Letters | Politicians show ignorance on Agent Orange issue
It has been hard to sit here and watch our federal government overpower and take for granted so many deserving people.
As an individual, my Agent Orange claim for my husband was rejected when it was submitted and, feeling intimidated by the power of the government, I was discouraged in trying to do it again. That is, until I realized that there are others out there like me who are getting nowhere and we're pulling together.
We know that the compensation package won't ease the heartache, erase the struggles or bring back our loved ones that have dedicated their lives to protecting everyone in Canada, including the ones that are in office that made the April 2006 deadline.
People in the surrounding areas of the base have been compensated due to the fact that they lived there. My husband was in the military for 36 years and the majority of that was in CFB Gagetown. He was there in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and retired in 1993. His training was all over the base, where he stayed for days, eating, sleeping and working.
So, in reality, it was his second home. It surprises me that people who lived outside the base were compensated and the ones that lived "in" it were not.
Just what is our government thinking? Do they know what it's like for a day in the life of someone in the military? Do they care?
Carletta Matheson
Member of www.widowsonwarpath.com
Morgentaler doesn't meet order's criteria
The Morgentaler editorial suggested the Order of Canada criteria cannot be whether or not "all Canadians embrace (the individual) with equal admiration, as divisive agendas should not exclude individuals and Morgentaler does meet the criteria.
The editorial says: "The award ... (is) an acknowledgment of the impact (recipients have) had on our culture and history."
Though these words sound lofty, they have nothing to do with the Order of Canada. The order is not about "impact." Its purpose is to recognize "a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation."
Considering this correct understanding, one must ask, "Are Morgentaler's achievements actually 'dedication to the community?' "
Which community? Does it include unborn babies, pregnant women, those caring for these babies and women, women who are not informed of what an abortion does to herself or her baby, and those others whom Morgentaler does not represent?
The record shows this individual is not dedicated to these Canadian communities. Morgentaler represents the community agreeing with him on the issue of abortion.
The inappropriateness of Morgentaler is not divisiveness or that all Canadians do not embrace this person. This individual is not dedicated to the community of Canada and thus does not fulfill criteria for the Order of Canada.
Elsewhere, you suggest that if there is to be debate on this issue, it ought to be about the qualifying criteria and "not about one man."
The suggestion that there might be a need for reviewing Order of Canada criteria misses the point that for this particular inductee, the criteria were changed and that change was without debate or public consultation.
The Order of Canada selections have always been decided by unanimity, but in this case the dissenting opinions were ignored. The rule-changing, public disregard and hidden agenda are alarming.
David Clark
Fredericton
Morgentaler award a Canada Day disgrace
On Canada Day I enjoyed watching the coverage of the various celebrations on television. I am a proud Canadian.
On Wednesday I was totally disappointed with the paper's coverage of the celebrations. Beside it was written an article about Dr. Henry Morgentaler. He is to be named to the Order of Canada. I think it is outrageous for a person who destroys human life to be honoured.
In this case, it is the most vulnerable part of our society being destroyed - the unborn.
Rosalie Inman
New Maryland, N.B.
Sacobie ran a good campaign
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Percy Sacobie on the excellent campaign he ran in the recent election at St. Mary's First Nation.
As far as I am concerned, Percy was elected chief by the majority of our community (resident) voters.
He was beaten only by mail-in ballots from members who live far away (faceless people who have the right to vote, but have only one interest in the life of our community, who have never stepped foot in our community, and do not know anyone who lives there).
Considering the fact that the only people who have access to the contact information (an updated Band list) for these faceless members (Chief Candice Paul and her selected councillors), the process is unfair for all candidates. Five members of my family did not receive mail-in ballots, which is interesting because they would have supported Percy.
Percy Sacobie ran a good, clean campaign, and a significant 351 people put their support behind him.
I would also like to thank Percy Sacobie and his pow-wow committee for once again organizing our ninth annual pow-wow. Each year our pow-wow gets bigger and better. More and more community members dress in their regalia, especially the little ones, and take part in the grand entry - young and old, veterans, visitors and many dancers. It is a beautiful sight.
For us, this is real, and this is what inspires pride and a sense of identity in our community.
Thank you, Percy, for being consistent, for carrying our drum, and for being a strong Maliseet leader for our people. You are our chief and we love you.
Emily Polchies
St. Mary's First Nation
First cat show was a success
We are writing on behalf of the show committee and members of the Chickadee Cat Club to express our appreciation to the many members of the community who attended the first Chickadee Cat Club American Cat Fancy Association Championship and Household Pet Cat Show held at the Capital Exhibition Centre on June 21.
We believe that a primary aim of the show, to expose the public to the cat fancy and to provide education on the importance of all animal welfare, was achieved.
As a result of the public's participation, the show motto, "Cats Helping Cats," resulted in a share of the show proceeds being presented to the Fredericton and Oromocto branches of the SPCA to assist in their SNIP program for cats.
The cat show was a resounding success due to the participation of the many first time exhibitors from the Fredericton area and around New Brunswick, along with more experienced exhibitors from throughout the Maritimes, Maine and Ontario, who took great pride in showing their pedigree cats and household pet cats to the show judges and the public.
