Regina profs condemn free tuition program for children of dead soldiers

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Tue, 2010-03-30 11:58

#52

triciamarie

WCB's administer police officer claims without any difficulty.

Tue, 2010-03-30 12:04

#53

Webgear

Is that provincial/city police officers?

Edit: My experiences with both the VAC and WC are pretty limited, however the paperwork for VAC is a nightmare at times.

Tue, 2010-03-30 12:10

#54

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

IIRC, local/regional police are covered under WCB, but not sure if RCMP are.

Tue, 2010-03-30 12:47

#55

triciamarie

No, I don't think RCMP are covered. At least I've never seen a claim.

ETA: RCMP are also under VAC.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/srr-rrf/fp-plp-09-3-4/fp-plp-09-3-4-kenn-eng.htm

Wed, 2010-03-31 00:35

#56

swallow

Quote:
REGINA —A former Canadian soldier who served with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and was on a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus says Project Hero is completely unnecessary.

Garson Hunter teaches social work at the University of Regina and is one of the professors against the Project Hero scholarship fund.

Hunter says that the dependents of fallen soldiers have post-secondary education already paid for under the Children of Deceased Veterans Education Assistance Act.

[url=http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Project+Hero+scholarship+unnecessary+says... Leader-Post[/url]

Wed, 2010-03-31 00:44

#57

Unionist

Wow, swallow, thanks for that - it really sweeps away the whole WCB discussion here as being irrelevant to the real agenda:

Quote:

Janice Summerby, spokesperson for Veteran Affairs Canada, says the Act uses federal government funding to pay up to $5,000 per academic year to cover tuition and course fees, plus a $372.44 per month living allowance. Last year, 95 students across the country were covered under the Act, costing taxpayers roughly $500,000.

Summerby adds that [b]funding provided by other scholarships such as Project Hero, are applied against the amount covered by the Act, meaning government funds are withheld and Project Hero funds — which comes out of university pockets — are used.[/b]

"(Project Hero) comes with no (government) money. Project Hero is provided solely by the U of R," says Hunter.

He wonders how many other U of R students in need of financial assistance will lose scholarship opportunities because of Project Hero.

"If they really want to help then they should provide help for soldiers affected by post-traumatic stress disorder."

And Hunter goes on:

Quote:

Hunter believes the Act shows that the creators and supporters of Project Hero have a political agenda.

"It is absolutely deplorable to use soldiers' deaths to aggrandize military endeavors in Afghanistan," says Hunter. "As a former soldier, I find this disgraceful."

Wed, 2010-03-31 07:56

#58

Boom Boom

The name "Project Hero" tells it all as far as I am concerned. Pro-war BS.

Wed, 2010-03-31 07:58

#59

Unionist

Thanks, Boom Boom, for summing it up best of all.

Wed, 2010-03-31 08:48

#60

Unionist

Two of the professors contributed this article to rabble:

[url=http://rabble.ca/news/2010/03/weve-been-attacked-views-we-don’t-hold]We've been attacked for views we don't hold[/url]

Quote:

Those of us who signed the letter have been subjected to virulent hate mail and argument by decibels and epithet. The language of many of our critics would make a stevedore blush and a grammarian wince. Always helpful, local Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski poured gas on the fire at every media opportunity, repeating his claim that we oppose help for the bereaved and honour for the dead and demanding our public apology (boiling oil not being available) for something we didn't say and didn't intend. [...]

What to do? Well, as one elder advised one of us, "Stand firm. Repeat your message. You've argued for peace your whole life."


Here goes, one more time:

Our objection to the Project Hero program arises from its language, which we think glorifies war. We object to its adoption without institutional discussion. It has financial and political implications for our university, as universities contribute tuition and scholarship monies and, in so doing, sign on to the notion of war as heroic. We think war is a problem to be solved, preferably by diplomacy and peace.

We also note that the federal government can, and does, provide for education assistance for families of soldiers; we have no problem with that. [...]

There was no policy gap and no need for "Project Hero." We continue to think our university should not adopt a program that effectively endorses the glorification of wars -- one of which now is in Afghanistan. Some of us consider that imperialism. That word bothered a lot of people.

We think it fits, but surely, the difference of opinion can be tolerated. After all, Malalai Joya, an Afghan woman politician in the current government, considers Canadian troops as unwelcome imperialists, and wants the troops to leave.

We also think that now, when the U of R is rationalizing its budget, when tuition fees are going up, following the recent provincial budget, when First Nations University is fighting for its financial life against an indifferent federal government -- surely, now, we can argue that all of our students are worthy of funding.

Thu, 2010-04-01 22:13

#61

swallow

Quote:
A majority of Canadians (55%) disagree with the point of view of the professors, while 29 per cent agree and 16 per cent are undecided.

Quebecers are more likely to oppose Project Hero (19%) and more likely to side with the 16 University of Regina professors (39%) than respondents in any other region.

[url=http://www.visioncritical.com/2010/03/canadians-support-project-hero-dis... Reid poll[/url]

Thu, 2010-04-01 23:11

#62

Unionist

What were the poll questions? What was the introductory information given to the respondents? Were they told that Project Hero merely replaces CF funds by limited university money which can then no longer go to other students? Were they told that the professors are calling for access to all students? Was there a "universal access" choice among the available answers?

It took us quite a while here to unravel what the profs were saying, the background facts, and what are the rights and wrongs of the issues. How much time and information were the respondents given?

