I Love How My Country Honours Soldiers...Unlike Others

RockinInCanada

Woke up this morning and tuned into the Candian national morning news and guess what I saw that almost brought a tear to my eye. A LIVE funeral for a fallen soldier that was killed in Afghanistan. I love how, regardless of our "leader" tried to remove the media from documenting our nations soldiers' deaths, that the media still acknowledges EVERY Canadian death or injury over-seas. From seeing it on the national news to hearing in on local radio, we as Canadians hear and see who has fallen or got hurt to a personal level. We learn who they were, we learn about their family, more importantly we truly honour our fallen soldiers. We get to learn about each soldier as the human being they were outside the front lines.

Were I find it a disgrace and travesty that America does not do this. Like I be damned, there was a controversy over photos of caskets. Come on people do you not want to know personally who is over there (doing whatever they are supposed be doing?) and dying for your flag. Yet you hear no names, no live funerals, no emotional family stories honouring those that have made the ultimate sacrafice for your country. Or do you simply not want to see and understand the reality of warfare. I find that a country so proud of itself (which I highly respect) shows such classless behaviour to those that are dying. I am not pointing out common civilians, I am calling out the faux media. It should be there job to honour the fallen instead of caskets being whisked away behind the lime-light.

Soldiers are the ultimate hero's, they are willing to put their life on the line for their country. Therefore they should be honoured as heroes. I have a military man in my family and I would be ashamed if I never heard of his plight and more importantly that others did not get to know the man who died for his country.

So why do the deaths get no attention, are the realities of war that shocking for the daily news. I would be ashamed.

Uncle Leo

If you are implying that in the US we try to downplay the "not so nice side of war" i.e. the soldiers' deaths, then you are ... correct.

I don't know that televising a funeral is appropriate, but doing an accurate count and getting names in the paper (to acknowledge their sacrifice) is.

By the way, could someone help me out here. My mom--who is usually well informed--said that US soldiers that get wounded in Iraq and die in a hospital in say, Italy, are not counted as Iraq combat deaths. Is this true?

RockinInCanada

Uncle Leo wrote:

If you are implying that in the US we try to downplay the "not so nice side of war" i.e. the soldiers' deaths, then you are ... correct.

I don't know that televising a funeral is appropriate, but doing an accurate count and getting names in the paper (to acknowledge their sacrifice) is.

By the way, could someone help me out here. My mom--who is usually well informed--said that US soldiers that get wounded in Iraq and die in a hospital in say, Italy, are not counted as Iraq combat deaths. Is this true?

The funeral aspect should have family per-mission...but yes the stories should be told.

Harper, our PM, tried to remove all media activity from covering the deaths of soldiers...there was an outcry not only from the public but more importantly from the famalies of the slain....full coverage of the people dying makes the country aware of what is going on and more importantly leads to people to question...why are we even there? Regardless if you agree/disagree for the conflict the reality of it is made clear. Ignoring all coverage is a slap in the face to the real brave of our countries...I would be ashamed of my country if we followed America in the coverage of the fallen.

miller8966

Rockin'InCanada wrote:

Woke up this morning and tuned into the Candian national morning news and guess what I saw that almost brought a tear to my eye. A LIVE funeral for a fallen soldier that was killed in Afghanistan. I love how, regardless of our "leader" tried to remove the media from documenting our nations soldiers' deaths, that the media still acknowledges EVERY Canadian death or injury over-seas. From seeing it on the national news to hearing in on local radio, we as Canadians hear and see who has fallen or got hurt to a personal level. We learn who they were, we learn about their family, more importantly we truly honour our fallen soldiers. We get to learn about each soldier as the human being they were outside the front lines.

Were I find it a disgrace and travesty that America does not do this. Like I be damned, there was a controversy over photos of caskets. Come on people do you not want to know personally who is over there (doing whatever they are supposed be doing?) and dying for your flag. Yet you hear no names, no live funerals, no emotional family stories honouring those that have made the ultimate sacrafice for your country. Or do you simply not want to see and understand the reality of warfare. I find that a country so proud of itself (which I highly respect) shows such classless behaviour to those that are dying. I am not pointing out common civilians, I am calling out the faux media. It should be there job to honour the fallen instead of caskets being whisked away behind the lime-light.

