Response's To "Ruxted On The Media's Handling Of Cpl. Boneca's Death"

[Milhouser911]

Re:  This link

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060710.wlivekandahar0711/BNStory/specialComment/home[/url

Is there any way we can contact Christie Blatchford and make her an honorary member of army.ca?  I never get tired of her articles, question periods, and no-duff answers.

-Cpl McNeill

 

[The Bread Guy]

Notice the story says, "in a statement".  I heard the father speaking on the first CBC Radio story I heard on this (Sunday, noon), and based on a 12 second clip they used, I don't think English is his first language (he was apparently born in Portugal). Couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable speaking, if the reporter chose not to use his stuff, if he was too distraught to speak much, or if he deferred to other relatives.  

Just heard on CBC Radio (1630EDT news) that Mr. Boneca issued the statement through the CF.  The statement apparently contradicts everything the others have been saying to this point.

Unless he goes on camera (sad to say), the denial will likely be buried under the "face time" clips....

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

Here's a link to Cpl Boneca's father's entire statement, for those who wish to read it without interpretation by journalists:

http://www.army.dnd.ca/LFWA_HQ/Documents/2006/MA/MA-Boneca_Statement_Jul06.pdf

 

[GAP]

Re:  This link

Is there any way we can contact Christie Blatchford and make her an honorary member of army.ca?  I never get tired of her articles, question periods, and no-duff answers.

-Cpl McNeill

If you go to that link, on the bottom is contact information that she will get when she gets a chance to read her emails...I have sent her a complimentary note one other time, and she answered back within a few days.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Here's a link to Cpl Boneca's father's entire statement, for those who wish to read it without interpretation by journalists:

http://www.army.dnd.ca/LFWA_HQ/Documents/2006/MA/MA-Boneca_Statement_Jul06.pdf

Thanks TR. Lets get the text of this up on the main page here.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Here's what was sent out.....

“Father of Corporal Boneca Issues Statement.”   Land Forces Western Area
news release, 11 Jul 06, viewed at http://tinyurl.com/n3h95 .

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Mr. Antonio Boneca, father of Corporal Anthony Boneca, who was killed
in battle on July 9, 2006, while serving in Afghanistan wishes to issue the following statement:
Our prid e was in our son before and after he became a professional soldier. He was a giving person.
He was a leader. He was the kind of person who was always joking and liked to make others around
him happy. Anthony was the first to volunteer in any situation.

My son volunteered to go to Afghanistan. Anthony knew what he was getting into. He loved being in
the Army and my wife, Shirley and I, supported our son whole-heartedly. In all my conversations with
my son, there was never any mention of him not being well enough or fit enough to carry out his military
duties.

Recent media reports state that my son may not have been prepared. His conversations with my family
and me indicated he was well aware of the dangers around him and was committed to the test he had
taken on. Anthony knew he was part of a group that stuck together to do what they were sent to do.

He said it was difficult to cope with the weather, the sand, and the situation the young children endured.
He was proud to make a difference in their lives and said he wished these children could live like we do
in Canada. Certainly, Anthony wanted to come home, but I ask what soldier wouldn’t in that situation?
There is no question about the extent of his military training. I know he was well prepared for what he
was sent to do.

Please respect my family’s request for privacy during our time of grief.

-30-

....and Here's What the Media Wrote

Hammond, Michael. “Father of fallen soldier denies son was unhappy in Afghanistan.”  Canadian Press, 11 Jul 06, viewed at http://tinyurl.com/rb8zp .

The father of the soldier killed in Afghanistan earlier this week denies his son was ill-prepared for his dangerous tour of duty, contradicting claims from some of the soldier's friends.

Cpl. Anthony Boneca's father Antonio said his son "loved being in the army" and was aware of the situation he was facing.

"In all my conversations with my son, there was never any mention of him not being well enough or fit enough to carry out his military duties," Boneca's father said.

"He said it was difficult to cope with the weather, the sand, and the situation the young children endured (but) he was proud to make a difference in their lives and said he wished these children could live like we do in Canada."

