EDITORIAL: Every soldier deserves our respect

[American Patriot]

EDITORIAL: Every soldier deserves our respect
Toronto Sun ^ | 2006-07-25 | (editorial page)

Remember all the allegations that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was trying to downplay the deaths of our soldiers in Afghanistan by not allowing the media to photograph the return of their remains to Canada?

Harper eventually changed that policy, and the media were again allowed to photograph the coffins of our returning soldiers, as long as their families did not object.

Now let’s talk about what’s going to happen as there are more combat deaths in Afghanistan. Because in some ways, we in the media are about to be hoist with our own petard.

Inevitably, over time, the media are going to pay less attention to these deaths and not because of anything the prime minister did. That will happen simply as the deaths become, tragically, more frequent and thus no longer fit the primary definition of “news.” That is, that which is “new.”

You may have noticed it starting already with the two most recent deaths of Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, and Cpl. Jason Patrick Warren, 29. They died Saturday when their convoy was attacked by suicide bombers near Kandahar.

On Sunday, the Sun ran the story on Page 1, the Star on Page 13. Yesterday, the first chance the Globe and Post had to report on the story, the Globe ran it on Page 1, but “below the fold” near the bottom of the page, the Post on Page 4.

More to the point, no media gave these latest deaths the “wall to wall” coverage of earlier combat deaths of ours soldiers in Afghanistan, starting in 2002. Given that, here are the names of the 17 other soldiers who have died in our service in Afghanistan, in addition to Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry, who brings this roll call of honour to 20. So far.

Sgt. Marc Leger; Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer; Pte. Richard Green; Pte. Nathan Smith; Sgt. Robert Alan Short; Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger; Cpl. Jamie Brendan Murphy; Pte. Braun Scott Woodfield; Cpl. Paul Davis; Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson; Pte. Robert Costall; Cpl. Matthew Dinning; Bombardier Myles Mansell; Lieut. William Turner; Cpl. Randy Payne; Capt. Nichola Goddard; Cpl. Anthony Joseph Boneca.

Let us remember them, as we will remember all those who come after them and all those who have gone before them.

It is the very least that we owe them all.

[American Patriot]

Same goes for the US Military soldiers.....

That was a canadian paper, they lost some soldiers, as have we. As have the Brits.

ALL because of Freedom.

Remember: Freedom is not free.

Rick

[Brian Baldwin]

I think American soldiers get less respect here at home than they do anywhere else in the world these days. Our media would have tarred and feathered the above author for less than what he suggested and Canada is mostly a liberal nation. Gotta wonder what that says about our people here...