Conservatives ban media coverage of coffins

If this story sounds familiar, there are parallels to the U.S. situation. After Canadian newspapers carried front-page photos of four flag-draped coffins of soldiers killed in Afghanistan, the Harper government brought on a ban on news coverage.

This is bad enough. But when coupled with the government's decision not to lower the national flag to half-staff to mark the soldiers' deaths, is there a reaction to blow off the casualties?

The U.S. of course had banned news coverage of coffins coming back from Iraq from Day One.

Response from other party leaders was not surprising. "What is the prime minister trying to hide by dishonoring fallen soldiers?" New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton asked in the House of Commons on Tuesday. "We should not be trying to hide these things," echoed Liberal Party leader Bill Graham.

While the U.S. has debated more about troops in Iraq, concern over Canadians in Afghanistan has gathered steam recently. It's easy to say this started when Harper gained control. The movement was in the works before the takeover, but since Harper has come into power, momentum has been gaining.

Harper has said the government is protecting the privacy of grieving families, an argument Bush has made.