Boneca's father disputed reports that suggested his son felt he was poorly prepared for his second stint in Afghanistan.

Boneca, 21, was killed earlier this week in a fierce battle with the Taliban near Kandahar City.

Boneca's girlfriend Megan DeCorte and his best friend Dylan Bulloch have said that he was deeply unhappy in Afghanistan and did not feel prepared.

With some minor exceptions, most of the media has been barred from covering Boneca's memorial service when his body returns to Canada Wednesday.

Following a directive from the Conservative government, the Canadian Forces will prevent the media from covering the memorial service even though some senior officers have expressed concerns with the policy. The decision over media coverage is now left to the family of the deceased.

The Boneca family asked that the service be kept "as private as possible," said Lieut. Morgan Bailey.

Some allowances will be made for photographs and visual images to be taken when Boneca's body is brought to CFB Trenton. That flight is expected to arrive at 7 p.m. EDT.

(...)

 

[GAP]

They never give up do they....report the correct facts, then slide right on into the controversy....

I wonder if they ever thought that a simple "Mea Cupa" would do, by the way, here are the "real facts"... 

 

[Springroll]

I wish they would just let his family grieve and drop this already.

They proving more and more that they have no respect for those left behind and just want to make more unnecessary drama by publishing what they feel are the facts.... :.

 

[Fractux]

From http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/07/11/father-boneca.html

Slain soldier was 'well-prepared,' father says

The father of a 21-year-old reservist killed in Afghanistan is rejecting reports that his son was misled and ill-prepared for his mission.

In a written statement issued by the defence department, Antonio Boneca said his son Anthony "knew what he was getting into" when he volunteered to go to Afghanistan.

"He loved being in the Army and my wife, Shirley and I, supported our son whole-heartedly," wrote Antonio Boneca, who is from Thunder Bay, Ont.

"In all my conversations with my son, there was never any mention of him not being well enough or fit enough to carry out his military duties."

"Recent media reports state that my son may not have been prepared. His conversations with my family and me indicated he was well aware of the dangers around him and was committed to the test he had taken on. "

Anthony Boneca was killed Sunday morning as international and Afghan soldiers moved into a region west of Kandahar City.

An uncle of Anthony said his nephew was disillusioned with the army. Also, the father of Boneca's girlfriend said Boneca felt misled by the military and wasn't properly trained for his missions. He said he wanted out so badly that he even considered pretending to be suicidal to get discharged.

Antonio Boneca said his son acknowledged it was difficult to cope with the "weather, the sand, and the situation the young children endured."

But he wrote that his son was "proud to make a difference in their lives and said he wished these children could live like we do in Canada."

"Certainly, Anthony wanted to come home, but I ask what soldier wouldn't in that situation? There is no question about the extent of his military training. I know he was well prepared for what he was sent to do."

Boneca's body is expected to be returned to Canada on Thursday around 7 p.m. Media will have some access to the repatriation ceremony. The Conservatives had initially banned media coverage of repatriation ceremonies but later reversed their decision, saying it is now up to the family to decide.

Like many others, I was so outraged at the media's take on this morning, that I had to stop reading through the earlier thread. I can't believe that a family and friends, who is grieving for their son has now had to deal with this situation and its fallout. It takes a heck of a lot of courage to go to the media who started this frenzy and speak so eloquently, as Mr.Boneca  did.

My condolences to the family and friends for their loss.

 

[Remius]

Crantor - Like a bad accident - you KNOW you didn't want to, but you HAD to....

a_majoor -  :rofl: - nice break from the vitriol!

I know I shouldn't have done it but I had to comment on that idiot's article.  I sent a response on that site that will not stay up for long I gather.  I was disgusted but now I'm angry. 

This is what I had to say:

Dear Eugene.

Thank you for turning my disgust at the media's handling of Cpl Boneca's death into pure anger. Your post has to be the most uninformed piece of dribble I've ever read. Soldiers know exactly what they get themselves into. Cpl Boneca was an infantry soldier. Do you know what the role of the infantry is? "To close with and destroy the enemy" Not peacekeeping, not shoveling snow, not daisy picking.

