10.02.2008

good news, slightly longer version

Despite the gloomy election predictions, we had a terrific meeting last night. The Campaign is full of renewed determination and hope to win our struggle. Canadians want Canada to allow war resisters to stay, and will of the people will prevail.

The long-time Canadian activists among us reminded us that major progressive gains were made even during the dreaded Mulroney Government, a majority. That was a great perspective for me. This election season has been an unprecedented opportunity to make our message heard. We've used it to be best of our abilities - to a remarkable degree, considering how few people and how little money we have - but when it ends, we will just continue our work.

Next week, war resisters Patrick Hart, his wife Jill and their son will receive word on their Pre-Removal Risk Assessment and Humanitarian & Compassionate applications, as will Matt Lowell, a resister in London. On Thursday, October 9, we will be either protesting or celebrating in the streets in Toronto, London, Vancouver and several other cities. If you can make some time between 4:30 and 6:00, stop by and increase our numbers.

That will be our last public action before the election. But we've got a few tricks up our sleeves before then, and plenty for later.

* * * *

Did anyone see the season premiere of the CBC drama "The Border"? The episode was about three US soldiers going AWOL and coming to Canada.

Campaigners and resisters who watched it were howling with laughter at the over-the-top, completely inaccurate dramatizations. The show had the resisters - in cammo uniforms - swimming across the Niagara River! From what I gather, there was a lot of violence and craziness that none of us have seen in the real-life stories of war resisters in Canada. At one point, the Pentagon was extradicting a soldier. Everyone had a good laugh over that, and some of you may remember an extra layer of meaning in that word.

Despite the dramatic fabrications, to have this issue highlighted on the season opener of this highly-rated mainstream show is brilliant. Everyone who saw it agreed that the resisters were portrayed sympathetically, and the US Army shown as the sinister villain it is. Of the three soldiers in the episode, one has been stop-lossed, and one has severe PTSD. I'm told both those issues were portrayed sympathetically, too.

If any of you watched it and would like to give your impressions in comments, please do. We're going to try to watch it as a group some time, post-election.

* * * *

And about that election, these days most people feel we'll have a Tory minority. I'm just staying glued to DemocraticSPACE and Election Prediction Project. The only future I'm predicting is that we will continue our fight.

LET THEM STAY!

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