Flying the Flag - A Red Herring

I'd just like to register my bewilderment at why the LPC is making an issue out of the so-called "flag flap," that is, the Conservative Party's reversal of a half-mast flag on the Peace Tower every time a Canadian soldier dies. To me, this makes sense, and there are more important things to fight about.

For one thing, imagine the Americans doing something like this - their flag would be at half-mast 24/7. Isn't the best way to honour the sacrifice of Canadian troops to fly the flag that they fought under?

Also, aren't the memories of soldiers who died during past wars cheapened by a policy which lowers the flag for certain soldiers today, when they received no such honour?

Finally, isn't Rememberance Day the day we're supposed to remember our fallen soldiers? Does it not make more sense to use the day designed for their memories to remember our dead, rather than dilute its impact by invoking its spirit almost daily?

To me, it's a red herring that the LPC is imposing on itself. The primary worry ought to be Harper once again showing his dictatorial and authoritarian side by refusing to allow the media to cover the patriation of our war dead. This is a policy similar to the Republican policy in the US, and the goal in both cases is pretty clear - to keep the Canadian public from seeing images that could be harmful to the ruling party. It's shameful, and it should be fought. Spending time worrying about when the flag is and isn't flying is a bit silly when there's a real issue to worry about.

It reminds me of the Emerson/Fortier issue. Where the real issue should be that unaccountable party hack in the Senate controlling billions of dollars worth of government spending (Fortier), Liberals have spent more time and energy attacking a turn-coat (Emerson), as if that's the real issue.