Soldiers are not mislead about this. They are taught this from day one. Don't believe me? Go to the local recruiting centre and ask a few questions. In fact the infantry RIA has it printed in black and white. Not to mention that troops learn what their true role is from the get go. Not some idealistic myth that exists in this country.

How dare you use the death of a noble soldier to further your petty interests! You shame everything he stood for. How dare you call him a "War resister". Do not think that for one second this man was like you or any of your bunch.

You also call for dissent within the ranks. You have sorely misjudged your audience. Your words are tantamount to treason. If you think for one second that Canadian Forces personel would rise up to oppose the very country they are serving then you are more ignorant than I thought.

Now I doubt this post will stay up for very long nor do I care. Nor do I think that any of this will sink in. Stay in your bubble and sheltered lifestyle while others do the dirty work.

You have the right to your opinion. But don't use the misconstrued and misrepresented words of a dead man who did more for his country than you ever will.

Remius out.

 

[Kal]

I love it.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I will repeat myself:

• The role of journalists is to fill the white spaces between the adverts.  Publishers and owners prefer the fill to be sensational or, at least, mildly controversial (man bites dog).  The aim is to make money; more and more and more adverts are best, news will have to do when there are no more adverts;

• Most journalists are not overly biased one way or another.  They are: ill-educated, poorly informed and lazy;

• Most journalists are accustomed to being stenographers.  They usually ‘take dictation’ from various hacks, flacks and ”communications professionals” employed by corporations and political organizations.  In this day and age, especially in Ottawa, the journalists don’t even have to master basic stenographic skills: the press agents send them custom tailored ‘releases’ on every topic under the sun – add your by-line, send it to the editor, collect your pay-cheque;

• Most press agents are well educated, smart, hard working and ambitious – that’s why they got out of journalism.  Honesty is not required (may not even be desirable) in a good press agent.  Ditto for journalists – just look at the spin they apply to the current story.  Facts (like the father’s statement) are inconvenient obstacles when sensation (the girlfriend’s father’s allegations)  is the objective;

• There are a whole lot of press agents in Ottawa – the majority not paid by the Liberal Party of Canada – whose aim is to discredit Stephen Harper and his government and all his/its words and deeds.  The employers of said press agents want to return to he golden days of the natural governing party and its largesse.

The prevailing wisdom amongst a solid majority of Canadians is: George W. Bush is evil incarnate and anything he does must be wrong.  It follows, naturally, that Bush started the war in Afghanistan for some nefarious purpose and then told his lap dog, Stephen Harper, to trick those pure, innocent Liberals, Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, into sending Canadian peacekeepers to fight Bush’s evil war there.  We should not be surprised that most journalists reflect the views of most Canadians.  They (journalists) are not sufficiently well educated or informed to be able to stand above the herd mentality.

So, I don’t think it is institutional journalistic bias.  Some journalists are biased – many, perhaps even most have a rather generic leftish/anti-American/anti-capitalist read Trudeauist) bias. Some are fairly far ‘right’.  Most journalists share and reflect the biases held by most Canadians.  The problem is that they have access to the ‘white spaces between the adverts’ even though they are poorly qualified to fill them.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Edward Campbell:

Mike Blanchfield and David ******** of the Ottawa Citizen, who write on defence issues a lot, are perfect illustrations of your points.  Examples:

"Afstan: Ottawa Citizen's bad reporting"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2006/06/afstan-ottawa-citizens-bad-reporting.html

"Afstan update: about four months late"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2006/03/afstan-update-about-four-months-late.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[The Bread Guy]

Ya try to get the truth out there, and ya STILL can't win....

http://www.940news.com/nouvelles.php?cat=23&id=71179

A discomfiting squabble has erupted among the loved ones of Cpl. Anthony Boneca on the eve of the return of the soldier's body from Afghanistan.  Boneca's father, Antonio, went to the lengths of issuing a public statement Tuesday to refute suggestions that the 21-year-old fallen reservist felt misled and disillusioned with the army before being killed in a furious firefight over the weekend.  Boneca "loved being in the army" and was aware of the situation he was facing, his father insisted.  "In all my conversations with my son, there was never any mention of him not being well enough or fit enough to carry out his military duties."  "He said it was difficult to cope with the weather, the sand, and the situation the young children endured (but) he was proud to make a difference in their lives and said he wished these children could live like we do in Canada."  (...) The elder Boneca's intervention was in direct contradiction of anguished sentiments expressed by the soldier's girlfriend, Megan DeCorte, and his best friend, Dylan Bulloch....