Soldiers are the ultimate hero's, they are willing to put their life on the line for their country. Therefore they should be honoured as heroes. I have a military man in my family and I would be ashamed if I never heard of his plight and more importantly that others did not get to know the man who died for his country.

So why do the deaths get no attention, are the realities of war that shocking for the daily news. I would be ashamed.

Your country sucks compared to Americas...your music sucks even more.

Pickr

miller8966 wrote:

Your country sucks compared to Americas...your music sucks even more.

Wow, such a well informed opinion. You must make your mom and dad proud.

The Illinoisemakers

Maybe families don't want their fallen loved ones to be splashed all over the TV. Sometimes there is a need for privacy to respect the feelings of those effected. As an American I see nothing shameful about giving a family the privacy to grieve without a camera and boom mike in their face.

When was the last time you watched local news in an American town? I read or watch on the news and see the names and information of soldiers who are from WA or who are stationed at Fort Lewis who have lost their live in Iraq.

thankyougrandma

miller8966 wrote:

Your country sucks compared to Americas...your music sucks even more.

hehe, we are america too, maybe you need to see a map, there's no Oceans between Canada and USA... hehe your really a funny little Rambo...

thankyougrandma

The Illinoisemakers wrote:

Maybe families don't want their fallen loved ones to be splashed all over the TV. Sometimes there is a need for privacy to respect the feelings of those effected. As an American I see nothing shameful about giving a family the privacy to grieve without a camera and boom mike in their face.

When was the last time you watched local news in an American town? I read or watch on the news and see the names and information of soldiers who are from WA or who are stationed at Fort Lewis who have lost their live in Iraq.

But they need family authorization, and usually they stay out of the ceremonial, unless the family want them to be there (as it happened when our superb Prime Minister tried to muzzled the medias about soldiers death, the families open the church in honor of their sons)

truroute

To those who say that soldiers that are killed are not covered in news papers (in US) are totally wrong. An individual soldier's death may not be covered in USA today, but in his/her hometown and surrounding areas, it is covered, w/ a brief bio.

And while you may not see a soldiers funeral on CNN, you will see it on local TV in smaller communities.

I swear, some of you ppl make up your own facts.

NewJPage

The Illinoisemakers wrote:

Maybe families don't want their fallen loved ones to be splashed all over the TV. Sometimes there is a need for privacy to respect the feelings of those effected. As an American I see nothing shameful about giving a family the privacy to grieve without a camera and boom mike in their face.

good excuse...fact is that the media is not allowed to show coffins being brought back from overseas...1st amendment anyone??

its obvious the reasoning...b/c if people saw the actual affects of war, they would not support it. you have to dig to find actual NEWS concerning the war effort...major media sucks and ponies up to the administration's wishes...what crap.

on a more logistical sidenote though...covering funerals of slain soldiers in the states would be one hell of an operation, seeing as we're up to almost 3000 dead now....

truroute

NewJPage wrote:

on a more logistical sidenote though...covering funerals of slain soldiers in the states would be one hell of an operation, seeing as we're up to almost 3000 dead now....

No it wouldnt. The reason 2600 funerals are not splashed across major news networks on national channels is because not everyone wants to actually watch a funeral on TV for someone they dont know.

I beleive that the reason the pres denied the media access to flag draped coffins is because it would get abused. Respect would not be payed to the fallen, but would instead be used as a political tool. A tool used by 'other political' parties, or liberal media, or e-hippies.

And your statement about ppl needing to see the "effects of war" on TV to not support it is stupid. Not many ppl are that dense that they dont know the effects of war. Watched an action movie lately?

even flow?

Rockin'InCanada wrote:

Woke up this morning and tuned into the Candian national morning news and guess what I saw that almost brought a tear to my eye. A LIVE funeral for a fallen soldier that was killed in Afghanistan. I love how, regardless of our "leader" tried to remove the media from documenting our nations soldiers' deaths, that the media still acknowledges EVERY Canadian death or injury over-seas. From seeing it on the national news to hearing in on local radio, we as Canadians hear and see who has fallen or got hurt to a personal level. We learn who they were, we learn about their family, more importantly we truly honour our fallen soldiers. We get to learn about each soldier as the human being they were outside the front lines.

