By Scott Taylor
There is no question that hockey commentator Don Cherry’s controversial remarks and subsequent firing proved polemic well beyond the normal reach of the Hockey Night in Canada audience. But the Cherry saga was perhaps at its most divisive among the very veterans’ community, which the aging sportscaster was purporting to defend.
The reason for this is that for decades now Cherry has been seen as the country’s biggest booster of the Canadian Armed Forces. He would use his weekly pulpit on Coach’s Corner to heap praise on Canadian troops and during the Afghanistan conflict he made it a point to recognize and mourn every soldier killed on duty.
Cherry also made numerous trips to visit Canadian troops in the field, often giving up his Christmas holiday to serve soldiers their festive turkey.
The night that Cherry made his off-colour remarks he was wearing a Royal Canadian Legion blazer and the regimental tie of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
It is therefore no wonder that many Canadians – including a large majority of my own extended family – believed that Cherry is himself a veteran. The truth is Cherry never served in uniform, but his dedication and support for the military is clearly evident.
That said, his remarks were both racist and divisive. So that I cannot be accused of taking things out of context, lets review his bumbling statement in its entirety.
“You people love – they come here, whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you could pay a few bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys pay for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price,” said Cherry.
The Cherry apologists would have people believe that there was a single slip-up wherein Grapes used the term “you people” instead of what he now claims should have been ‘everybody.’
That is clearly not the case and it is undeniable that Cherry was singling out immigrants in his rant.
On the topic of Canadians wearing poppies to display repect for our men and women in uniform, I would whole-heartedly agree with Cherry that every Canadian should participate. However it would defeat the purpose if Canadians were forced to wear one – or as Cherry would have it – shamed into wearing one.
The very freedom that was earned by those soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice means Canadians have the option to wear a poppy.
That so many Canadians of all stripes are opting out of wearing these symbols of Remembrance means that we are failing to educate people as to what these poppies represent – and why we wear them every November.
During the decade long conflict in Afghanistan, the steady flow of flag draped coffins put a new look on Remembrance Ceremonies. People were engaged with out troops’ deployment in Kandahar to such a degree that the ‘Canadian Soldier’ was named Newsmaker of the year in 2006.
On 22 October, 2014, Corporal Nathan Cirillo was gunned down by a terrorist at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Ottawa, our soldiers’ sacrifice was brought all too close to home.
That year’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial attracted the biggest crowd in history.
However it is obvious that Canadians have short memories when it comes to our military. A poll conducted in 2018 showed that the majority of Canadians had no understanding of what role the Canadian Armed Forces preform.
If we do not know our present, let alone our history, then pinning a little red flower to our lapel for a few days each year is pointless. I agree with Cherry’s sentiment that everyone should wear a poppy, but only if they actually understand what it means.
As for Rogers firing Cherry over this latest outburst, it seems a little hypocritical to be upset by this given that the 85 year old should have been retired twenty years ago. Remember, this is the guy that once thought it was ‘sissy’ for Swedes to wear helmets in the NHL.
