War Museum Controversy and Follow-up Thread [merged]

[Art Johnson]

Verstapen, you really have no clue as to what you are talking about. Go back through the newspapers of the time and you will find that these two Canadian Soldiers were considered to be racists because they had names that would normally be considered as being of the WHITE RACE. The CAR did a fantastic job in Somalia, why don't we hear about that? Why indeed, because as Jack Granasteins says, we need to be shocked and have things interpereted for us.   He and his coterie don't think we are bright enough to figure things out for ourselves. Why does he not give us his version of the true story of Rawanda and the General who ran from a fight if he wants to shock us.

Youmay or may not appreciate this blog;

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2005/05/shame-of-elite-canadian-self-hate.html


   

 

[Gunner]

http://www.peterwarren.ca/editorials/webpages/sept262005.htm

Editorial of the week - Sept 26, 2005
The new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa is still stuck in the middle of a controversy about that large picture of a Canadian soldier torturing to death a young Somali thief ...and the battle of words concerning another display about the claim 41 per cent of the men who served during the Korean conflict contracted venereal disease.

Some veterans say these displays taint the fine service provided by the Canadian armed forces in various and sundry wars, including Somalia and Korea. The museum is being generally accused of insensitivity - in fact, retired Col. Chip Bowness feels the display of the torture painting implies "Canada sends soldiers overseas to murder unarmed black people."

Sorry to have to disagree - the museum, hopefully, is not there to glorify war. It is there to tell a story.

In these two cases, the stories are repulsive...but they should not be glossed over.

War is hell. We should not try to tell it any differently.


This is Warren. And that is One Man's Opinion.

 

[Glorified Ape]

Who really cares if they're native or not? Does that change what they did? All of a sudden we're supposed to gloss over regrettable events in history because to remember them would be to remember a minority group doing something bad? Please. In my opinion, the war museum should depict as much of Canadian military/war history as it possibly can, both negative and positive.

Cherry-picking the sweet stuff doesn't do anything but put us on par with the propagandists that exclude unpleasant parts of their national history from textbooks. Excluding events because they were committed by Natives and might lead, in some strange alternate dimension, to someone with an IQ of 20 concluding that ALL natives must do that type of thing is ridiculous. Maybe we should exclude the atrocious treatment of native peoples from our textbooks, museums, and historical publications because it "makes white people look bad". Absolutely idiotic, I swear. I don't know what people are thinking sometimes.

 

[geo]

.... which is what the Japanese have done... wrote their own history that skips over the unpleasant parts....
WW2.... who me?
Rape of Nanking.... who me?

 

[TCBF]

"given the large number of individuals who have suffered PTSD throughout all campaigns; shouldn't the CWM cover it in some way or shape? I have a number of comrades who have served with distinction but have been forced out due to PTSD issues.... should they be ignored?"

_ I suppose we could have a PTSD display, an OSI display, a traumatic amputation display, a sucking chest wound display..

- It's a War Museum.  lets focus on the big picture.

Tom

 

[Glorified Ape]

.... which is what the Japanese have done... wrote their own history that skips over the unpleasant parts....
WW2.... who me?
Rape of Nanking.... who me?

I believe the textbooks in question, when it came time to buy them, were shunned by the overwhelming majority (nearly all) of Japanese school boards.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

Finally went to the museum last night and I was very impressed.  I urge people to go if they have not done so already.

I took my sons along with me (six and seven years old) along with my dad and we ended up going through twice.  The exhibits are "immersive" in that several try to place you in the event (the trench, the mud of Passchendaele, the house in Ortona, the landing craft, the deck of the ship, etc).

I did not detect an agenda. 

My seven year old son watched the short slide show at the end which contained rather graphic images of Rwanda, Bosnia, Sep 11 and other places/events.  He was very thoughtful and as we started to go through the museum for our second go-around he asked:  "Is that why you might have to go back to Ganistan after Christmas?"

Cheers,

2B

 

[geo]

2B
Nice

Chimo!

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

2B,
You will find most who suggest that the museum has an "agenda" havn't actually been there.

 

[BruceinAlberta]

I have to head to Ottawa for business this week (nothing like the week before Christmas).  Would you recommend the War Museum there? 

 

[GregC]

Absolutely....I went there with my platoon a month back during week 3 of basic training, and it was an amazing place. The only advice I can give is to set aside most of a day for the museum, there is ALOT to do and see, we were there for around 5 or 6 hours, and I felt like I needed an additional 5 or 6 hours in order to truly take it all in.

After going through the museum I feel like it's something everyone should see if they are in the Ottawa area, and despite some of the controversy in the museum many members here have commented on, I feel it's a very positive place that puts the CF in a good light overall.

 

[George Wallace]

Yes....and if you wish....there are a few in Ottawa that could host/guide on a Tour of the CWM.....You'll require a minimum of three hours to tour it at a quick pace.

 

[geo]

war museum is a good place to spend a day

air museum would be the place to fill in the following day

 

[the 48th regulator]

If you have the time, a very good thread to peruse is the War Museum Controversy.


dileas

tess

 

[BruceinAlberta]

I'm catching an early flight to Ottawa and closing a transaction early.  I'm flying back by early evening so I won't have a chance to get to the museum this time.  My wife let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not to spend extra time in Ottawa this close to Christmas since her family is coming in Thursday night from Hamilton for the holiday.  It looks like I'll take you up on the tour next trip.  Thanks for the offer, and I will take you up on it.

 

[geo]

whups... sorry dear - meeting ran late and I missed my flight.
Will catch one in the morning (JK)

then there is the other option:
Don't call, just go and face the music when you get home.... "why get into two arguments when you can get away with just one"

 

[cdnsignaller]

Most definately,

you gotta check out Rommel's shot up staff car.

 

[Bartok5]

I visited in October, and despite the ongoing controversy over the Matchee and Brown "portraits", I found it to be a worthwhile expenditure of my limited time.  The museum is quite evidently "pitched" at the average "know-nothing" (and quite likely deluded) Canadian citizen.  As such, a serving or retired military member may find the displays to be somewhat superficial, dumbed-down, and politically-correct - with a definite bent in the modern galleries towards the now-defunct notion of "peacekeeping".  Such is the nature of the beast, and if you pause to consider/acknowledge the much larger audience that the museum is pitched at?  I expect that you will agree it is a terrific venue/attraction.  Depending on your military experience and historical knowledge, you may find the written material in the contemporary gallieries to be "suspect".  That is a minor detraction from the power of the visual displays, which are universally excellent and quite proportionately representative of our entire military history. 

I had many personal "quibbles" with what was physically portrayed or how it was described.  But at the end of the day?  I found that the overall experience was very positive and well worth my time.  Quite frankly, the structure itself is perhaps the most impressive feature of the new installation.  You need a guided tour to fully appreciate the design genius - from the concrete castings based on the walls of the U-Boat pens, to the slit in the Hall of Remembrance that casts a ray of sunshine on the grave-marker of the Unknown Soldiers at 1100 hrs, 11 Nov every year - but at no time otherwise.  The building itself is truly remarkable, and fitting tribute in and of itself. 

By all means, take the time to visit.  Give yourself a minimum of five hours to do it reasonable justice.  Well worth your time.

 

[civvy3840]

I was there in July and found it excellent. Tons of information. The only thing I didn't like was a painting of a member of the airborne tourturing a Somalian. There is absolutley no need to put that up there.

But other than that it is great I hope you enjoy yourself!

 

[geo]

so... they are showing the good..... and the bad.

and that's not too bad - IMHO