It would be nice if The NDP apologised to the Afghan Government with regard to the accusation made by Dawn Black. For a party that will never be in power, obtaining parts of a speech advisory document under the freedom of information act is irresponsible at best and a waste of taxpayers money at least. It is too bad that the NDP cannot see the big picture and assist the Government in finding a solution to the Afghan conflict. Instead of undermining same.
I have decided to share yet another letter I received yesterday from an old Comrade Ed in Newfoundland and his wife Olive. I feel that the Mayor of Fredricton is the type of politician that will make a difference. Good Show to Mayor Brad Woodside.
Good morning Good Buddy........... Read your blog last evening
Now, on the downside, here is a newspaper article about a group in New Brunswick which is attempting to undo a lot of what you have worked so hard to do with our campaign of getting people to Support the Troops...........
Anti-ribbon campaign runs into a fight
By SHAWN BERRY
Published Friday September 28th, 2007
Appeared on page A1
Mayor Brad Woodside plans to keep his yellow support-the-troops ribbon in his front window.
My ribbon is up, it's going to stay up and the yellow ribbon on my lapel is going to stay on, too, Woodside said Thursday afternoon.
Fredericton Peace Coalition members say they will press local businesses to take down any signs of support for soldiers serving overseas.
But Woodside stood by the troops in words and actions Thursday. He spent the early part of the day greeting members of HMCS Fredericton.
Woodside said the coalition is misguided.
Don't come knocking on my door, go knock on the door of your federal politicians, he said.
The ribbons recognize the willingness of troops to step in harm's way to make a difference somewhere else, the mayor said.
I support our men and women who have been tasked with representing our country and flag around the world, said Woodside, whose father served as a peacekeeper in Egypt and the Middle East.
No one wants war, he said.
I'd love to have our troops at home living in peace, but that's not the world we live in, he said.
If people have an issue, then they should really take it up with their federal politicians.
The mayor hopes news of the campaign aimed at getting signs of support taken down will only serve to renew support for our soldiers.
I would encourage people not to take the ribbons down but to put them up, seek out the establishments that are making these ribbons available, as I have in my home, and show the military that you support them.
Anti-ribbon campaign organizer Tracy Glynn said the effort will attempt to raise awareness around the Afghanistan issue.
We just see it as part of selling the war, Glynn said with regard to the ribbons. We hope to put together a package to bring to local businesses, churches asking that they reconsider and take down their yellow ribbons.
Glynn said the package will also state the organization's position and will provide people with information from other sources.
We see it as (being) all connected to a mission in Afghanistan that we oppose, Glynn said.
We support the troops but we want them brought home. The army in its current state right now, we don't support that. We have a hard time saying that we support the troops, too, because we don't support what they are doing.
There are approximately 2,500 Canadian troops in Afghanistan as part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
Earlier Thursday, Woodside met with crew members from the Canadian Forces patrol frigate HMCS Fredericton and observed members of the ship's boarding party stage a demonstration of a landing at the Regent Street Wharf.
Woodside said he was pleased to meet the people who travel the city's good name around the globe.
We're very proud to have our name on that ship, Woodside said, highlighting the work the ship's crew does.
They do good work, he said, noting the rescue missions and vessel inspections crew members carry out under Canadian, NATO and UN mandates.
The ship's officers and some crew members were in Fredericton as part of a recruitment drive by the Canadian Forces.
With assault rifles in hand, members of the boarding party escorted the mayor down King Street to city hall.
With files from The Daily Gleaner reporter Michael Staples.
Olive and I watched this on the late CTV news last evening and this Glynn person stated that those of us who show support for the troops are being cheerleaders for the war. She is attacking the wrong people....... if her group is against the war then head off to Ottawa and protest on Parliament Hill or at least start a letter campaign to their MPs but don't strike out at the men and women who have followed orders and have been sent to Afghanistan to do as their country directs. Do Olive and I support the war? Emphatically NO. Do we support our troops? You bet we do and were we able to roll back the years we would probably both be there trying to do what was needed.
Anyway........that's the way I see it from my perch on the soap box.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
