Posted on 07/08/2006 9:23:49 AM PDT by fanfan
Three young men who found themselves at the centre of a national controversy after being photographed urinating on the National War Memorial on Canada Day have apologized to "veterans and all Canadians" for their actions that night.
One of the men, a youth from Ottawa who cannot be identified by law, wrote in a letter that he did not realize he was violating a national monument and that he was "ignorant" in doing so.
In the letter, obtained by the Citizen, the youth wrote in French, "I am sorry for my actions and their repercussions, and if I had known what this rock represented before the incident, you would not need to be here now, reading this letter. I apologize not just to all veterans, but to each Canadian citizen I have offended."
The Ottawa police say the other two young men involved in the incident -- another Ottawa youth who cannot be identified and 23-year-old Stephen Fernandes of Montreal -- have also written letters of apology to the police, expressing remorse for their actions.
Yesterday, Ottawa police charged Mr. Fernandes with mischief. He will make his first court appearance Aug. 1.
Stephen Fernandes says he was so intoxicated he doesn't remember urinating on the National War Memorial. Photograph by : Peter McCabe, The Gazette
"I was embarrassed," Mr. Fernandes said yesterday about the incident and the ensuing publicity.
Two days after the incident, a friend called to tell him that his photograph had been on the front page of the Citizen. "I was in complete and utter shock," he said, adding he felt immediately remorseful.
He said he didn't intend to disgrace anyone -- war veterans or his family -- and he will take responsibility for his actions. "I want to formally apologize to anyone I may have offended."
Mr. Fernandes said that not only did he not intend to desecrate the war memorial, but he was almost embarrassed to admit he didn't know how significant the monument is to veterans, and revealed he once volunteered at a veterans' hospital in Quebec.
As to what happened the night of July 1, Mr. Fernandes said, "I know this sounds ridiculous, but I have no recollection of what happened that night. I drank about 26 ounces of vodka and some beers."
He said he drove from Montreal to Ottawa on the afternoon of July 1 and met with some friends. They began partying immediately, he said, and he remembers nothing after 11 p.m. "I don't even remember when the picture was taken."
Mr. Fernandes said he doesn't know the two Ottawa youths who were also photographed urinating on the memorial.
The photos, taken by retired army major Dr. Michael Pilon shortly after 11 p.m. last Saturday, sparked outrage among veterans, residents and politicians.
Dr. Pilon said earlier this week he doesn't think the young men should be fined, saying he holds government officials responsible for not protecting the memorial.
Yesterday, lawyer Lawrence Greenspon said that the two youths have made arrangements with the Royal Canadian Legion to perform community service. Mr. Greenspon brokered the deal after he was contacted by the parents of one youth who said their son wanted to "make things good and apologize."
Mr. Greenspon arranged for the youth to visit the Legion and meet with veterans. The youth then offered to work with the veterans by way of restitution, a plan that was approved by the Crown and police, said Mr. Greenspon.
"He and his buddy went went to Parliament Hill to see the fireworks," he said. "They really had to go (to the bathroom), they did their business and they didn't realize it was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," he said. "They just didn't realize the significance of the place where they were doing their business."
Bob Butt, director of communications for the Royal Canadian Legion, said veterans welcomed the apology. "We believe that the apology was contrite and that the young man knows what he did wrong after all the publicity that they gained," he said. "He's come and apologized, and he volunteered of his own free will to take on work with a veterans' organization."
And that, said Mr. Butt, is the silver lining -- the chance for the youth to learn more about the role veterans played in Canada's history. "From the two young men, I don't believe it was an act of blatant disregard; it was probably an act that demanded a lot of education," he said.
On Thursday, the young man and Mr. Greenspon went to the police station, where the youth wrote his apology. In it he said that at the moment of the incident, "I was not under the impression I was urinating on a monument, but rather on a simple rock," he wrote. He had felt the urge to urinate for some time, even before the fireworks display. But afraid to miss the show, he waited. And after the 20-minute wait to leave Parliament Hill, he wrote, he simply couldn't wait.
"I therefore decided to find an isolated spot in the midst of the crowd of people. I found the rock (which I now know to be the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). ... I'm sorry for my actions and the repercussions."
Meanwhile, Mr. Fernandes said he knows being drunk does not excuse his actions and that he would gladly do community work and pay a fine. He said he called Ottawa police on Wednesday to identify himself and drove there on Thursday to turn himself in.
He said the publicity surrounding the incident has been humiliating. "It's not easy knowing the entire country thinks you're a dim-wit."
Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.
I suspect his attorney is the one who told him that he needed to write a "heartfelt" apology.
It pleases me that there are still people in this world that own-up to their actions.
Enough said.
Move on.
If that is the case, then I suspect you have never accepted an apology, ever.
I believe the kid. He got drunk, did something stupid and is embarrassed and remorseful. It does happen. I'm willing to give this kid the benefit of the doubt. Why wouldn't you?
It appears that he WAS comatose but still mobile.
few guys got drunk and didnt know what they were doing. its not like thats never happened before. I believe em'
I'll accept it when I see him joining the military.
Better question, who has pissed on a war memorial before?
WTF? The government didn't unzip their pants and hold their ****** for them. What's wrong with personal responsibility? These young men are admitting they did wrong. Fine them or give them community service cleaning the monument or both. Sheeeez!
In the past few days, or including last weekend?
You stated what I was thinking.
Everyone gets your point, but you need to understand that we live in an age where people piss on powerlines.
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