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Vandals hit Fan Fest military displays

JasonH

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Vandals hit Fan Fest military displays

KELLY PEDRO, Free Press Crime Reporter    2005-05-24 01:55:49   

Memorial Cup organizers are beefing up security after vandals painted anti-war slogans early yesterday on two tents and two military vehicles.

Two green tents, an engineering vehicle and a half- track -- a vintage Second World War armoured vehicle -- outside the Covent Garden Market were hit between 4:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.

The vehicles are part of the Canadian Forces' display at Fan Fest, a free series of exhibits, demonstrations and skills competitions outside the market and in its mezzanine.

A private security firm patrols the area overnight and during the day. The plan has been reviewed, said Paul Hardy, Memorial Cup event organizer, and an additional officer will be added.

He called the vandalism unfortunate and said organizers are not happy.

"It's definitely a disappointment, but we also believe it's an isolated incident," he said.

The slogans were washed off early yesterday.

"It was mostly around the Iraq war, which is ironic because we're not part of the Iraq war," said Capt. Alexander Peterson, public affairs officer with 31 Brigade Group stationed at Wolseley Barracks.

He wouldn't go into details about what was written with latex paint.

An employee at Robinson Hall called London police about the vandalism, Const. Jay Cartwright said.

Police were checking downtown cameras yesterday, including one pointed directly over the square outside the market where the display was set up.

"It's pointing in the right direction," Cartwright said.

There are no plans to take down the military display, Peterson said.

The display was part of an effort by Cup organizers to honour veterans.

The theme of the tournament is It's More than a Game . . . Lest We Forget. The Memorial Cup trophy is dedicated to veterans.

Organizers have respected and recognized veterans, Peterson said, adding he didn't want the focus to be a random act he called "minor."

The Canadian Forces were asked to participate in the Cup festivities. Military personnel have escorted the trophy to all events, provided information to the public at the display and performed at Fan Fest in the Army Gun Race.

This is also the year of the veteran in Canada.

"I think there will be some disappointment on everybody's part," Peterson said.

"But thank goodness we live in a society where people can voice their opinions. I just wish it wasn't destructive. It's because of veterans that we have these freedoms."

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2005/05/24/1052934-sun.html

:-\ God damn people these days
 
Fucking little vandalizing Sh*theads...Enough is enough. The ironic thing is that the very people whos kit they're defacing are the ones that bought them the freedom to do so...I wonder what they would have thought of life under the German Third Reich?!
 
Disgusting....
It's like at my University.  The Recruiting Posters are all covered with Hate Slogans.
If only they knew.....
 
See the problem with today's youth is that increased incident of mariquna use coupled with them having an almost unnatural connection with the values of the 1960's and 1970's makes them want to be living during the Vietnam Era.  Since they cannot they use the Iraq War as their Vietnam so they can protest in what I can only assume are the hopes that they can tell stories like their parents do.  The problem is that since they did not live during the Vietnam era they fail to realize that most protest then were actually anti-war not anti-soldier and anti-military like they are today.  As someone who serves in the United States and someone who has served in the past two wars I can tell you that this is the case in America, anti-war not anti-soldier. 

There is nothing wrong with being anti-war, hell I've seen it and not liked it too much so I suppose I am anti-war also which is a sentiment that I pass on to all who oppose to where I have been.  The difference however is that as objectionable as war is, the act of war will always exist and dispite how terrible it may be in terms of the means the results will always be the same:  Afghanistan has free elections and free people now, dispite who will argue otherwise and Iraq is going in the direction also dispite the violence.

What happened in London is a discrace becase of the disrespect it shows the soldiers of not only the Canadian Forces but ever solider who has ever served no matter what nationality. If you want to oppose war then do it, but I think youth or anybody who does needs to remember that dispite their objections soldiers do a job that they will never do; a job that needs to be done.  Furthermore in the case of these individuals soldiers do the job that they are too guttless to do.  I hope the if the police catch these people who did this the judge sentences them to military service so they can get a taste of what it means to be detested by poeple like them.  Shame on these people, for they exploit the freedom we all fight and some die to protect.
 
Sergeant295 said:
See the problem with today's youth is that increased incident of mariquna use coupled with them having an almost unnatural connection with the values of the 1960's and 1970's makes them want to be living during the Vietnam Era.   Since they cannot they use the Iraq War as their Vietnam so they can protest in what I can only assume are the hopes that they can tell stories like their parents do.   The problem is that since they did not live during the Vietnam era they fail to realize that most protest then were actually anti-war not anti-soldier and anti-military like they are today.   As someone who serves in the United States and someone who has served in the past two wars I can tell you that this is the case in America, anti-war not anti-soldier.  

There is nothing wrong with being anti-war, hell I've seen it and not liked it too much so I suppose I am anti-war also which is a sentiment that I pass on to all who oppose to where I have been.   The difference however is that as objectionable as war is, the act of war will always exist and dispite how terrible it may be in terms of the means the results will always be the same:   Afghanistan has free elections and free people now, dispite who will argue otherwise and Iraq is going in the direction also dispite the violence.

