"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Tuesday 3 February 2015

What's that you say.?

Matt Maddocks has left a new comment on your post "No Kidding....Camouflage...Sabotage...???":

Evelyn; while you most often publish insightful and researched posts creating healthy debate and discussion, I take exception with your comment "While Aurora's high society attend high-priced fund-raising dinners to provide dress uniforms for the Rangers... Is there a less salubrious aspect to the activities of the militia?"

Unless I am mistaken, I believe the event(s) you refer to are held to raise funds for veteran educational grants, "care packages" for those reservists currently deployed, and counselling support for those in need, among other worthy endeavours.

To have you belittle and incorrectly interpret these commendable events, detracts from your traditional level of respectfulness and honesty, in my opinion.
Thank you,
Matt Maddocks.
Posted by Matt Maddocks to Our Town and Its Business at 3 February 2015 at 09:


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Matthew,if I told you  I view politics with clinical objectivity I doubt  you would accept that. You  would be correct. It's only partly true.

If I said I don't research; my insight comes from long personal experience that would be mostly true.

If  you concluded my objective is to ring bells and wave flags and shout and scream to make people pay attention to issues I think should concern them, you would not be wrong.

On my path through politics, I have found few attend  to calm and deliberate. Quiet and thoughtful gets drowned out in the cacophony. Loud and obstreperous does not guarantee attention either.

One does what one must.

To your  point Matthew, when I read of Queen's York Rangers expensive fund-raising dinner, the  need to replace dress uniforms was the pitch that leaped out. Put that  down to personal bias or slant of the promotion whichever you please.

Your nobly stated list of objectives do not persuade me.

In the same way food banks in self-proclaimed affluent communities are a shame and a
disgrace, I would be equally disgusted to discover the federal government does not provide for the
needs you list.

Except for  one.

You mention counselling for returning soldiers,Matthew.

I do not believe services  exist to overcome the shock and horror of seeing a comrade blown to pieces by a device hidden in the sand.Being splattered by his blood. Carrying his horribly mutilated body to a field hospital.Or the image of a young woman with the rank of Captain being hit by missiles from both sides of the road.

In the Name of God, what would it take to wipe such an image from a survivor's mind?

Nichola Goddard was  wholesome twenty-six years old , recently married. looking  forward to end of tour to come home and start a family.
She was standing in a moving armoured vehicle.
Everyone inside the vehicle survived.
Physically.

What could ever erase the horrifying reality of killing and being killed in such a manner ?

I surely do not see Stephen Harper or John Baird being much of a comfort or inspiration.

Neither am I persuaded a fancy dress-up dinner to raise funds to buy custom-tailored dress uniforms
for Historic Queen's York Rangers, attended by those who can afford the tickets lends much to the effort.

All of which I submit to your respectful attention.

To the  thread comment that I have never set foot in the Armouries to  see what goes on there. You are full of it.

My son Frank was a cadet.
I visited Ipperwash summer camp for the passing out parade.
My grand-daughter Stephanie was a sea cadet . An instructor at Kingston  mIlitary Institute summer camps.
I attended passing out parades there too.
My great-grand-daughter Cheyenne is currently a navel cadet .
I have officiated at  several passing-out parades in Aurora. in the 2003/2006 term.
I was  a guest at  a passing out parade at Fort York Armouries when the Honourable Pauline McGibbon was Lieutenant - Governor. I visited Queen's York Rangers' Museum there.
I  shook hands at Aurora Armouries with Honourable Leslie Frost,former and most outstanding Premier of Ontario and Honorary Colonel of Queen's York Rangers.
I have been a regular guest in the Officers' Mess at the Armouries on many a cheerful occasion.
World War 2 is part of my life experience.

Now then.....is there anything else you need to know?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Matt just had an Oops Moment.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Matt. That was very bad. Give your head a shake.

Matt Maddocks said...

Evelyn; to be clear, it was not my intention, nor effort, to try and persuade you. It was however, my intention to clarify the uses of monies raised by the QYR fundraising event(s), uses that have been documented and verified by those in charge of the events and through press releases. I personally have not seen any information to support the claim that the funds were used to purchase custom-tailored dress uniforms, but perhaps you have. Regardless, my intention remains purely one of clarification.

Regarding counselling; I refer to "support". Like you, I do not believe for one second the the horrors or war can be erased, not for a moment, not for a lifetime. There but for the grace of God I have not had to face the nightmare of battle, but for the families of Captain Nichola Goddard and the familes of all 158 fallen Canadians from the Afghan mission, and for the troops who continue to serve today, I am thankful and appreciative of funding efforts made to assist in any way possible.