Thursday, November 11, 2010

Remember. Imagine. Act?


Sir:
    I served in the Canadian Guards Regiment (1962-63) in Camp Petawawa.  I was willing to give my life for my country.  Now that I need help from my country I get totally ignored.  I have asked the Liberal Government many times to look into the Income Trust fiasco.  Yet, nothing happens.  I get no response.  What would happen if our soldiers were like that?  If they didn't respond the needs of our country what would happen?  I lost a great part of my RRSP because of the decision that was made to double tax Income Trusts.  When will someone do something about it?  Will you look into it? 
Robert B.

----- Original Message -----
From: Roméo Dallaire
To: Robert B.
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 4:24 AM
Subject: Remember. Imagine. Act.


Robert --
Remembering is a duty, but how we remember is a choice.

This duty and these choices mean that as Canadians we face the world with open eyes, whether as individuals, or as a nation.

This Remembrance Day I choose to honour the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, past and present, and their families, by imagining the world they’ve fought to make possible.

It is a world without child soldiers; where cluster munitions and landmines no longer litter countrysides. It is a world where the threat of nuclear proliferation and future genocides have ceased to exist.

These ideas may seem bold. Even unbelievable. But consider this.
Until 1957, the soldier was known only as an instrument of war. That year, a Canadian, Lester B. Pearson, imagined a soldier could be an instrument of peacekeeping, too.
One bold idea, one cause, and one nation had the power to change how peace is kept.
This Remembrance Day, we can choose to honour our men and women in uniform, and their families, by recognizing their sacrifice. But we can also do more than that.
We can imagine that the world our soldiers fight and die to protect is possible.
And we can build it to honour their sacrifice. Because that, too, is a choice.

To mark this important day, please take a moment to watch this short video message honouring Canada’s soldiers.

Sincerely,
LGen the Honourable Roméo Dallaire, (ret’d), Senator (Quebec)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir:
I went to two Legion services today in two different towns to honour our military personnel that served in the wars of this past century. I respect what they did for Canada. Please don't lay a guilt trip on me.

My concern was about Income Trusts and I don't think your comments addressed it. I am not just speaking for myself; I am speaking for the many elderly people out there who have no idea how to voice their concerns. Brent has started the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors to take up the cause of approximately three million people who have lost much of their retirment savings because of the coming double taxation on Income Trusts.
If I now have your attention, with all due respect, please try to show some concern and get at the facts. The economy of our country will suffer because of that unsupported decision to tax Trusts.
Our military personnel fought and died for our country so that we could have freedom from people who want to control us by making decisions that will result in our country being cheated of our rights for a fair return on our investments.
Will you be the voice that will help us get at the truth?

Robert B.

Anonymous said...

Typical politician. And the answer is "NO"; he won't be the individual to do it. And neither was Lester Pearson being creative and innovative in thinking of soldiers as "peacekeepers". What was novel in our history is the idea of a civilian police force, rather than have the military "keep the peace". I believe that started with the British. But Roman armies were good peacekeepers. That was their role too. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will show that military officers were everywhere doing policing in peacetime.

Dr Mike said...

Robert

No one in gov`t or the opposition really cares about us , certainly not enough to act or force some action.

They are waiting for this to blow over once Jan 1 2011 hits.

It`s just easier that way.

The gov`t won`t go there in fear that the truth comes to the surface.

The opposition won`t go there because the issue is not a wholesale vote getter.

We were collateral damage in a numbers a game that was stacked against us from the beginning.

Stay well Robert.

None of us will forget.

Dr Mike Popovich
Rodney Ont

crf said...

The letter says "I have asked the Liberal Government many times to look into the Income Trust fiasco".

But there isn't a Liberal government. Maybe he meant liberal caucus?

Anonymous said...

Dear CRF,
I apologize for my error. Of course we don't have a Liberal government. What good would it do? They don't seem to listen to the people anyway. BB