More than 90 cats were on display and represented a wide variety of breeds, several not normally seen locally. We also extend our appreciation to the many ring sponsors, vendors and others that supported the show directly and offered services and information for the benefit of those attending.
Special thanks is extended to Deborah Quartermain, who volunteered her time and design expertise to decorate the show hall in the show theme, "Birds of a Feather Flock Together," and to Dave and Susan Morell, who volunteered their time as the show announcers.
A very special thanks is extended to the staff of the Capital Exhibition Centre, especially to Gordon Crouse. We thank our mayor, Brad Woodside, for taking time from his busy schedule to welcome all those present to our beautiful city.
For any that missed this year's event, we hope to see you next year at the Chickadee Cat Club's second Cat Show.
Rosemary Finnamore
President
Bev Amos
Secretary
Chickadee Cat Club
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Comments (9)
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As myself being one of the soldier victims of Canada's indiscriminate toxic chemical spraying at CFB Gagetown, who was also left out in the cold when it came to Greg Thompson's compensation package and even though neglecting the soldiers and civilians who have already paid the highest price for this atrocity, many others both civilian and military are also being neglected.
Breaking it down to military - civilian, living - dead or on base - off base serves no purpose and in fact may be playing right into the hands of the very people denying all of our claims.
I believe that this compensation package with their 5 klm from base radius, civilian and military mix along with their only 66 and 67, for only given months and lastly their arbitrary date which you couldn't have died before or become sick after was designed to get the rest of us at each others.
You know, "Divide and conquer".
Cpl. Kenneth H. Young CD (Ret'd).
The statement that stands out to me is "DO THEY CARE?", she is of course speaking of our government.
I will have to NO, they don't care, they didn't care 50 years ago when they started spraying while the soldiers were in training.
They didn't care about civilians living around this base.
They didn't care back in 1964 when they gave a clean bill of health to crops sprayed with Agent Orange, allowing them to be sold to civilians and military.
They didn't care 23 years ago when they warned the provincial government that picloram was migrating off the base.
They didn't care on June 23, 2005 when they sat there and told people that all this poison evaporated into the sunlight.
They lied about it being 2 1/2 barrels.
We have all lost family.
WE CARE!
It was our people, we loved them and they suffered and died.
THEY DON'T CARE about us or our loved ones.
It's all about money, it always was.
Nancy Belfry
hugs Carletta
Political parties of all stripes are nothing more than vehicles used to hijack what was once the people "governing" system to use as they see fit... and if placing the citizens of Canada in harms way, then we better wake up and reform this vile political system.
I was at CFB Gagetown and was subjected to Agent Orange in 1966 and 1967, and at that time the Liberals were the governing party. I along with many others, whose claims were rejected by the New Conservative Party of Canada.
Further to this I was injured while working offshore and thanks to WCB legislated which all parties approved was denied my claim. So my only way to revolt against these mobster political gangs is not to vote. I will not support any candidate who belongs to any one of these political parties.
These families stayed, they weren’t posted in and out every few years. This isn’t just a military issue. You asked: Do they know what it's like for a day in the life of someone in the military? Do they care? I ask you the same question when it comes to the civilians living in and around Gagetown during those years. Let’s fight for ALL who were affected by this horrible tragedy.
So what is my point? Well a lot of us have worked in toxic environments. The difference between the Agent Orange people and the rest of is that we don't have the deep pockets of the federal government to go after.
The current government has given you more than you got before and no matter what you feel there has to be a limit on what the rest of us seem to owe you. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and move on.
You have a refreshingly simple view of life. Is being contaminated unknowingly by your government the same as accepting a job in a toxic workplace? You were told. People in Gagetown were not told. It was kept a state secret for decades and that decision sentenced many to death.
Did your employer use chemical weapons so wantonly that they carved figures, only visible from the air, out of the the forests near where you lived? Did they invite others, like Dow Chemical Company and the American Army, in to test weapons of war 238 times near your house? (And that's just the number of tests I know about.) Did your employer spray your kids, pregnant wife and the landscape in general with poison with such abandon that your kids developed diseases, your wife aborted and the land never recovered?
You haven't thought this through. Your entire work experience is like one day in my life. Because Ottawa chose to sacrifice us.
Kelly P. Franklin
Remember the "Tainted Blood" story , the story about the soldiers who were used as lab rats in SUFFIELD, ALBERTA 1968, when the governing political party let "Mustard Gas" be used on them? Compound these stories with "Agent Orange" all done under the watchful eye of those political parties in Ottawa, not to mention every single province and you have a political system gone bad.
These party politicians are not serving , they are sheep of a political system that thrives on greed at any cost. Maybe it is time we "taxpayers" start taking legal action against the political party which is placing citizens in harms way. We sure cannot hold them accountable by voting.
They committed a criminal act against humanity and they ( the Liberal party of Canada ) should be held accountable. But we all know this will never happen because they "protected " themselves and the "party" from the court system..when they made the rules and appointed their political judges and lawyers into the justice system.
I swear, Canada is being run by the mob ! How do we win back our system of "governing" ? We deny these political parties of our support and we stop donating any kind of money to them.
Political parties are nothing more than vehicles used to hijack what should be a governing system for all Canadians... but instead only the party benefits. Time to wake- up!