By Andrew Perez
We all support the troops, but police cars and city vehicles are no place for politics.
Three days after Ottawa Police Chief Vernon White announced that the city’s 180 marked police vehicles would now sport “Support our Troops” stickers, Coun. Alex Cullen and others condemned the decision. Public vehicles should not be “billboards for political beliefs,” he said.
Cullen was one of only two city councillors to vote against placing American-style decals on city vehicles, and it is a vote for which he deserves credit.
While city council tried to emphasize that decals were not an endorsement of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, their vote, whether intentionally or not, leads to direct support for the war.
Those who champion the “Support our Troops” campaign are quick to point out that the stickers do not denote direct support for the war in Afghanistan. Royal Canadian Legion spokesperson Bob Butt told the Ottawa Citizen the city should be applauded for setting aside politics and making a statement that backs Canada’s soldiers.
Yet, where are Canadian soldiers currently deployed? Afghanistan. Canada does not have a large contingent of troops anywhere else in the world. No matter how passionately city officials try to sell the decal stickers as a feel good policy, the issue has become politically charged.
It is well within every individual’s right to wear red on Friday, or sport a decal on his or her vehicle, but for the city to spend an estimated $15,000 to put politically charged stickers on all city-owned vehicles with taxpayers’ money is unacceptable.
Of course, we all support the troops and their families. Surely, however, bumper stickers are not the only way for the city to show its support for the soldiers.
Sean McKenny, president of the Ottawa District Labour Council, told the Ottawa Citizen he wishes there was some other way to show support for Canadian soldiers. He said he would support council’s move, if the stickers had not become symbols of support for the war in Afghanistan.
And McKenny is right. In fact, many senior government ministers have said Canadians should not differentiate between support for our troops, and support for the mission, making it all the more difficult to understand city council’s reasoning.
Cullen was right when he said the role of public vehicles is to discharge civic responsibilities, not become billboards for political beliefs.
This raises the question: Where do we draw the line?
Does this now open city vehicles to bumper stickers about marijuana laws and right to life issues? This is clearly not the role of public vehicles.
Ottawa, however, is not the only Canadian municipality to struggle with the issue. In August, a private investment firm took out a newspaper ad in Calgary asking city council to reverse a decision not to put stickers on city vehicles. But the Calgary city council has not revisited the issue.
The point of crucial importance here is that placing decals on public vehicles is a direct political statement, whether city council realizes it or not.
Council is using the decals to appeal to pro-war supporters, while arguing the stickers do not translate into support for the Afghanistan war. It is deceiving and dishonest to say the least.
But why are decals political symbols? The Support our Troops decals have become synonymous with the Afghanistan mission. They have become a direct symbol of support for the war and are provided by the Department of Defence which is responsible for spearheading the war in Afghanistan.
While the police chief, city council, and even many city residents might not view the decals as political symbols, they have come to represent Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.
Although it is unlikely at this point, Ottawa’s city council would be wise to follow in Calgary’s foot steps and reverse its decision to fund “Support our Troops” stickers for all city vehicles.
In the future, city council must stay away from backing causes that might necessarily become political.
While some might dismiss the decals as mere stickers, these very stickers have come to represent support for a controversial war that Canada is currently involved in.
The decals also send the wrong signal to those city residents who might not support the war in Afghanistan.
In the future, city council would be wise to remain neutral on political causes such as Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.
After all, city council is elected first and foremost to serve city residents, not controversial political or social causes.