Re: Editorial: Carolyn Parrish on Afghanistan

[Sergeant295]

Just a thought.  I will not pretend to be an expert on Canadian Governmental Policy, or the Canadian Forces but something occured to me as I was reading this.  Being a duel US/Canadian Citizen serving in the United States but growing up a great deal in the Greater Toronto Area I feel I have been blessed with a unique perspective on things. I, like many others out here, think that the way in which various Governments (mostly Liberal) have let the Canadian Forces shrink in size and equipment is terrible.  That said the Canadian Forces does a hell of a job and I have a great deal of respect for all you guys and the great job you do.  I occures to me though, that is woman Carolyn Parrish is the reason why things were allowed to get in the shape that they are in.  Her and everyone like her that takes their freedom for granted, then abuses it by insulting not only the entire country with comments like that but everyone who has ever worn the uniform.  To say that she feels that it is offensive for CF members to kill, by using the freedom of speach that CF members have fought and killed to protect for years is not only ludicious but in turn far more offensive then anything a soldier could do. It is a shame that after all the good the Canadian Forces has done, and will do in Afghanistan it has all taken a step back to the idiotic comments that this woman has made.  I agree with whoever said that if she is ignored she will disipear and I thinik everyone should make this the last post on this topic, as her comments no long deserve our attention.

 

[Haggis]

The following was e-mailed to Ms. Parrish:

Good evening Ms. Parrish:

I read with great interest your recent comments regarding the deployment of Canadian Forces to the Kandahar region of Afghanistan.   I must say that I find them totally incomprehensible.  

You fail to support and assist the very people that you and every other Canadian rely on to safeguard our country from an enemy which wants to put you and your fellow Members of Parliament out of business.   This perplexing outlook leads me to ask some questions:

Do you understand why the Canadian Forces exist?   Do you grasp why Canadian soldiers are taking the war to the enemy rather than having it come to us?   Do you understand the consequence of inaction?

More importantly, do you realize that members of the Canadian Forces want to do the jobs they've been trained to do?

Have you visited Canadian troops in mission areas overseas, Ms. Parrish?   Have you walked with infantry soldiers though dark back alleys or sat with Coyote crews in biting dust storms?   Have you gone with mechanics to recover a broken down vehicle at the bottom of a snow covered switchback?   Have you followed engineers working to de-mine uncleared routes?   Have you stood, sweating buckets, on the flight line while Hercules are loaded and fuelled to supply those same troops?   Have you stood bone numb with cold on the ice slicked deck of a frigate during a search for smugglers?

If not, I suggest you have your staff involve you in the CF Parliamentary Program. But be warned: this is not a photo op.

http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/admfincs/subjects/daod/2008/7_e.asp

Remember, some of those soldiers, sailors and air personnel, as well as their families and friends, are your constituents.   You would do well to support them.

(signed)
Sincerely proud of our troops;

Replies from Ms. Parrish (if any) will be posted here.   I won't hold my breath.

 

[Britney Spears]

Since you asked for a review.

As a public, we need to be aware that the Government has committed the CF to a dangerous mission in a hostile part of Afghanistan, which does not resemble the old style Peacekeeping missions of the 1990's.

would be less ambiguous if worded as follows:

As a public, we need to be aware that the Government has committed the CF to a dangerous mission in a hostile part of Afghanistan, a mission which bears little resembelance to the old style Peacekeeping missions of the 1990's.

Just to keep the subject-object relations clear.

 

[Armymedic]

Haggis,

good post...

I would like someone to post to her and point out that she is trampling on our guaranteed freedom of speech which said General is sworn to defend....

Oh, and while your doing it, you may want to point out that the CDS has served as ISAF commander and is considered the Gov't expert in the area...

 

[on guard for thee]

no offence intended (except to you, Ms Parish)!!

"If this thing gets any deeper in (Afghanistan) and we get a couple of dead Canadians back, I'll vote to bring the government down the first opportunity I got."

did i daydream everything? or was Caroline too busy (being interviewed) to notice that this has already happened.......

GOD rest their souls......

 

[Aislinn]

I find it rather hypocritical that Parrish believes Gen. Hillier should be muzzled for his words "murderers" and "scumbags" in reference to terrorists, especially when considering her own words of "bastards" and "idiots" when referring to an allied country.