Were I find it a disgrace and travesty that America does not do this. Like I be damned, there was a controversy over photos of caskets. Come on people do you not want to know personally who is over there (doing whatever they are supposed be doing?) and dying for your flag. Yet you hear no names, no live funerals, no emotional family stories honouring those that have made the ultimate sacrafice for your country. Or do you simply not want to see and understand the reality of warfare. I find that a country so proud of itself (which I highly respect) shows such classless behaviour to those that are dying. I am not pointing out common civilians, I am calling out the faux media. It should be there job to honour the fallen instead of caskets being whisked away behind the lime-light.

Soldiers are the ultimate hero's, they are willing to put their life on the line for their country. Therefore they should be honoured as heroes. I have a military man in my family and I would be ashamed if I never heard of his plight and more importantly that others did not get to know the man who died for his country.

So why do the deaths get no attention, are the realities of war that shocking for the daily news. I would be ashamed.

Not to take any wind out of your sails. But when I watch the 6pm (or there abouts) news on PBS at the end of the show, they always roll pictures and names of the fallen in the US military. Of course it is after the name has been released but they still do it.

NewJPage

truroute wrote:

No it wouldnt. The reason 2600 funerals are not splashed across major news networks on national channels is because not everyone wants to actually watch a funeral on TV for someone they dont know.

I beleive that the reason the pres denied the media access to flag draped coffins is because it would get abused. Respect would not be payed to the fallen, but would instead be used as a political tool. A tool used by 'other political' parties, or liberal media, or e-hippies.

And your statement about ppl needing to see the "effects of war" on TV to not support it is stupid. Not many ppl are that dense that they dont know the effects of war. Watched an action movie lately?

1.) would showing funerals or coffins bring great ratings during sweeps week?? no. most people wouldn't watch it. but having it available to watch, or just to stumble accross as you are flipping from american idol to supergroup keeps war in the back of your mind. its so easy to forget for most people b/c they can just tune it out.

2.) the pres did not do that cause he respects the privacy of the dead. it was no big deal to show the dead being pulled out of the WTC, because showing that is a rallying cry to get the "evil-doers." the president does not respect life. he says he does, as he vetos stem-cell research (which, btw, the benefits of which will only be available to rich people, as private companies are totally investing in this), yet when asked how many civillians have been killed in iraq this past january, he causally responds with "i think around 30,000..."

3.) people know that sly stallone mowing down people with machine guns is bs. its meant to be bs. its a form of entertainment. to see the realities of war, you have to dig for it. on a historical note...in 1969, 400 some odd civillians were lined up and shot in vietnam in the town of my lai. once the press got a hold of this and published the pictures, the support for that war immensly deteriorated. go do a search for "napalm" and "babies" and i'm sure the images that come up relating to that war or this one (yes, we still use napalm...) will turn your stomache. that is nothing you see in movies, unless you were thinking of "hearts and minds"? (best movie ever btw...)

Cosmo

I remember seeing a story on the television about a Little League pary that was placing a baseball with the name of a fallen soldier on their 'Wall Of Fame'. At broadcast time, they were putting up the 200th or 250th baseball on the wall.
I wonder what that wall looks like not and how those kids feel about seeing all those names today.
That's what always bugged me about electronic news media... there is never a follow-up. Whether it's about what happenned to that idiot that held up rush hour traffic for hours in that police chase or what that wall of baseballs is like today... there's never 'the rest of the story' included.

Gary Carter

if they showed the funnerals live on tv like they did oh say during NAM. this unjust war would have been over a while ago.i totally agree with u they need to be showed.this is my generation NAM and its fucking sick.

Cosmo

metsfan531941 wrote:

if they showed the funnerals live on tv like they did oh say during NAM. this unjust war would have been over a while ago.i totally agree with u they need to be showed.this is my generation NAM and its fucking sick.