And the media, being herd mammals, run with it....
http://tinyurl.com/rc9lk

 

[The Bread Guy]

Latest angle on the father's statement - CBC Radio says it was issued on military letterhead,
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/07/11/father-boneca.html

In a written statement issued by the defence department, Antonio Boneca said his son Anthony "knew what he was getting into" when he volunteered to go to Afghanistan.

The least assumptive description I've found was this:
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=e3599def-04c4-4f34-8966-955cf6872684

In a statement drafted with the help of military officials, the father of Canada's latest war casualty yesterday took aim at recent portrayals of his son as a poorly trained reservist who was bitterly unhappy in Afghanistan and questioned Canada's role in that country.

I leave it up to you to read between the lines when media say the military was involved in issuing the statement - I don't know if I can be objective in my read of the situation.

 

[George Wallace]

I didn't know that we had a military 'Letterhead' anymore.  I would question that line.

I see that they are picking tidbits from this site:

Contributors to the discussion forums at the pro-defence website army.ca yesterday characterized Cpl. Boneca's negative comments as a means of dealing with the intense pressure of front-line combat. One contributor called the complaints "normal army bitching."

"Most of us, myself included, have said allot (sic) of not so well intentioned things due to the stress of being so close to 'quitting time'," wrote another poster, armybuck041.

"The biggest lesson we as soldiers need to take away from this is how we project ourselves and our experiences to the members of our families waiting on the homefront," armybuck041 continued.

 

[armybuck041]

I guess the National Post picked me up for not using spell check

 

[MarkOttawa]

George Wallace: Just to give a source: Ottawa Citizen, July 12 (full text only for subscribers):
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6a1c596f-0aa9-471f-ab3b-6eabaae5c740

'My son knew what he was getting into': Father counters reports that reservist wasn't ready for combat

Excerpt:

'Contributors to the discussion forums at the pro-defence website army.ca yesterday characterized Cpl. Boneca's negative comments as a means of dealing with the intense pressure of front-line combat. One contributor called the complaints "normal army bitching."

"Most of us, myself included, have said allot (sic) of not so well intentioned things due to the stress of being so close to 'quitting time'," wrote another poster, armybuck041.

Cpl. Boneca was less than three weeks away from finishing his second six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

"The biggest lesson we as soldiers need to take away from this is how we project ourselves and our experiences to the members of our families waiting on the homefront," armybuck041 continued.'

Mark
Ottawa

 

[GAP]

Can we use that for new guys on the site who don't use spellcheck?

WARNING: NOT USING SPELLCHECK WILL RESULT IN NATIONAL POST REPRINTING YOUR POST...WARNING

;D

 

[GAP]

'Contributors to the discussion forums at the pro-defence website army.ca yesterday characterized Cpl. Boneca's negative comments as a means of dealing with the intense pressure of front-line combat. One contributor called the complaints "normal army bitching."

"Most of us, myself included, have said allot (sic) of not so well intentioned things due to the stress of being so close to 'quitting time'," wrote another poster, armybuck041.

Cpl. Boneca was less than three weeks away from finishing his second six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan.

"The biggest lesson we as soldiers need to take away from this is how we project ourselves and our experiences to the members of our families waiting on the homefront," armybuck041 continued.'
Mark
Ottawa

I find that comforting, in a way. The comment was a valid comment, and it was picked up and put out there in the media frenzy as a calm reasoning behind why someone would make off the wall comments.
I am sure, given the opportunity, it could be phrased differently and more effectively, but it was part of the site's discussion and made in context...the media just ignored the context.