Unsolicited
schmooze mail from Military
Public Affairs Officer
May - June, 2006
YayaCanada has received emailed persuasion from Lt. Paul Finnemore asking to meet with him to
discuss activism issues.
Are these emails a reconnaissance mission? Is the
Harper machine expecting huge street protests if it gains a majority in
the next election? Is it planning to use the military to put down
demonstrations?
Note,
this dude is a "Public
Affairs"
officer. Translation: Spin person for the military. Translation:
Fibber extraordinaire.
During the Moose
Jaw air show where two planes collided, it was Paul Finnemore who
handled the media, and he was reportedly quite good at it.
Now note: He's says been given a "research project". Translation:
Intelligence gathering.
Note also: they want to talk to the "most experienced and
highly involved member of the
group".
Translation: "Take me to your leader."
If there's one thing activists know, it's that
the uniforms sent out to control them and deprive them of their
democratic freedoms will always ask the same question, "Who's in charge
here?".
These demo busters are themselves so
conditioned to following orders and walking in lockstep, that they
think we do too. They imagine that if they target and take out our
"leader", our activism will fold.
Note further: (and this is the worrisome part)
Finnemore says, "...or
during scheduled
demonstrations." -
a strong hint that the
Harper
government is planning to use the military for crowd control.
Now, speaking of
Christianity: Guess what organization the good Lt. Finnemore belongs
to. You got it - Military Christian
Fellowship.
He even wrote a piece for their newsletter
in which he said "... our God given mission [is] to lead every
member of our military to Christ."
Finnemore believes that military leadership
should be carried out "with Christian principles and morality as a
basis." His notion of principles and morality is very likely
the same as Teen Mania's; it
relates only to sexual practices, the use of foul language, and
substance abuse.
This will keep the military from raping but
not likely from asexually torturing and killing civilians.
| This first email message
was sent to myself and at least one other activist group in Ottawa |
To: <yayacanada.com>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 3:16 PM
Subject: Interview
Greetings,
My name is Paul Finnemore. I am a military public affairs officer in
training in Ottawa. I am writing to see if their may be a possibility
of meeting one of your members for an interview that would be part of a
research project I've been given. I am trying to find out a way that we
in the military can effectively communicate with peace activist groups.
My idea is to provide some kind of standard communications guidance for
public affairs officers across the country. I believe it is important
for us in the military to understand all of the Canadian public through
effective and productive dialogue.
I would like to speak with a member of your organization who is
experienced and highly involved. What I would
like to talk about are
things such as what your group would expect of appreciate in terms of
communication with the military at any time or during scheduled
demonstrations. I would also like to gain some feedback on the
mood of
the peace activist community with regards to our military today.
Thank you for your time and feel free to phone or email me for any
necessary clarification.
Sincerely,
Paul Finnemore
Second Lieutenant
Maritime Staff Public Affairs
|
| YayaCanada tries a
little humour. |
From: YayaCanada.com
To: Lt. Paul Finnemore
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: Interview
Attachment: ifyoudon't.mid
<==Click to enjoy the music
Dear Lt. Finnemore:
If you don't know me by now
You will never never never know me
All the things that we've been through
You should understand me like I understand you
With all best wishes,
Corinne Allan
http://www.yayacanada.com |
| Samah Sabawi finds it
funny, but Lt. Finnemore is silent for a while. |
From: Samah Sabawi
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 2:51 PM
Subject: Interview
Ha ha! Hopefuly he wont respond with Sting's "Every step
you take, every move you make ...I'll be watching you". It is
amazing how hard it is for these guys to digest how transparent we
really are.
YYC:
Thanks for the laugh!!! It takes a devious mind not to know that
with us activists - what you see is what you get. |
Lt. Finnemore tries
another tack and raises YayaCanada's hackles:
|
FromFrom: <Finnemore.AP2@forces.gc.ca>
To: <yyc@yayacanada.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 4:09 PM
Subject: Thank you
Dear Corinne,
I just want to thank you for helping me with my research project which
is in fact all that it is. I wish it were intelligence gathering, that
would much more exciting. In all seriousness, I am just a young Second
Lieutenant on a Public Affairs training course. It is your right not to
believe me and all I can do is tell you the truth.
I thank you for contributing to my research in that I have learned that
commuication will be very difficult between the military and some
activist groups. I respect how passionate you are with regards to your
convictions.
If I may suggest, and you can take this or leave it, and if you are
secure in your beliefs, you
should be excited about such an opportunity. In the future it could
potentially give you a very priviledged platform from which to voice
your views and concerns. It can't hurt. However, I must say that
usually these projects are not utilized to the real world.
However, I imagine you're thinking that I'm just trying harder to
infiltrate your organization and that is your right. I would still like
to meet with you and chat over a spot of tea. You contact me and name
the time and the place. I think you might be pleasantly surprised if
you knew me as Paul.
I write this opening myself up to further ridicule. Please remember I
am human too. I understand your frustration with injustice, hypocrysy
and mass selfishness. I hate seeing people begging on the street in
such a rich yet moraly void country and will frequently sit on the
ground and talk human to human.
All the best,
Paul
945-0902
|
YayaCanada sternly
replies:
|
From: YayaCanada.com
To: Finnemore.AP2@forces.gc.ca
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 7:14 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you
Dear Paul:
Here's the thing. What I know about you is that if you were given
an order to shoot me at a demonstration, you would do it. You
would follow orders just as the Nazi soldiers did. Do you really
think I should be having tea with somebody who would shoot me on
command?
Without people like you who blindly follow orders there would be no
wars, I would not be out demonstrating, and you would not have to make
nice with me as a "research project".
