Thousands paid tribute Saturday as the first of four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan was laid to rest.
And the father of Cpl. Matthew Dinning had some critical words for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Dinning was remembered through a video presentation that also criticized how the federal government is handling the return of its fallen soldiers...
The presentation came to a close with footage of Matthew Dinning's remains returning to CFB Trenton, video the media had to gather by peering over a military fence because the Conservatives banned them from the airfield.
Mr. Dinning introduced the clip by saying it contained images Harper didn't want the public to see.
A new poll shows Canadians understand the true motivation:
The Ipsos Reid poll for CanWest News and Global National found that two-thirds of those surveyed feel a media ban on the homecoming of the flag-draped caskets of Canadian Forces personnel "is really a government muzzle and should be left up to families to decide."
We already know the government lied about who made the decision to ban the media, that it was pure politics afterall. It is striking how badly the Conservatives misread the reaction to their transparent attempt to copy the well-known Bush approach. Why they thought Canadians would accept this measure is beyond me and demonstrates some detachment from reality. Canadians will grieve every death in a profound way and on a national scale. It will be interesting to see how Harper reacts the next time.