I've been running Facebook ads for The Coward for about 6 months. These are intended to gain newsletter subscribers (and a big thank you to everyone who's subscribed!). The ads run, people share them, like them and - comment on them. The huge majority of comments are in the vein of "I hope the uniforms are going to be accurate", or "This is really needed for this time period", or "I'd love to see this type of combat depicted properly". All very straightforward, natural, supportive, interested etc.

And also... some like this:

Okay, NOPE. There is NO room in this project, either within the production of it or adjacent to it, for racist, bigoted comments or tropes. I've noticed more and more of these types. Some are clearly bot farms but many are also, equally clearly not bots. Considering the asinine words and tariffs from the current US administration I can absolutely see why many Canadians are extra patriotic right now. But racism is racism. People can have their own opinions etc, but I've zero tolerance for garbage like the above.

There have also been events like the Second Sons staging a march at the Brock Monument in Hamilton, or Rebel Media co-opting 1812 re-enactment footage for political messaging. These events and others have not gone un-noticed. Recently there was several incidents of openly political messaging by attendees at various re-enactment events. There has also been re-use of footage of re-enactment events for political messaging by dog-whistlers (like Rebel Media).

The "Crown Forces North America" is an umbrella voluntary organization made up of Re-enactors that helps coordinate and regulate (for want of a better word, I'm sure they use something much less officious-sounding) when British, Canadian and First Nations re-enactment groups come together at War of 1812 events. It is specifically inclusive of anyone interested in the hobby. Anyone. Skin colour and cultural background are irrelevant.

All War of 1812 re-enactors strive for accuracy, safety, enjoyment and inclusion. The multi-cultural aspect of the War is regularly emphasized, with equal honor and respect given to both European and Indigenous participants. These are core values of any re-enactor, most especially that of respect. For the dead, and especially for each other. An openly racist re-enactor is a re-enactor not participating in any re-enactments.

For my part, 'The Coward' is not a political film. It's about one man trying not to lose his mind in the midst of horrible violence. He chose his path (he's a volunteer, not a draftee) but he is very much out of his depth. Neither is this a story about "White struggle against the Indians" or some other bullshit trope.

I don't even feature indigenous warriors - but this is specifically due to the nature of the battlefield tactics I've chosen to explore. In "The Last Of The Mohicans", Michael Mann does an excellent job looking at the fluid and mobile nature of indigenous warfare. "The Coward" is focused solely on the experience of a line soldier, pressed shoulder to shoulder with other men. He can't move out of formation. This is not a story about a white man, but a young, confused man, who happens to be white, trapped in a place of death.

There is enough drama in that one small story about one small man in a small, but decisive war over two hundred years ago. It is a creative piece, not a political one.

Attempting to bring modern politics into it is irrelevant, distracting and unhelpful.