Posted on 06/20/2007 2:32:36 PM PDT by GMMAC
Toronto council votes to retain 'Troops' decals
Shannon Kari, National Post
Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Toronto Mayor David Miller reversed his position and led a city council vote to continue to affix "Support our Troops" decals to fire and emergency vehicles in the city.
The vote, which was passed unanimously Wednesday afternoon with a few councillors abstaining, also permits the police department to put the decals on its vehicles.
"It is important for Canada's largest city to make a statement," said Miller shortly after the vote. "Symbolism matters a lot."
The vote by city council reverses a plan by city staff to have the decals removed in September, a year after they were added to about 170 fire trucks and 175 ambulances.
Earlier this week, Miller said that he backed the decision to remove the decals and that they were only intended to be affixed to the vehicles for one year. He indicated that some people found the decals to have a political message and that was not appropriate for city vehicles.
But the Toronto mayor said he changed his mind this morning, after learning of the deaths of three Canadian soliders in Afghanistan. Miller stressed that he also wanted to correct the erroneous impression in some media reports this week that city council does not support the individual members of the military serving in Afghanistan.
"It is important Toronto demonstrate its support for the troops, since there was a perception that it didn't," said Miller. He added that the city always flies its flags at half-mast if someone from the Toronto area is killed in Afghanistan and other measures have been taken previously to show support.
Pam McConnell, one of the few councillors to abstain from the vote, said it was a more decision.
"The way to support our troops is to bring them home," said McConnell, who is opposed to Canada's military role in Afghanistan.
McConnell noted that she was an infant when her father was killed in World War Two. A nephew was recently injured serving in Afghanistan.
The councillor also disagreed with suggestions that the "support our troops" decals are apolitical and not connected to support for the military deployment in Afghanistan.
"They are exceedingly political," said McConnell.
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This is great news!
Common sense prevails!
Given the events of the day, I’m glad that GOOD prevailed.
Prayers for our soldiers and their families.
Current Operations map
More than 2,600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and Air Force personnel are deployed overseas on operational missions. On any given day, about 8,000 Canadian Forces members - one third of our deployable force - are preparing for, engaged in or returning from an overseas mission. Since 1947, the CF has completed 72 international operations. That figure does not include current operations, or the many CF operations carried out in Canada. Here is a list of all current CF operations: - CF International Operations as of 9 May 2007 http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/operations/current_ops_e.asp
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