.
We must remember the fallen, and honour those
who came back. Most of all, we must carry the torch
they pass on to us, and do our best to make sure the
children watching this year’s Remembrance Day
parade never suffer the horrors of war. If this cannot
be, we pray they will gain strength from the example
of those brave young people from past wars who
fought for the freedom we hold so dear.
Lest we forget