Hey Mark, It is truly a sad loss, both to our nation and to the individual families= who have paid the ultimate cost. However, I would like to mention that t= his sad loss doesn't defend, support, or justify any of the positions tha= t you have put forward. What they do justify is your and my right to argu= e the need for civil liberties and to what extent if ever those civil lib= erties may be restricted. Your use of their deaths is sentimental at best and I think you're guilty= of misappropriating the lives of these noble soldiers to serve your own = perspective. Again, I don't think that's what they died for. Best regards, Sheldon = > = > From: mark bumstead <2mab8@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Date: 2003/10/03 Fri AM 08:05:25 EST > To: ql06@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [ql06] Re: PUBLIC: Civil liberties > = > It is with no small sorrow that I draw to your attention the loss of Sg= t = > Robert Alen Short and MCpl Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger, the 116th a= nd = > 117th Canadian soldiers to die in a vain attempt to bring civil liberti= es = > to people who neither understand nor truly want such things. They will= be = > sorely missed by all of us who serve to keep Canada free. > One needs no further justification for the positions I attempted to ass= ert = > earlier this week on this listserv. > = > Mark Bumstead > --- Clip here----- > = > = > = > Petawawa mourns its fallen heroes > Everyone knows they were bravely doing their jobs. Tony Lofaro reports.= > = > Tony Lofaro > The Ottawa Citizen; With files from The Canadian Press > = > Friday, October 03, 2003 > ADVERTISEMENT > = > PETAWAWA -- A few tears, sadness and a deep sense of loss filled a dril= l = > hall yesterday at CFB Petawawa where military officials gathered to rev= eal = > sombre details about the two Canadian soldiers killed and three others = > injured while on a patrol outside of Kabul, Afghanistan. > = > In a town reeling from the tragic news, Lt.-Col. Acton Kilby urged the = > community to support the grieving families who have lost the soldiers i= n = > action and have faith in the Canadian military officers in the UN missi= on = > in Kabul. > = > The deaths of the two officers will not change the mission or intent of= the = > Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, he said. Pastoral and grief counselli= ng = > will be provided to the families, he said. > = > Sgt. Robert Alan Short, 42, an experienced engineer from Fredericton, a= nd = > Cpl. Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa, who had been secon= ded = > from a mechanized battalion, were serving with the 3rd Battalion, Royal= = > Canadian Regiment, Battalion Group, were killed yesterday when their = > vehicle struck an explosive device on the road a few kilometres from Ca= mp = > Julien, the main Canadian camp in southwest Kabul. > = > Injured were Master Cpl. Jason Cory Hamilton, 33, of Regina, Cpl. Camer= on = > Lee Laidlaw , 25, of Oromocto, N.B., and Cpl. Thomas Stirling, 23, of = > Assiniboia, Sask. > = > Wendy Pushie was one of dozens of military wives at the press conferenc= e = > who came to hear what military officials had to say about the accident.= She = > said she also knew Cpl. Beerenfenger and her husband, Cpl. Trevor Pushi= e, = > was one of the first soldiers to arrive at the scene of the deaths. > = > "My husband called me today and he assured me he's OK and the rest of t= he = > guys are OK," said Ms. Pushie. > = > She said the deaths were "unfortunate" and her husband and other soldie= rs = > are grieving the loss of one of their own. She said her husband was a g= ood = > friend of Cpl. Beerenfenger's and they had gone through military traini= ng = > together at CFB Borden. > = > "He was a very nice guy, he's very family-oriented. I am really good = > friends with his wife, Tina," said Ms. Pushie. > = > She said Cpl. Beerenfenger has three young children, ranging from a = > year-a-half to eight years old. > = > Melissa Van Tassel also knew Cpl. Beerenfenger and his wife and often = > visited their home with her husband, Cpl. Doug Van Tassel. > = > "He was a very funny guy, a very happy guy. He loved his kids, that's a= ll = > he talked about," said Ms. Van Tassel, whose husband is also serving wi= th = > the troops in Kabul. > = > "The last time I saw him he was with his baby girl, I think she is a = > year-and-a-half. He talked about all the things she was doing, he was v= ery = > proud of his family. > = > She said she was also very proud of Cpl. Beerenfenger and the other = > soldiers who are risking their lives in Kabul. > = > "They have a job to do and they always do what is asked of them, no = > complaints and that's how he was." > = > Petawawa Mayor Bob Sweet said the deaths of the Canadian officers made = it a = > very sad day in the community. > = > "It's a difficult time for the military and certainly for our community= as = > a whole. We understand the military because we are very close to them a= nd = > perhaps it's not as well-known how much of an impact it has," he said. > = > Sgt. Steve Powell said he came to know Sgt. Short at the base and he wa= s a = > friend and a good soldier. > = > "You always reflect on things and look back and I wish I knew him bette= r = > knowing the type of person he was for the military," said Sgt. Powell. > =A9 Copyright 2003 The Ottawa Citizen > = > = > = > =