Furious Canadians bombarded the prime minister with e-mail following controversial spring decisions not to lower Parliament Hill flags for soldiers killed in Afghanistan or allow the public to view their return to Canada, documents obtained by the Citizen show.
The letters, sent via Stephen Harper's website and obtained under the Access to Information Act, provide a glimpse into the public psyche during one of the first major missteps by the Conservative government.
The decisions followed the deaths of four soldiers -- Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieut. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne -- in a roadside bomb incident.
Of the thousands of e-mails that poured into Mr. Harper's office the day after he imposed a press ban on homecoming ceremonies in April, an overwhelming majority were highly critical.
For each positive endorsement of the policies, there were approximately 50 angry notes filled with words such as "disgraceful, shameful and cowardly."
Many called on the prime minister to stop copying the "George Bush-like" policy of hiding military deaths to protect public support for the mission.
The U.S. president has been roundly criticized for banning pictures of flag-draped coffins coming back from Iraq.
"As you have no doubt heard from your critics, this is a page right out of Bush's book," one Toronto resident wrote. "Stephen, if you really understood this country and its citizens you would know we don't hide from hard tasks."
Another pointed out that "the same policy in the U.S. has backfired. I thought the Harper government would back the military and show pride."
Current and retired soldiers had harsh words as well. One man, who said he served 21 years in the Canadian Forces, expressed regret after the media ban for voting Conservative.
"In my time in the army I saw no less than five of my comrades (sic) give their life for their country," he wrote. "The families and loved ones of these soldiers would have enjoyed the fact that Canadians actually cared enough about soldiers to watch."
Fallout from that decision continues to haunt the Harper government.
At a funeral last month for Capt. Nichola Goddard, another Canadian killed in combat, her father said he could "see no reason" for the press ban and found it "troubling."
Cpl. Dinning's father screened home video footage of the ramp ceremony that he said "Mr. Harper wouldn't let you see up close" at his son's funeral the month before.
Several other military families felt compelled to write to Mr. Harper in April.
"As the mother of a young soldier serving in Afghanistan, I would like to express my dismay at your decisions regarding the honouring of the four most recent casualties," a Calgary resident wrote.
"As a member of a military family, I am saddened to see the flag on the Peace Tower flapping merrily in the breeze as four men, who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, return to their country."
Another mother of a soldier serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan was angry over Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor's argument that the press muzzle wasn't political and was only intended to protect the privacy of soldiers' families.
"The unprecedented media ban, which government officials say is 'permanent,' is totally bizarre," she wrote. "To Mr. O'Connor and all politicians I say hogwash -- don't insult the intelligence of all Canadians."
A handful of correspondents noted they had never spoken to a politician before.
"In almost 46 years of living, I have never felt compelled to communicate with any member of Parliament until now," one said, calling the two decisions "a travesty."
The criticism was non-partisan, as several professed Conservatives expressed dismay and offered advice.
"Come on Prime Minister Harper, be big enough to admit a mistake and reverse that (flag) decision," a Nova Scotian with a son in the army wrote. "I expect that would garner you votes. You are not expected to be right all the time."
Even those who suspected their letters would never be read felt the need to write.
"I won't write as much as before, as I have no reason to believe a human being will ever acknowledge this -- my prior reply was nothing more than a cookie-cutter auto-response," one person wrote. "But I thought you should know, I don't appreciate you putting the gag order on the ultimate 'accountability act' -- the media."
Canada has approximately 2,200 military personnel in the Kandahar region of Afghanis-tan.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=582085a2-05c8-4b39-a6c2-f209a6678d87&p=2
The letters, sent via Stephen Harper's website and obtained under the Access to Information Act, provide a glimpse into the public psyche during one of the first major missteps by the Conservative government.
The decisions followed the deaths of four soldiers -- Cpl. Matthew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieut. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne -- in a roadside bomb incident.
Of the thousands of e-mails that poured into Mr. Harper's office the day after he imposed a press ban on homecoming ceremonies in April, an overwhelming majority were highly critical.
For each positive endorsement of the policies, there were approximately 50 angry notes filled with words such as "disgraceful, shameful and cowardly."
Many called on the prime minister to stop copying the "George Bush-like" policy of hiding military deaths to protect public support for the mission.
The U.S. president has been roundly criticized for banning pictures of flag-draped coffins coming back from Iraq.
"As you have no doubt heard from your critics, this is a page right out of Bush's book," one Toronto resident wrote. "Stephen, if you really understood this country and its citizens you would know we don't hide from hard tasks."
Another pointed out that "the same policy in the U.S. has backfired. I thought the Harper government would back the military and show pride."
Current and retired soldiers had harsh words as well. One man, who said he served 21 years in the Canadian Forces, expressed regret after the media ban for voting Conservative.
"In my time in the army I saw no less than five of my comrades (sic) give their life for their country," he wrote. "The families and loved ones of these soldiers would have enjoyed the fact that Canadians actually cared enough about soldiers to watch."
Fallout from that decision continues to haunt the Harper government.
At a funeral last month for Capt. Nichola Goddard, another Canadian killed in combat, her father said he could "see no reason" for the press ban and found it "troubling."
Cpl. Dinning's father screened home video footage of the ramp ceremony that he said "Mr. Harper wouldn't let you see up close" at his son's funeral the month before.
Several other military families felt compelled to write to Mr. Harper in April.
"As the mother of a young soldier serving in Afghanistan, I would like to express my dismay at your decisions regarding the honouring of the four most recent casualties," a Calgary resident wrote.
"As a member of a military family, I am saddened to see the flag on the Peace Tower flapping merrily in the breeze as four men, who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom, return to their country."
Another mother of a soldier serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan was angry over Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor's argument that the press muzzle wasn't political and was only intended to protect the privacy of soldiers' families.
"The unprecedented media ban, which government officials say is 'permanent,' is totally bizarre," she wrote. "To Mr. O'Connor and all politicians I say hogwash -- don't insult the intelligence of all Canadians."
A handful of correspondents noted they had never spoken to a politician before.
"In almost 46 years of living, I have never felt compelled to communicate with any member of Parliament until now," one said, calling the two decisions "a travesty."
The criticism was non-partisan, as several professed Conservatives expressed dismay and offered advice.
"Come on Prime Minister Harper, be big enough to admit a mistake and reverse that (flag) decision," a Nova Scotian with a son in the army wrote. "I expect that would garner you votes. You are not expected to be right all the time."
Even those who suspected their letters would never be read felt the need to write.
"I won't write as much as before, as I have no reason to believe a human being will ever acknowledge this -- my prior reply was nothing more than a cookie-cutter auto-response," one person wrote. "But I thought you should know, I don't appreciate you putting the gag order on the ultimate 'accountability act' -- the media."
Canada has approximately 2,200 military personnel in the Kandahar region of Afghanis-tan.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=582085a2-05c8-4b39-a6c2-f209a6678d87&p=2
