Posted on 04/03/2003 5:16:44 AM PST by hobson
They're calling it the Rally for America, but to our way of thinking it's a rally for Canadians.
For Canadians who are fed up with seeing the flag of our closest ally and neighbour burned.
For Canadians who are appalled at hearing the national anthem of the United States booed.
For Canadians who are furious our prime minister hasn't spoken out against the smug anti-Americanism spewing from his front and back benches like a cancer.
Tomorrow at noon at Nathan Phillips Square, Canadians who feel this way are going to get the chance to have their voices heard.
Organizers of the "Rally for America" are asking people to "join us for a peaceful rally to show that we love, respect and support our friends, neighbours and allies." For more information about this event - to be hosted by CFRB's Ted Woloshyn - go to www.friendsofamerica.ca.
There'll be lots of well-known guests, but among the most special will be Cindy Barkway - the Canadian "9/11 widow" who lost her husband, Dave, in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers 18 months ago. Her recent letter to the Sunday Sun about the warmth she received from the Americans - including U.S. President George Bush when she visited New York on the first anniversary of Sept. 11 last year - touched the hearts of countless Sun readers.
The rally's organizers, including Toronto real estate developer Richard Diamond, stress this isn't a "pro-war" rally, but a rally to show Canadians value their deep friendship with the U.S.
We say it's about time, if e-mails from thousands of our own readers are any indication.
* Yesterday, Dawna Edmonson, a dual citizen, took out a full-page ad in the Sun - an "Open Letter to Jean Chretien" which began "Shame on you." By the afternoon she was responding to 700 e-mails - all but a dozen positive. Reach her at dawnaedmonson@aol.com.
* As our own John Downing notes, you can e-mail a message of support to George Bush at president@whitehouse.gov or phone the White House comment line at 202-456-1111. If you want to let our PM know your views, e-mail to pm@pm.gc.ca or fax to 1-613-941-6900.
* Finally, for inspiration, read the famous declaration of support for our American neighbours by the late Gordon Sinclair, first broadcast on CFRB in 1973. You'll find it on page 16.
Canada, it's time we showed our true colours.
She also informed me that they are rounding up donations in her province to take out a full page ad in USA Today to express an apology for their governments lack of support.
This was just some customer service lady. A real Joannie six pack.
We are also in the air directing bombing runs.
We are part of the coalition of the willing but we just never stated it publically for poltical reasons.
What our government has done for a political gain makes me furious especially when I see some of the comments on this board.
hawk
p.s. - For those who want to read some of the stories of Canada's quiet contribution to the war effort go to the Toronto Star at www.thestar.com and type the word "AWACS" into the 14 day search engine.
They never complained, but the Hueys they were flying had no avionics other than a DG, wet compass, single com, VSI, airspeed indicator,and single VOR. THAT WAS IT! I know helcopters are scud runners by design, but that's ridiculous.
We visited Banff last September and remember reading about what bad decisions Chretien has made in regards to the military and the Sea Kings in the Sun satire sung to Seasons in the Sun:
Sea Kings in the Sun
Goodbye papa please pray for me
My helicopter's crashing in the sea
I honestly don't mean to pout,
but my future is in doubt,
My co-pilot just fell out.
Goodbye papa it's hard to fly,
When my airframe is cracking in the sky,
For every hour in the air,
it takes them 30 to repair,
We fly these things on a dare.
We've had joy, we've had fun,
We've had Sea Kings in the sun,
But the engines are on fire,
and the Sea Kings must retire,
Goodbye Chretien my stingy one,
You could have bought the EH-101,
Instead you blew 500 mil,
Just to cancel out the bill,
Now I need an airsick pill.
We've had joy, we've had fun,
We've had Sea Kings in the sun
We'll be lucky if we reach,
a crash landing on the beach.
Canadian Pilots Sing Protest Song Over Choppers
OTTAWA (Reuters) - While their aging helicopters may hover on the verge of calamity, the creative powers of Canada's air force pilots are soaring.
Earlier this month they created fake recruiting posters to protest the government's failure to replace their creaking, 40-year-old Sea King helicopters. Now they have devised a dark ditty to bemoan their fate.
The Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday that the song -- a parody of the 1970s pop hit "Seasons in the Sun" -- was making the rounds of military bases by e-mail.
The ballad begins with the words, "Goodbye papa, please pray for me/ My helicopter's crashing in the sea," before reaching a chorus of, "We had joy, we had fun, we had Sea Kings in the sun/ but the engines are on fire and the Sea Kings must retire."
Each Sea King requires more than 30 hours of maintenance for every hour it spends in the air. Ottawa purchased 41 Sea Kings in 1961 and since then 12 have crashed, killing eight people.
A spokesman for the main Sea King base in the Atlantic town of Shearwater said the pilots had a good sense of black humor.
Plans to replace the helicopters have floundered amid accusations of dirty tricks and political favoritism, and the Sea Kings are unlikely to be replaced until July 2006 at the earliest.
I have several friends in Canada one (his name is Ron) sent me the following in an e-mail (we trade funny stories about our respective countries all the time)
Top ten reasons why Canada will not fight in Iraq:
10. We have no way of getting there.
9. We are too busy at home with the Maple Syrup Season.
8. After 136 Years, we are still copying off France.
7. Saddam's name pronounced backwards is "Mad Ass". We'll stay away from him THANK YOU.
6. There is only limited potential for sales of Canadian Bacon in Iraq after the war.
5. Our Sea King Helicopter was damaged and needs repairs.
4. Celine Dion can't sing to the troops because she has a contract in Las Vegas.
3. The Rivers in Iraq are too shallow for our War Canoes.
2. Lousy hockey in Iraq at this time of year.
1. Our army is needed at home in case of another snowstorm in Toronto.
Snow is forcast, apparently, but it's nothing we can't handle. To show our support, we'd go oot in an ice storm and -50 weather, right Canucks??? Can't wait to show my unabashed appreciation in public for our wonderful neighbours to the south!
Hang tough all ya all who are goin'!!!
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