Posted on 01/30/2008 5:28:44 PM PST by buccaneer81
Vimy's new enemy: no uniform, no clothes, no respect Exhibitionism Veterans minister deterring public sex at memorial
Rob Linke TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL Published Wednesday January 30th, 2008 Appeared on page A1
OTTAWA - More than 90 years after Canadian soldiers seized Vimy Ridge, Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson is still part of a battle - this one to protect Canada's iconic memorial from kinky French couples.
Vimy's new enemy are exhibitionists who pose nude or have sex at the First World War memorial, then post pictures of their activities online.
Some images have the names of thousands of Canadian war dead, carved in the base of the towering monument, as their backdrop.
Thompson said Veterans Affairs is doing everything in its power to deter the behaviour.
"It is shocking," Thompson said Tuesday. "We've had desecration of war monuments in Canada before and it's never acceptable.
"This is something no government will tolerate."
Monday, a French court sentenced one couple from Paris for sexual exhibitionism on the grounds of the 250-acre site last summer.
The couple was fined 150 Euros ($220 Cdn) and given a one-month conditional sentence, which means they will be jailed for 30 days if they reoffend within five years.
Veterans Affairs hired a French lawyer to represent it in court as an aggrieved party.
"We wanted to ensure the court understood the importance of Vimy to Canada and the inappropriateness of such actions there," said department spokesperson Janice Summerby.
The department also requested a symbolic one-Euro fine and reimbursement of its court costs of 500 Euros ($740 Cdn).
The case of two more couples caught in November is in the hands of the public prosecutor in nearby Arras. It has not come to trial.
French police have since told Veterans Affairs a third case has occurred, said Summerby.
The department intends to intervene at court every time, she said.
"Hopefully that will serve as a deterrent," she said.
The private company that provides security on site has increased its patrols and other measures are being reviewed, said Summerby.
There have been several incidents of vandalism or mischief that demonstrated disrespect of war memorials in Canada. In one infamous incident in 2006, three men were caught on camera urinating on the National War Memorial in Ottawa. They were later found guilty of mischief.
Veterans Affairs, several other departments and the Ottawa police later adopted several measures, including year-round electronic surveillance, additional security patrols during the tourist season, and more guards and crowd-control equipment at the site during Canada Day and other special events.
In France, the French news service Agence France-Presse said several websites show dozens of sexual voyeurs and exhibitionists using the Vimy site for encounters. One directs others there, boasting of ample parking spots.
The Internet postings have been online for at least seven years, CBC-TV reported.
Summerby said it's her understanding the exhibitionists see it as "a bit of a badge of honour" to post images of their activities in public locations of historic interest.
The Vimy memorial was unveiled in 1936 by King Edward VIII. It is dominated by two tall stone pylons and surrounded by sombre sculptures. The grounds also have restored trenches and are surrounded by woods planted with Canadian trees and shrubs.
More than 500,000 people a year visit the Vimy memorial.
Thompson was at Vimy last April, when thousands of people gathered to mark the 90th anniversary of the Easter, 1917 battle.
Thompson recalled his visit left him impressed that ordinary French citizens still have family stories of their parents or grandparents being liberated from occupying German forces in the "war to end all wars."
One elderly French woman presented him with a rose.
She told him it came from the bush that was the only living thing left on her family's farm after fighting in the First World War.
Four Canadians won the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy, for their exploits at Vimy.
Nearly 3,600 Canadians died in the two days of fighting.
PING!
Every so often public flogging should be instituted.
Well of course they're jealous, the French don't have any war heros of their own.
Indeed. I hear Singapore is a very polite place.
...interesting diversion from lack of western European support for Canada in Afghanistan.
Interesting you would say that on a thread regarding a WWI memorial. But not everyone has studied history, I suppose.
I wonder what it is about this particular monument... some of the place where this happens like The Lenard Skynard grave or the Jim Morrison memorial I can see a connection with sex and drinking... but war heroes? I don’t get it.
“...the French don’t have any war heros of their own...”
Obviously you have never heard of the battle of Verdun or so many others in WWI where the French lost a generation of fine young men and many many heros.
The problem is not the French. The problem is spoiled brat teens like the Americans who tour France in the summer and carve rock group names into the smooth stone walls within Notre Dame and elsewhere. Just look at the teen and young adult vandalism here.
Even way back when the film TORA TORA TORA first came out my mother was shocked by teens in the theatre laughing at the Americans being killed by the Japanese.
Read a little about Verdun. The French have plenty of heroes. They just tend to be badly led.
Maybe these new deracinated French dont know of them. Those of us who remember the poilus who fought and fell at the Marne and Verdun know otherwise.
“Ils ne passeront pas” (they shall not pass) said General Robert Nievelle and 360,000 Frenchmen died following his command.
Euro-Trash Girl
Band:Cracker
Well I’ve been up to Paris,
and I’ve slept in a park.
Went down to Barcelona,
someone broke in my car.
And I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for a Euro-trash Girl.
Took the train down to Athens,
and I slept in a fountain.
Some Swiss junkie in Turin
ripped me off for my cash.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, search the world over
for a Eurotrash Girl.
The CRS on the metro
shook me down for a bribe.
On my knees for the sergeant
when my passport arrived.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for a Euro-trash Girl
Euro-trash Girl, Euro-trash girl.
Euro-trash Girl, Euro-trash girl.
Called my mom from a payphone
I said “I’m down to my last.”
She said “I sent you to college...
now go call your dad.”
And the waitress that he married,
well she hung up the phone.
You know she never did like me,
but I can stand on my own.
Sold my plasma in Amsterdam.
Spent it all in a night,
buying drinks at the Melk Weg
for a soldier in drag.
And I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for a Eurotrash Girl
Euro-trash Girl, Euro-trash girl.
Euro-trash Girl, Euro-trash girl.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for a Eurotrash Girl
Got a tattoo in Berlin
and a case of the crabs.
A rose and a dagger
on the palm of my hand.
And I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for a Eurotrash Girl.
Euro-trash Girl, Euro-trash girl.
Euro-trash Girl, Euro-trash girl.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for my angel in black.
Yeah, I’ll search the world over
for a Eurotrash Girl.
Thread.
Useless.
Pics.
I saw a similar article last week in the Globe and Mail, they attributed it to the location. Suburbs, very large park like area, no lights, no visitors after dark, thus isolation and solitude in an otherwise fairly densely populated area. Plus it is posted on some French sex websites for swingers.
No, but they left theirs at Vimy... and Verdun... and Bir Hakim...
Yes, you're all right, and I should take back my post. The French lost 1.8 million of their young men in WWI, the highest death number of all the combatants. The carnage was so bad that the French didn't want another war, but they punished Germany so bad in the Versailles Treaty that it wasn't all that surprising that an upstart little monster like Hitler could be possible.
>>I saw a similar article last week in the Globe and Mail, they attributed it to the location. Suburbs, very large park like area, no lights, no visitors after dark, thus isolation and solitude in an otherwise fairly densely populated area. Plus it is posted on some French sex websites for swingers.<<
Aha. Thank you.
A noble tragedy to be sure. They died fighting for their homeland.
But at least as noble and heroic is the sacrifice put forward by foreigners to liberate another's land.
But isn’t public flogging the very problem that the Fwench authorities are trying to prevent?
... And Yorktown... and Dien Bien Phu... They had no shortage of brave soldiers, but had fools for leaders. WWI bled France white, and it is still paying the genetic consequences.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.