...
They've learned from the lessons of Viet Nam... this time, instead of being broadcast on a nightly basis, it is hidden between Lindsay Lohan's fight with Paris Hilton and the series premier of 'The Apprentice'... so we don't have to see that icky war poopy stuff.

Gary Carter

Cosmo wrote:

...
They've learned from the lessons of Viet Nam... this time, instead of being broadcast on a nightly basis, it is hidden between Lindsay Lohan's fight with Paris Hilton and the series premier of 'The Apprentice'... so we don't have to see that icky war poopy stuff.

yeah thats the sad part.these men and woman give up there life and it goes largely un-noticed.cause of that reason.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

Rockin'InCanada wrote:

I am not pointing out common civilians, I am calling out the faux media.

Thanks for making this distinction. Only an extreme minority of Americans have control over what gets reported here.

truroute

NewJPage wrote:

1.) would showing funerals or coffins bring great ratings during sweeps week?? no. most people wouldn't watch it. but having it available to watch, or just to stumble accross as you are flipping from american idol to supergroup keeps war in the back of your mind. its so easy to forget for most people b/c they can just tune it out.

2.) the pres did not do that cause he respects the privacy of the dead. it was no big deal to show the dead being pulled out of the WTC, because showing that is a rallying cry to get the "evil-doers." the president does not respect life. he says he does, as he vetos stem-cell research (which, btw, the benefits of which will only be available to rich people, as private companies are totally investing in this), yet when asked how many civillians have been killed in iraq this past january, he causally responds with "i think around 30,000..."

3.) people know that sly stallone mowing down people with machine guns is bs. its meant to be bs. its a form of entertainment. to see the realities of war, you have to dig for it. on a historical note...in 1969, 400 some odd civillians were lined up and shot in vietnam in the town of my lai. once the press got a hold of this and published the pictures, the support for that war immensly deteriorated. go do a search for "napalm" and "babies" and i'm sure the images that come up relating to that war or this one (yes, we still use napalm...) will turn your stomache. that is nothing you see in movies, unless you were thinking of "hearts and minds"? (best movie ever btw...)

-People choose to tone out what they want. Either if its on tv or internet, where any info is widely available.

-I cant really argue w/ #2. Nice.

-We dont use napalm today. You're maybe thinking of phosphorus. And the pics your talking about w/ all the kids deformed and whatever....its real easy to take a picture and comment on it w/ anything you want. True or not. (not saying napalm has/did not cause defects, only saying the few sites that have the napalm deformed baby pics, are actually pics of babies w/ 'natural' occuring rare deformities. Kinda like the DU flash video being passed around.

edit; cannot goto page that list the actual deformities/ birth defects of the pics, sites are blocked at work.

Anyway, like i said before. The information is readily available if people want to see it. Its not hidden. This isnt China. I agree w/ what Cosmo said, most of us yankees are to concerned w/ who Paris Hilton is porkin.

NewJPage

truroute wrote:

I agree w/ what Cosmo said, most of us yankees are to concerned w/ who Paris Hilton is porkin.

can't argue with you there...sadly. but since we can't rely on the media to give us actual news, we've got to search for it ourselves...it just would be nice if more people actually did it.

also...we do still use napalm, although i'm sure its some "better" version of it nowadays.

truroute

NewJPage wrote:

can't argue with you there...sadly. but since we can't rely on the media to give us actual news, we've got to search for it ourselves...it just would be nice if more people actually did it.

also...we do still use napalm, although i'm sure its some "better" version of it nowadays.

Meh, I stand corrected.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030810-napalm-iraq01.htm

dammit, hate being wrong.

RockinInCanada

I apoligize I did not know of the extent (still very small) that American media covers these issues...however it should be expanded more than a name and hometown....I like hearing who the person was...personifies the war for me....makes me feel for those who lose loved ones and makes me always try to again justify why the hell we have servicemen over there...

RockinInCanada

miller8966 wrote:

Your country sucks compared to Americas...your music sucks even more.

lol....whatever man....your a joke to everyone on this board...keep living up to it...your doing a great job.....