What happened in London is a discrace becase of the disrespect it shows the soldiers of not only the Canadian Forces but ever solider who has ever served no matter what nationality. If you want to oppose war then do it, but I think youth or anybody who does needs to remember that dispite their objections soldiers do a job that they will never do; a job that needs to be done.   Furthermore in the case of these individuals soldiers do the job that they are too guttless to do.   I hope the if the police catch these people who did this the judge sentences them to military service so they can get a taste of what it means to be detested by poeple like them.   Shame on these people, for they exploit the freedom we all fight and some die to protect.

I'm not sure the attachment to the '60s is unnatural.

The boomers, the '60s generation â “ were educated by/under the influence of the generation which came of age in the dirty thirties.  Left wing â “ sometimes hard left wing â “ solution to economic and social problems (and there were plenty) were immensely popular in/around 1935.

The kids who came of age in '65 - '70 are now educating/influencing the 15 â “ 25 age group: the disoriented vandals.
 
These kids aren't taught much about Canadian history on the great warfronts and our contributions to conflict zones world wide.  They learn a lot about what Louis Riel meant to the country and how Colonel By built a loch system, but not much about how we dropped the gloves for a good cause time and time again.  I graduated HS almost two years ago, and after taking all the History classes I could, I never really came out with an understanding of such sacrifices made through our nations history.  I had to learn for myself, mostly.  I, without a doubt, will table the school system and classroom content as a contributing factor to their arrogance.  Anyone remember when the National Cenotaph was vandalized with similiar slogans back in 2003, on the eve of 11/11?
 
Anyone remember when some reservists caught a couple of kids spray painting army tents at the Ottawa Expo. 4-5 yrs ago?

I was just watching, but by god did they pay! BWAHAHAHA >:D
 
Okay I will withdraw the wording of unnatural when making the comparison to their attachment to the 1960's and 1970's.  I suppose in retrospect it was not the correct word to use.  All I meant is that they maybe do not attach themselves to the values of that era in the way they were intended by those who influenced and lived in those era, in this case being anti-solider and military rather then anti-war. 

I will also agree with whomever stated that kids today are not taught enough about Canadian Military History.  I am a duel citizen and although I live and serve in America I grew up primarily in Canada and was educated there.  I always found that the education of military honors of Canada was more generilized by each conflict and rather then really looking at the specifics and nature of the event the causes and result were emphasised.  I would say it is the same here in the U.S. the only real difference here is that the miltiary is really rooted in the nature of what it means to be American which in my opinion is a good thing.

Canada and America have a rich history in the military and have served the world with honor since each of their incesptions. I just wish people would respect the nature of the work soldiers do and realize the value of it rather then seeing all soldiers as war makers. 
 
I was talking to my father about the state of education in Canada regarding the military history just the other day.  As a retired teacher, he mentioned that he was 'not-quite' actively discouraged from teaching Canadian history by some of the admin types he dealt with.  It was OK to teach about the American Civil War, but just don't mention that the Canadians had participated in anything violent.  At least until Nov 11th rolled around.  Then really quickly gloss it over and move on...


Why are our institutions afraid to discuss these types of things???
 
SchmDG said:
Why are our institutions afraid to discuss these types of things???
Left-lib bias.  Everything related to the military is bad, because we all know that war-mongering soldiers start wars, enjoy them to the max and want more - it's good for promotion, to get neat kit and to take-over civilized societies.  Therefore, it is best not to teach that part of our history, lest impressionable youngsters get the idea that there is something noble about fighting for our country.  Or at least that's the story I've gotten from all too many otherwise intelligent individuals, some of whom are related to me.  You have to remember that internationalism is a bedrock of socialism and that we are all brothers (at least the oppressed classes) who should not be fighting each other for the evils of capitalism.

OK, time to remove my tongue from my cheek  ;D.
 
I find it absolutely repulsive that kids or anyone for that matter defame military property and spew utter garbage to soldiers and about the forces. What military personnel do and have done is something that we as a society could not live without. Without these great people the world that we know right now certainly wouldn't be the world that we'd be living in. It's a shame that this continued ignorance takes such a prominent and prevalent place in the lives of some of our youths. They know not what they do ( I think) and they should be taught a lesson or several for that matter.
 
I wasn't gonna post in here, but this has got to stop.

First, "kids" aren't the most ardent anti-war (anti-soldier, or whatever) people around. The people I know who are the most opposed to war are actually in their 30s or 40s. The people my age who are opposed to war all agree (with maybe one exception) that in some situations (say, WW2 or Rwanda) it can be the only way left.

Also, you assume the only people who would do something illegal is, again, kids. I wouldn't be surprised if those who wrote those grafitis are actually in their 30s. It could be "kids" but it could be "responsible" adults.

Yes there is a problem with "kids" these days, but the problem also lies with older people. You guys need to realize it, or at least add some nuance to what you say.

Anyways, I don't want to hijack the thread with five pages of analysis. I think what happened was unfortunate, unacceptable and those who did it, whoever they may be, need to pay dearly for it.
 
