Canada has lost four more heroes. Cpl. Mathew Dinning, Bombardier Myles Mansell, Lieut. William Turner and Cpl. Randy Payne were killed in Afghanistan when the vehicle they were traveling in struck a bomb, which was believed to have been buried in the road. I would like to take a moment to give my condolences to the families of Canada’s fallen soldiers.
It’s being said that this incident is the worst one-day loss for the Canadian Army since the Korean War. As a nation of peacekeepers Canada isn’t used to losing its soldiers, and four in one day is almost unthinkable.
That being said, there is yet another movement afoot to censor Canada’s casualty rate and it’s believed to be coming straight from the top. According to an article at Canoe.ca, Prime Minister Harper has given the order that no returning Canadian caskets shall be photographed by the media.
The Trenton Air Force Base will be closed to all the Press when the bodies of the soldiers are flown home today. The government cites privacy for the soldier’s families as the reason behind the new initiative but I really have to wonder. If this is the case, I can certainly accept it. Losing a loved one is difficult enough. Losing a loved one to war must surely be worse, but losing a loved one to war and having your pain filmed for all to see—well, that I can’t even imagine.
I’m the first to side with the families and anything that makes this difficult time easier is the best course of action. Give them their moment to welcome home their loved ones without prying eyes.
What worries me is this bold move, similar to what President Bush ushered in at Dover Air Force base for fallen US soldiers returning home, isn’t really about the families at all but about damage control. Seeing coffins draped with the Maple Leaf is a disturbing image for Canadians and one we’re not at all familiar with. Our men and women come home. Seeing anything but smiling troops embracing their family members in a joyful reunion just isn’t “the norm.”
I’d love to believe the government is taking this action with the family’s best interests at heart, but I’m having serious doubts. The government doesn’t want us seeing the price that needs to be paid when fighting for our freedoms. Canadian’s don’t want to see the price paid either, I would imagine, but my fear is that if you remove all images of our fallen soldiers returning home Canadians are at risk of forgetting just what’s on the line when a soldier dons the uniform and fights for their country.
Give the families their privacy and respect—it’s the least Canada can do for all they’ve given to us—but, dear government, if this is just a case of spin-doctoring I’d rethink your strategy. Banning photos of soldier’s coffins isn’t the way to make Canadians support the war. Canadians will draw their own conclusions on Afghanistan. Please make sure the sacrifices of these brave soldiers aren’t swept under the rug in order to make way for the pleasant photo ops.