You presume to tell me what I "should
be excited about", so let me tell
you what you should be ashamed of, and that is your attempt to entice
me by alluding to a "very priviledged platform". If you had
bothered to study my website, you would have learned that I don't
believe in "privileged" anything, nor should you. All people
deserve an equal voice in a democracy.
What do I expect of the military? I expect them stay at home and
"stand on guard" for Canada in case of invasion - which in history has
never been done to us by any country other than the United States.
And both the military and the police should stop getting in the way of
the people's communication with their government.
We all must face the horrible fact that there is no "war on
terror". Far more human and environmental tragedy and mayhem is
being caused by state terrorism than any rag tag militants could ever
dream of inflicting. These wars, including Israel's war on the
Palestinians, are the result of racism, narcissism, obscene greed and
the desire of a few to dominate the many.
When you begin to publicly oppose these wars and occupations - as many
of your US counterparts are doing - and when you have convinced some of
your military buddies to do the same, I'll believe that you
"understand" my "frustration", and I'll be happy to have a spot of tea
with you. I'll even buy you a muffin.
By the way, I don't wish to hurt your feelings, but your sentence: "I
must say that usually these projects are not utilized to the real
world" makes no sense, and there are several spelling errors in your
text. As someone who wants to communicate, you need to study
sentence structure, spelling, and proper word useage.
Best wishes,
Corinne
http://www.yayacanada.com |
Finnemore responds
quickly, and YayaCanada almost melts. He says he understands me.
Such a sweet boy. He even promises not to shoot me, but he
completely overlooks my most (I thought) salient point - you know,
about the bribery.
|
From: Finnemore.AP2@forces.gc.ca
To: yyc@yayacanada.com
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 11:04 AM
Subject: RE: Thank you
Hey Corinne,
Point taken. You're definitely right about the grammar and spelling. I
will make an effort to improve those skills and overcome my inclusion
in the "spell checker" generation.
I always knew that there may come a day when I may have to refuse to
follow orders because it would go against my personal convictions. This
actually coincides with some training I received at the Royal Military
College. In my fourth year, we had a mandatory class in military ethics
(I know this would seem like an oxymoron). They incorporated this
policy so that we would have "thinking soldiers who do not blindly
follow orders as robots do". We conducted a number of case studies and
the one that sticks in my mind is the My Lai massacre. I have had
discussions with my military friends about this idea and will now do it
more passionately to support the concept of thinking soldiers.
I can tell you that I would never shoot into a crowd of demonstrators
exercising their democratic right.
I don't want to take up all your time but what do you think of the
Christian relief organization, Samaritan's Purse? I have thought of
leaving the military and becoming involved with them.
If you just want to end this back and forth emailing, I understand. By
the way, I love muffins. I hope that perhaps one day we can have that
chat. The thought crossed my mind that I may be taking the risk of
getting a pie in the face and having my picture taken and posted on
your site. I guess now this won't happen as we can only meet when I get
my own small "a" anarchist web site. Now I've given you the pie
idea....darn.
I truly do wish you all the best Corinne and respect your
steadfastness.
Paul
|
When
I forwarded a copy
of this to other activists, I said, "This is my last, because it takes
too much time and effort and he doesn't get it." Lt. Finnemore
has so far not responded. Perhaps he was left speechless; I do
tend to have that effect. Or perhaps he received orders not to
waste his time because obviously I am a hardened activist case.
|
PaulFrom: YayaCanada.com
To: Finnemore.AP2@forces.gc.ca
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2006 6:04 PM
Subject: Re: Thank you
Nice sentiments, Paul, but what if your personal convictions were
altered? What if your deepest emotions and fears were appealed to
in the same way they are in a religious conversion? That's how
military indoctrination works to ensure that you do obediently follow
the orders given.
What if you became convinced that you had to kill for the security of
Canada, and your wife and children? That's how Harper gained
enough support for the two year extension in Afghanistan. He
cited 9-11 to play on the MPs' uncertainties and fears, just as Bush
used it to justify attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq that were actually
planned years before 9-11.
Do you seriously believe that military intel isn't involved in false
flag operations, and are not capable of carrying one out in Canada to
justify cracking down on street demonstrations? You think that
sounds paranoid? But who is the most paranoid among us? The
military and the police, who have been led to believe there are
potential terrorists on every streetcorner and can't understand why the
people don't believe it too.
What if your commanding officer convinced you that some of the
protesters were deadly terrorists, but you couldn't be certain which
ones? There are certainly Muslims among us considered by CSIS to
be potential terrorists, and others who routinely protest the famous
security certificate incarcerations of Muslim men in Canada.
Who would you be more likely to believe - your commanding officer or
the demonstrators assuring you they are innocent and peaceful?
But do you know why you never have to worry about getting a pie thrown
at you? Because that would be considered a violent act by us
protesters. A teddy bear, maybe, but a pie, no way.
If that day comes when protesters are once again being shot by the
military in North America, it will be seen as a necessary evil by the
pro-Israel religious Right who have judged Islam to be a satanic
doctrine bent on destroying Israel and the world. So will you go
against the tenets of your religion as well?
Can you guess now what I think of the eschatological Samaritan's Purse,
which offers blatant bribes to the hapless victims of natural disasters
to woo them away from their religion? They do seem more concerned
with earning for themselves credit points so that they won't be Left
Behind in the imminent Rapture than about the massacres of Muslim
innocents in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and soon Iran.
In other words, Paul, you don't have go back as far as Mai Lai to get
your examples, but do you imagine that any of those soldiers ever
imagined they would kill civilians?
Samaritan's Purse is a misnomer for that organization, anyway.
The Samaritan of the Bible didn't try to indoctrinate the man he helped.
C
|
yayacanada.com
|