You are right Frederick, I never meant to accuse any particular age bracket for anything I have just found in my experience the people that are offended by me the most are 17-21 and in my opinion anyone in that age bracket that cannot handel the reality that sometimes freedom has a cost is not an adult by any scope so I refer to them as kids sometime.

I would agree that those who did this could be any age but I think you will agree that it is a discrace either way.
 
Frederik G said:
I wasn't gonna post in here, but this has got to stop.

First, "kids" aren't the most ardent anti-war (anti-soldier, or whatever) people around. The people I know who are the most opposed to war are actually in their 30s or 40s. The people my age who are opposed to war all agree (with maybe one exception) that in some situations (say, WW2 or Rwanda) it can be the only way left.

Also, you assume the only people who would do something illegal is, again, kids. I wouldn't be surprised if those who wrote those grafitis are actually in their 30s. It could be "kids" but it could be "responsible" adults.

Yes there is a problem with "kids" these days, but the problem also lies with older people. You guys need to realize it, or at least add some nuance to what you say.

Anyways, I don't want to hijack the thread with five pages of analysis. I think what happened was unfortunate, unacceptable and those who did it, whoever they may be, need to pay dearly for it.
I would put money on the purpetrators fitting well within the realm of being defined as "kids". A persons ardency towards (true) anti-war positions does not equate to a predisposition for immature and illegal acts. Lack of experience, knowledge and wisdom equates to a predisposition to immature and illegal acts. I'm afraid that "kids" fits quite well in that generalized catagory. These individuals must take responsibility for their actions, rather than letting us blame others for their poor choices. Once caught, I'm sure many would like them to "pay dearly", but we also have to remember that we want them to learn the meaning of what they have done in it's true essence. A severe punishment would likely reverse any lesson they might learn. Given it was latex paint, it's probable that at least some thought went into making sure it was not a permanent. I think the judge should order them to spend a day or two with some veterans, pay for the cost of cleaning and let it be.
 
Why even consider getting worked up about some mindless little wannabe activists that, apparently, have not done their research enough to realize that the CF has nothing to do with Op Iraqi Freedom.

It reminds me of the "cool" girls(they smoked) in my grade 6 class.  At the outbreak of the first Gulf War, they immediately staged a walk out with a banner reading "Make Love, Not War."

Kid's will always yearn to belong to some identifiable group, usually the more shocking the better.  Let them vandalize our vehicles, creating the perfect illusion of rebellion.  They will most likely end up like the lovely young lasses from my elementary school...knocked up and slinging fries at a B.C. interior Dairy Queen.  I will only concern myself with the individuals who choose to identify with another type of group: Firefighter, Police Officer, Soldier...

And on that note, I'll put the whiskey back in the cupboard and go to bed.
 
I agree with both PPCLI MCpl and Dare in that a day with a few Veterans would be a fitting punishment.  In terms of what you have to say PPCLI I do agree that there is not real reason for getting all worked up, as they clearly have not done their research.  It is still a shame though.
 
Sergeant295 said:
You are right Frederick, I never meant to accuse any particular age bracket for anything I have just found in my experience the people that are offended by me the most are 17-21 and in my opinion anyone in that age bracket that cannot handel the reality that sometimes freedom has a cost is not an adult by any scope so I refer to them as kids sometime.

I would agree that those who did this could be any age but I think you will agree that it is a discrace either way.

I didn't mean to target you (or anyone else) by saying people assume it's kids and so on. I just think people are a bit too quick usually to say "oh it's them damn kids again!" It reminds me of the Simpsons episode when Homer and the guys get drunk and trash a bunch of stuff (like the elementary school) and kids get blamed for it.

Now, it could be kids, it could not be. Like you said, it's a disgrace either way.

And yes, PPCLI MCpl, wannabe activists can do it, and many don't do research, but I just meant to say we're a bit quick to pass judgement. And good job on the whiskey.

I might have overreacted or something, but I still think people accuse kids too easily. Not that it's never right to accuse kids, because kids do stupid things... Heh, anyways... Time to drink some more whiskey.
 
I'm 16, but Ill bet it was indeed, â Å“kids.â ?  I hear it every day.  â Å“Hey man lets get wasted tonight and go knock down election signs!â ?  Was the most recent.  I can imagine that this was probably the same scenario.  I'm willing to wager that if I asked people in my grade as school how they thought the CF was doing in Iraq, probably 65% of the people asked would say something like, â Å“oh man its such crap we are such idiots for going in there!  That should teach our stupid government a lesson!â ?  That might be one scenario anyways.  The other could be that it was a genuine bunch of (if poorly researched) anti war activists.
 
Actually, in London there is an even chance this act was committed by anti-war or similar issue orientated protesters and not "kids" per se. We have a very serious problem in this city with a growing group of radical and irresponsible 20-40 year olds who have no respect for the history of the country and the views of others, the property of others and especially historical sites. The main Cenotaph has been similarly vandalized in recent years, especially after 9/11.
 
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