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Remembrance Day


fullmetal

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Re: Remembrance Day

For those that bravely fought for what they were told and believed it was right, I salute you. And not only to those that quarrelled in the World Wars, but for all the wars ever to have come to existence.
(Sorry for this post's tardiness, computer got messed up by the rain)
 

maikochan

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Re: Remembrance Day

That time of year again... Honestly, given the problems happening in the Middle-East, between Russia and the rest of the world, between China and the rest of the world, and between the USA and the rest of the world, I wonder if we actually have forgotten...

"Lest we forget" and all...

I'm delivering newspapers right now (well, not as of this writing), and on the Globe and Mail's front page today were just the words "Lest we forget" on a white void. I had some Globes on my dash as I was driving around, and those words were reflected back to me in the windshield and kinda got stuck in my head. When I got home, first thing I did was to look up the definition of "Lest". It indicates an intention to prevent something or to avoid the risk of something. But what is it that we're trying to prevent from being forgotten?

Our dead soldiers? Sure. They fought and died for their country, whichever country that may be. We only tend to remember the soldiers who fell in defense of our own nation, however. What about the soldiers who fought for what were once our enemies? Was their loss any less significant to their families? Sure they may have been on the losing side (or not, we tend to forget our failures much more easily), but who's to say it was the wrong side?

I don't know about elsewhere in the world quite as much, but here in Canada, it seems like there's been a growing glorification of our military. I hear talk about how Canada was born out of the War of 1812, or was defined in the First World War, or about our contributions during the Second. Then, of course, there was the conflict in Afghanistan.

The other newspaper I deliver, the Chronicle Herald, the local paper (which ran a rather poignant editorial cartoon after the Ottawa shootings last month which you can see ) has been running a series of pieces under a banner of "The Great War", which refers to the First World War. The only great thing about that, was the great loss of life. It was a messy, ugly war which, in its resolution, opened the doors to the atrocities that lead up to the second World War. Yah, let's be proud of that.

Of course, there's other things to be proud of too, or rather, things we should express the intention to not forget as well. We're literally raping our land up here. There's the oil sands, of course, then there's the oil and gas exploration going on in the northern part of our country. Shale gas over here in the east. Pipelines being built in a spiderweb across the continent. Then there's our government's reprehensible actions in international climate talks. Really makes one proud to wear the maple leaf.

I mentioned rape before, how about in a more human-to-human context? A rather high profile public broadcaster was recently fired after he was accused by several women (I've lost count of how many) of assaulting them. Two members of parliament were suspended over allegations of "personal misconduct" from two female MPs. And we certainly don't have a societal issue that causes aboriginal women to have drastically higher chances of going missing or being murdered. At least, that's according to our Prime Minister, the Right and Honourable Stephen Harper.

Really, I'm not sure how proud I should be of being Canadian right now. There's good people here! Really! Just like there's good people everywhere. Yet, on the large scale we go and take a dump on them. It's not a Canadian thing though, happens all over the world. I guess I should say I'm not sure how proud I should be of even being Human right now. We can be so much better than we are, but we're sliding backwards. Prioritizing short-term gains over long-term survival, national glory over international cooperation, dogmatic extremism over rational discussion.

Lest we forget,
Or we'll never remember again.
 
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Sinfulwolf

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Re: Remembrance Day

It was called the Great War, not because it was a good thing, but because it was so large, so terrible. It had been called the War to End All Wars because people honestly thought that with it being so broadcasted (for the time period anyway) that no one could honestly want to enter another conflict after it.

The pride we Canadians have from WW1 stems from Vimy Ridge. It was the first all Canadian operation, and it was successful where other nations had not been. We made a reputation for ourselves, other politicians began to properly regard Canada as a true sovereign nation. So, it was not the war itself that we are proud of, but how we conducted ourselves within in.

As for the Second World war, there are children in Belgium cities that go out to care for Canadian cemeteries, in the Netherlands there are still national events connecting Canada and Holland in their thanks for the actions of our soldiers. Was the war as black and white as the media likes to portray... no. My grandfather was Wehrmacht, and I remember his actions just as much as anyone else's on this day. And those of his comrades. And my own.

Today, I remember the fallen, but also those that have left the battlefield behind and still struggle. The families that must stand beside the returned, or are left to pick up the pieces of a shattered family. I have lost far too many friends upon Canadian soil because of anguish they gained in lands far from home, helping people.
 

Copper

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Re: Remembrance Day

Rezing because of relevance. Because many on the forum serve or have served.

*raises glass* It's a small thing for all you've done but know that it is appreciated by those of us you're looking after.
 
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Sinfulwolf

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Re: Remembrance Day

Thank you Copp.

Of the many glasses I've raised today... to my fallen comrades. To the families of those who've paid the steepest price. To those separated by the duty that drags one across the world. To those displaced, made homeless, orphaned or slain by conflict.

May the world find peace some day. That this job no longer be necessary.
 

Hopeyouguess62

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Re: Remembrance Day

And here's to all the servicemembers that are standing a boring watch or swabbing the deck today. Military life is often tedious and rarely glamorous, and there are no holidays during a deployment. Cheers.
 
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Sinfulwolf

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Re: Remembrance Day

This is a bit early, but since I'll be fairly busy day of, I'd like to take this time to revive this thread.

Many nations have some form of Remembrance Day (as it is in Canada). A day to remember the fallen in wars far off, and for many, not so far away. But also to remember the families left behind, those who struggle with the things they have witnessed and the acts committed. Friends who are no longer with us, and those who have lost the struggle past the time they have returned home. Parents who will never get to see their children grow old, children who will never get their parents to see them grow old.

For me, the 11th of November is a day to remember the good times as well as the bad. To celebrate the lives of those who never returned, and to comfort those that did. We will drink, we will tell stories. We will laugh, we will cry.

Never forget as well, there are too many out there, that every day is Remembrance Day.
 

Courage Wolf

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Re: Remembrance Day

It's a crime that this thread went unattended for this long today. A gods be damned Shame.

Fuck anything else going on in the world, Today is the day we remember, hence the day's name. To all those in uniform, active, reserve, veteran, and to those poor fuckers who never made it back. To the living wounded and the walking dead, those plagued by nightmares, and those who gave more.

Thank You. From the bottom of my heart Thank you. Raise a glass everyone, for anyone who swore to the creed and code, who put on those tags and took a real fucking stand for something.
 
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