Meanwhile the lunacy continues out West:
http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/defencewatch/archive/2008/02/01/peace-groups-target-military-recruiters-crushing-freedom-of-speech-in-the-process.aspx
PEACE GROUPS TARGET MILITARY RECRUITERS CRUSHING FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN THE PROCESS
Incidents where peace groups have protested the presence of Canadian Forces recruiters on university and college campuses appear to be increasing but no where is the practice so in vogue as at the University of Victoria in BC.
On Wednesday about 20 protesters, dressed as pirates and pushing a “cardboard” tank, along with a group of "Raging Grannies" with a flag-draped coffin, targeted CF recruiters at the university job fair.
What pissed off a couple of cyber readers of this blog was the fact that the peace group essentially tried to block people from getting to the CF recruiter’s table. They set up their "protest" table directly in front of, and about a foot and a half away, from the recruiter’s table ....and then anyone who wanted to get access to the CF booth had to run a gauntlet of peace protestors who informed them they would be dealing with a bunch of “baby killers" in uniform.
So much for freedom of speech, noted one of my readers.
A number of students on the UVic campus complained that this tactic took away their “freedom” to decide on their own whether to join the military, or even get a chance to look at the recruiting material.
Even some students who are against the Afghanistan war got their backs up; they clearly didn’t like the idea of the protesters being so presumptuous as to decide what students should and should not be allowed to hear and see on campus.
The military folks took it all in stride. “It’s their right to protest,” Petty Officer Randy Young, one of the recruiters, told my Times Colonist colleague Jack Knox. “I just wish they would give us a little room.”
(A little room for sure...the protesters pretty much had the military folks pushed up against a wall in the corner of the exhibition hall).
“I said ‘where’s our freedom of speech? and they said ‘it doesn’t work that way,” added Petty Officer Young.
The protesters used the event to smear the entire Canadian Forces because of one operation (Afghanistan). They essentially declared all folks in uniform “baby killers.”
It's a simplistic view to say the least.
But the real question to ask the protesters is this: if you were drowning in the ocean after a pleasure cruise you were on went array would you refuse help from the CF SARTECH who risked his/her life and jumped into the frigid waters to pull your ass to safety? Or would you just slip under the waters and die, not wanting to take help from a "baby killer"? I think I know the answer to that one.
Or how about this question: If you were on vacation overseas and war or rioting erupted in that country and you were put at grave risk, would you refuse help from CF special operations forces sent in to get you out (think Haiti or Lebanon here)? Maybe not.
Or if an earthquake hits BC would you turn down purified water, food and blankets handed out by military personnel? (or think of the military’s role helping out in the 1998 ice storm, or during forest fires and floods, all of which have happened throughout parts of our country at one time or another ). I doubt anyone -- including a peace protester pushing a cardboard tank-- would be turning down that kind of help.
I believe this type of protest has the potential to backfire on the peace movement big time. While most Canadians may have varying opinions on the war in Afghanistan,...while most might even want the troops home.... I get the sense that the general public believes everyone is entitled to their views....or is entitled to be heard. Yes, the protesters were heard....loud and clear. But what about the recruiters? In this particular case, trying to crowd out/shout down a couple of officers at a job fair may not go over too well with the public.
By the way, the Canadian Forces recruiting table was placed at the back of the exhibition hall (ie. out of the way so no one could see it) by organizers who were worried about the protest. So at the very least the Canadian Forces should receive a full refund for the $1,100 they had to spend renting the space for the job fair.....as well as an apology from the organizers.
