CAW motorcade forces cancellation of Veterans' Memorial Service

To the editor:

I will start this by saying that I believe that what GM has done with the truck plant in Oshawa is a disgrace. Being one of the most successful and productive plants in North America, I am sure that there are other plants, such as Mexico that are more suitable to be closed than ours.

That being said, today I witnessed an even larger disgrace when I took my Royal Canadian Sea Cadet daughter to the Camp X ceremonies down at the Camp X Memorial site. At 9 a.m., GM workers began a roadblock of Boundry Road, leading to the GM plant. This forced the cancellation of the Camp X and Military Veteran Memorial Service. CAW…Shame on you! One man had the nerve to say that though he doesn’t drive a GM, he supports them; that without GM there wouldn’t be an Oshawa. Well sir…let me tell you…without the veterans there would be no GM!!! You wouldn’t have the rights and the freedoms you so richly enjoy right now if it hadn’t been for the men and women of the military who died for your freedoms, and those who continue to do so today!

 This was no way to garner support for your cause. The cadets, who gave up their time to come out and support the veterans as well as to show their loyalty to the military and the community was met with nothing more than a slap in the face. If this is how the public, including CAW members, treats their military, then why would our children want to join the military later on? If you have no respect, why would they put their lives on the line for you? And what about our veterans? What kind of respect did this show them? Could you not have found a better time or place to do this? How about right in front of the GM plant instead of the entire length of Boundry Road? And what difference did your little display make? Nothing, other than angering all of the people who used that road (you know, like those who live there and the veterans)?

 If you wanted an audience to send your message to, you could have picked a better forum rather than Boundry Road. All you did was embarrass yourself and those GM workers who you are supposed to be fighting for. You need support and this was not the way to get it. Next time, why don’t you do something that will get your message across to GM rather than angering those that you want to stand and fight for you. You might be a little more successful

A very proud cadet parent and daughter of retired military and veteran grandfathers

Marianne Waldman