Thu, 2010-04-01 23:37

#63

Webgear

Sarcasms On

The people have spoken, let it be done.

Sarcasms Off

Fri, 2010-04-02 00:56

#64

NDPP

Canadian Universities and the War on Thought

http://www.truthout.org/ann-coulter-and-blowhard-politics-canadian-unive...

"...such a discussion would begin with a frank analysis of the Canadian university's complicity in evading the matter of questioning the war.."

Sun, 2010-04-04 14:54

#65

PrivacyRules

My father (Richard K. P.) taught at U of R for most of his career and retired from the Anthropology department there. I am sure I know some of the signatories. I know my dad would have been one if he will still with us.

Peace,

Matthew

"Freedom Endures Through Sacrifice"

Sun, 2010-04-04 18:01

#66

outwest

If you truly want to support these professors, you might want to write to politicians (federal and [Sask] provincial), the U of Regina administration, and the mainstream media and tell them what you think.

Wed, 2010-04-07 12:27

#67

swallow

A call for supporters to sign on --

Quote:
Please take a moment to sign this petition expressing your opposition to
Project Hero and the glorification of Canada's participation in the
occupation of Afghanistan.

For background info, please read:
John Conway, "Regina 16 say common folk won freedoms," *Calgary Herald*
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Regina%20common%20folk%20freedoms/2767446/s...
l<http://www.calgaryherald.com/Regina%20common%20folk%20freedoms/2767446/s...

*Stand against Project Hero and the glorification of
war*<http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stand-against-project-hero-and-the-glor...

*We the undersigned urge Canadian universities and colleges not to
participate in "Project Hero," a program in which post-secondary
institutions waive tuition and course fees for "children of fallen
soldiers." Children of deceased members of the Canadian military already
have access to benefits through the Children of Deceased Veterans Education
Assistance passed in 1953. These benefits cover course fees and tuition as
well as a monthly living allowance.*

*Project Hero is not about aid to the children of deceased soldiers, as
their needs are already being met. Rather it is a political effort to
justify Canadian participation in the war in Afghanistan and glorify
militarism on our campuses. We do not believe our colleges and universities
should be participating in this kind of political campaign masked as a
student aid program.*

*We support the effort by University of Regina faculty members to raise the
issue of Project Hero on their campus. We are deeply concerned about the
response they have met in the form of hate mail, threats and calls for their
dismissal. They have every right to raise these issues, and it is essential
that free discussion and debate about foreign policy and the role of the
military be allowed without vilification and threats of retribution. The
University of Regina Administration and the broader community must strongly
defend the academic freedom of these faculty members.*
*The very name of "Project Hero" demonstrates its fundamentally political
nature. We believe participation in this project threatens to align our
universities and colleges with a particular political message about
militarism and the war in Afghanistan. We therefore urge university and
college administrators to reject participation in this project. *

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stand-against-project-hero-and-the-glor...

Wed, 2010-04-07 14:44

#68

Protrucio

Premier Brad Wall is quoted in the Regina Leader Post as saying that he's disappointed that a group of University of Regina professors are protesting a scholarship program for the children of fallen soldiers.

Voices that are opposed to the war in Afghanistan are hardly audible in mainstream media across the country. In fact these voices are usually discredited.

We need face-to-face forums across the country where we can engage in debates concerning Canada's involvement in the Afghanistan war.

I can see the machinery of Canadian governance pressing towards a prolongation of our military presence in Afghanistan. The month of May 2010 portends to be a disaster both for Kandahar and Canada.

Wed, 2010-04-21 00:36

#69

swallow

Worth linking in its own right:

Quote:
As this controversy unfolded, two worrisome trends emerged among the messages from outraged detractors. Both suggest a serious deterioration in Canada's tradition of an open and vibrant democratic political culture.

The hostile messages we received were in the worst tradition of U.S. Republican-style pit bull attack politics. This politics attacks those who express contrary views. Lies are told about them. Their position is deliberately distorted. They are smeared and personally attacked. Sometimes, they are threatened with physical harm. This puts a chill on democracy, making individuals think twice about expressing dissent. We received messages like "if you can't get behind our troops, get in front," "16 idiots," and "you deserve to be taken to Afghanistan and strapped to a roadside IED."

The other worrisome trend among the detractors was the glorification of the military in Canadian history, only made possible by a complete re-writing of that history. We were instructed that we enjoyed our freedom of speech, our democratic system, and our constitution thanks to the sacrifices of the military. It seems our democratic system rests on the firm foundation of our military, the defender and author of our freedoms.

This is historically untrue. Our democracy was fought for and won over many generations by movements of common people struggling for freedom, justice and dignity. In 1837-38, the Reformers in Upper Canada and the Patriotes in Lower Canada fought for responsible government. Louis Riel, and the movements he led, fought twice for the democratic rights of westerners, including the Metis and First Nations, in Confederation. The organized farmers in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s struggled against the special interests dominating our politics, and created new political vehicles which won power in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, creating reform-oriented third parties -- the Progressive party, the CCF and Social Credit movements -- which forced change on the old parties. The suffragettes won the vote for women. Workers fought for generations for the right to organize to get a better deal from their bosses. The democracy we enjoy today emerged from the struggles of common people who organized movements for change and gradually won many of their demands.

[url=http://anthrojustpeace.blogspot.com/2010/04/freedom-in-spite-of-military... Conway[/url]