 

[Dare]

Point 2:    Unlike poison ivy, this nuisance WILL disappear if we, as a country, stop paying attention to her.

I disagree. Her kind of attitude needs to be confronted. She needs to be embarassed publicly, and repeatedly every time she is given the opportunity to speak. She puts her foot in her mouth, give it a few shoves for good measure.

On a side note. If any Conservative or Liberal MP's are taking heed, the usual grandiose, shocked-yet-furious retort should not be the measure. Laugh her off the stage. She's made this one almost too easy, if you blow it (which I have complete faith will be done) then she'll be back to business as usual.

EDIT: For side note.

 

[Slim]

Personally I would like to see her trivialized, maginalized and ultimately removed either by the govt or by her own constituants. I do agree that someone has to get in her face and call BS whenever she opens her cakehole.

She chews on the CDS for doing the very same things she does (Namecalling) And, if she is from a teaching background then I can understand all too clearly whats wrong with the country today if our educators are all even remotely like that!

She is an embarrassmsnt to Canada, and completely irrelevant.

 

[Younghusband]

Some comments from non-mil folks:

http://www.cominganarchy.com/archives/2005/07/28/parrish-the-thought/

 

[Spr.Earl]

OUCH!!!

 

[mover1]

I would like to see her and Sheila Copps in a no holds barred jello fight.

 

[Gramps]

"I would like to see her and Sheila Copps in a no holds barred jello fight."

Or they could team up with Kim Campell and Catherine Callbeck for a no holds barred tag team cage match

 

[Cpl.Banks]

I would watch that  ;D...they all have to get the shiat kicked out of them though...I myslef have written a letter to miss Parish, I doubt she will write back but hey who knows!? Ill post it if she does :
UBIQUE!!!

 

[jmackenzie_15]

A fight to the death.

That, or the losers get deported to denmark.
Or they all do.


Grr!

 

[on guard for thee]

No need to deport them to Denmark........here's my plan!

Send them to the little disputed island (forget the name) to "guard our sovereignty", since the army cant/shouldnt perform such tasks

Once in place, tell Denmark the island is all theirs..............as is................

Thoughts????

 

[Cdn Blackshirt]

Just as a side note, Carolyn Parrish is the poster child why a riding should have the right to "recall" its MP or MPP.

I hope the CPC adds this to their policy book in the fall....



Matthew. 

 

[rounder]

Tell her what you think boys..... I did!




parric@parl.gc.ca

 

[PKR_Chequer]

Point 3:    Perhaps given her concerns, she should plan to visit the troops. Once she sees the professional soldiers in action, and the conditions they are there to change, perhaps her cerebellum will slide back into alignment with her mouth!

Brilliant idea, on guard.  IMNSHO, that would be the perfect response on the part of Gen. Hillier: invite Ms Parrish to visit the troops and see for herself.  With her trip(s) to Palestine, she's already demonstrated that she is willing to tour conflict-torn areas, so a few days in Kandahar accompanied and protected by the CF's finest should be no sweat for her...

Of course, this assumes her mind is actually open to being changed, which is doubtful.  IIRC, one of the groups which strongly supported her not only in her recent nomination battle with Mahoney but also in past elections, is the Islamic voters in Mississauga-Erindale.  From the Globe and Mail, March 8, 2004:

The battle for the Mississauga-Erindale nomination was a case of local politics being defined by global issues. The riding reflects a growing, worldwide demographic, with a large Muslim population keenly attuned to Mideast issues. Political insiders noted that Ms. Parrish was widely admired in the Muslim community, while Mr. Mahoney had attracted the support of Jews.

Make no mistake, with an election six months away, and facing the prospect of running as an independent, she is playing to her Islamic constituency with these comments.  This isn't about Afghanistan, Canada's place in the world, or the possibility that some of our soldiers may not return from this deployment.  This is about Parrish's re-election bid, plain and simple.

But what do I know? I don't even live in Toronto...


edit: spelling

 

[Cloud Cover]

Guys, check your fire on the the religious angle a little bit. The problem isn't Islam, the problem is extremism based on misguided interpretations of Islam.

Cheers

 

[rmc_wannabe]

A fight to the death.

That, or the losers get deported to denmark.
Or they all do.


Grr!

How bout Russian Roulette with 6 rounds ? ;D