By Gord Moose | Opinion | North of Polite

On Saturday night, Captain Kenneth Kunkel walked his four grandchildren around the neighbourhood for Halloween. On Sunday afternoon, he was supervising young Air Cadets collecting poppy donations in Hamilton. By the time that afternoon was over, paramedics had taken him to hospital with injuries police described as life-altering. He underwent spinal surgery. His family says he still cannot walk. As Canadians, we should be furious that a man who gave so much of his time to young people is now facing a recovery his family can only take one day at a time. CityNews interview with the family

Hamilton police say two youths blasted an air horn into the ears of cadets outside a restaurant at Centre Mall on November 1. Kunkel, 59, followed them inside to confront them. Police allege a woman who wasn’t initially involved assaulted him, causing him to fall, and that one of the youths then struck him several times. A 12-year-old boy faces charges of assault and aggravated assault. A 48-year-old woman faces a charge of aggravated assault. The charges are allegations that have yet to be proven in court. Hamilton Police statement

What disgusts me is the cruelty in the account police have given. Start with the kids at the poppy table. They gave up part of a Sunday to do something for veterans and their families. Someone thought it was acceptable to blast a horn in their ears. Then, police allege, the man looking out for them was struck repeatedly after he fell. Imagine being one of those cadets and going home with that in your head. Imagine being one of the people who had to call his family.

Kunkel’s son says his father has spent nearly 20 years helping cadets. That’s two decades of making time for other people’s kids, getting to know them and earning their trust. His own grandchildren went trick-or-treating with him the night before. Now his family is waiting to find out how much mobility he might regain. They are living with the consequences long after the rest of us put down our phones and move on to the next story. CHCH interview with Kunkel’s daughter

We spend a lot of time in November saying we honour service. Here is a chance to mean it. Kunkel’s daughter has asked Canadians to keep wearing poppies and supporting veterans. Do that. Thank the cadets who are still out there giving their time. Give them room to talk about what happened if they choose to. And when November 11 has passed and the poppy boxes come down, remember that Captain Kunkel and his family will still be living through this. They deserve a community that keeps showing up. Summary of CBC’s interview with Kimberly Dietrich · The Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy Campaign

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