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Politics : Canadian Political Free-for-All -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen O who wrote (2865)	7/27/2003 8:24:38 AM
From: John Carragher	Respond to of 37571

As I remember in the states we had to report all the various races to fed gov to show we comply with affirmative action programs.. It also determines if you can bid on federal contracts... and it forced advancement of minorities over whites in many jobs to make adjustments for past sins. do not know what it is like to day.

To: Stephen O who wrote (2865)	7/28/2003 8:47:05 AM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Respond to of 37571

Vets livid at Ottawa snub of Korean War ceremony By GAY ABBATE Globe and Mail Update E-mail this Article Print this Article Advertisement Brampton — Canadian veterans are enraged at what they say is the federal government's snub of yesterday's memorial service to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean War in which more than 500 young Canadian men lost their lives. "He should have been here," said an angry Al McKelvey, referring to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, who spent yesterday in Ottawa. Mr. McKelvey, who was 21 when he went to fight in Korea, echoed the general feeling among the more than 300 veterans at the ceremony held at the National Wall of Remembrance. Instead of the country's leader, the veterans and more than 700 others attending the service in Brampton heard a brief message from Mr. Chrétien relayed by MP Ivan Grose, the parliamentary secretary to Veterans Affairs Minister Rey Pagtakhan. Mr. Pagtakhan was in South Korea, where he led a delegation of veterans and politicians commemorating the anniversary of the ceasefire that ended the civil war between North and South Korea. The two sides agreed to halt hostilities on July 27, 1953, three years after the North invaded. The government's wreath was seen by many as another sign of Ottawa's lack of appreciation for the sacrifice of those who fought and died in the Land of the Morning Calm. Ottawa's wreath looked plain compared with the two significantly larger and more beautiful wreaths from the ambassador of the Republic of Korea and its Consul General. It also paled next to wreaths from other groups. MP Dan McTeague, who was one of only two members of Parliament to attend the ceremony, said he would personally have chipped in $50 for a better wreath had he known how the government's offering would be dwarfed by the two dozen other wreaths, including ones from veterans in Australia and the United States. And while Mr. Chrétien could claim that government duties kept him in Ottawa, his Minister of National Defence, John McCallum, was in his Markham, Ont., riding not far from Brampton. He was at a news conference to announce that Ottawa was giving the Dominion Institute $50,000 to expand the Memory Project to include the experiences of war veterans, including those who fought in Korea. The project collects stories of living Canadians. In his message, Mr. Chrétien praised those who died. "Their courage, bravery and determination have helped to ensure the stability and security of Canada and the world. I offer them my humble thanks." But for 72-year-old George Mannion, who started the campaign to erect a war memorial to Canadian soldiers killed in action in Korea, the Prime Minister's thanks is meaningless. He remains bitter that the federal government has virtually ignored the veterans of what has become known as the Forgotten War. "We wanted to do this [the memorial wall] in Ottawa, but they [the government] wouldn't give us the land," Mr. Mannion said. "We wanted to get some money from them when we started to do this, but they wouldn't give us the money." Instead, the veterans themselves raised the $300,000 for the monument after Meadowvale Cemetery donated the land. The monument was erected in 1997. Given the perceived repeated rebuffs from Ottawa, "Why should they go out of their way to come today?" asked Mr. Mannion, who lives in nearby Mississauga. Mr. Chrétien's absence was not the only slight the veterans felt they experienced yesterday. Only two MPs attended the ceremony, one being Mr. Grose who laid the wreath on behalf of his government. Mr. McTeague, the Liberal backbencher who represents the Ontario riding of Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge east of Toronto, came with veterans from his constituency. Some veterans laughed when asked to comment on the government's wreath. Others just shrugged and said it was to be expected, given Ottawa's indifference that has left them feeling "as forgotten as the war." Mr. McCallum may have referred to the Korean veterans in his news conference at the Markham Civic Centre, but quotes attributed to him in his news release do not. The only reference to the Korean War is in a statement that began: "Today at a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire agreement, the Honourable John McCallum, Minister of National Defence, announced a partnership with Dominion Institute to expand the Memory Project to include the experiences of serving Canadian forces personnel." Mr. McCallum did not make his statement at the cemetery service. A spokesman for the minister said the news conference was a memorial ceremony because Korean veterans are included in the project. Asked why Mr. McCallum was not at the cemetery ceremony, he said Mr. McCallum had a scheduling conflict. Some Canadian veterans marked the anniversary by gathering in a tent out of the rain in the southern half of Panmunjom, the truce village in the demilitarized zone. More than 1,200 veterans from around the world attended the ceremony to mark the end of a war in which more than five million died, were wounded or disappeared. In Seoul, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun urged North Korea to participate in talks to bring an end to the dispute over its nuclear-weapons programs. theglobeandmail.com