This year’s Remembrance Day should have special relevance to Canadians. In 2006 alone the Canadian Forces suffered 34 of the 42 total casualties in Afghanistan. Yet a recent survey has shown that the public is losing touch with Canadian military history.
Furthermore the Royal Canadian Legion, a national veterans organization, has to compete with peace activists. This year a clash over the distribution of poppies was all over the headlines. The traditional symbol of Remembrance Day (and Armistice Day) is the red poppy which symbolizes the bloodshed of war. Peace activists have adopted the white poppy as a symbol of settling differences without military force. The vets feel that distributing the white poppies around the same time as Remembrance Day is disrespectful and I completely agree. November 11th is a date of historical significance and is reserved for veterans. White poppies should be distributed some other time during the year.
Canadians truly need a time to focus on the military without any dilution or distraction, as the abovementioned survey indicates. A time to respect those that fought and fell in the past, and a time for debating the future. War is a large part of human existence, it should not be ignored and should be reflected on regularly. Lest we forget…
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COMMENTS / 9 COMMENTS
von Kaufman-Turkestansky added these pithy words on 11 Nov 06 at 12:53 pmI would go so far as to say let every other day of the year be for peace, but let’s keep our focus for Nov 11. Actually, the whole point of remembrance is to honour the sacrifice of the veterans and put our minds to making that sacrifice worthwhile. They gave their lives so that we can live in peace.
There is an interesting petition on line right now, for those Canadians who might be interested:
dave added these pithy words on 11 Nov 06 at 1:54 pmThe Peace Pledge Union – who came up with the white popppy – spent 1940 sharing platforms with fascists and anti-semites. It’s leaders Morris, Ben Greene and the Marquis of Tavistock were out and out jew haters. Objectively pacifists always end up on the side of the bullies and murderers. Read some history.
Younghusband added these pithy words on 11 Nov 06 at 2:43 pmSomeone mentioned to me that it is indicative that the peace activists chose white — the color of surrender…
GRY added these pithy words on 11 Nov 06 at 6:05 pmCorrect me if I’m wrong, but I thought it was 11.11.11, not 11.11.11:11.
moorethanthis added these pithy words on 12 Nov 06 at 2:22 amGRY, I believe you are right. YH, it’s 1 minute’s silence at 11:00 on 11/11 – the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
Younghusband added these pithy words on 12 Nov 06 at 3:33 amAnd I guess the official recommended time is 2 minutes.
@vKT: For people in our field every day is Remembrance Day. But the general Canadian public is far too distant from their own history. I am glad to see more and more people are getting interested in Canada’s role in WWI and WWII. I hope the trend continues.
Curzon added these pithy words on 12 Nov 06 at 3:58 amGRY: The actual armistice was formalized at 11am, but the remembrance time is “11.11.11:11.” At least that’s my understanding.
GRY added these pithy words on 12 Nov 06 at 5:17 amI recognize it’s only a minor point, but I can’t seem to find any site that corroborates the assertion that 11:11 is the time of observance. According to the British Embassy in Washington, “Common British, Canadian, South African and ANZAC traditions include two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain and France) when the armistice became effective. The two minutes recall World War I and World War II. Before 1945 the silence was for one minute, and today some ceremonies still only have one minute of silence despite this.”
http://www.britainusa.com/sections/articles_show_nt1.asp?a=45235&i=60062&L1=41013&L2=60062&d=-1
von Kaufman-Turkestansky added these pithy words on 12 Nov 06 at 2:51 pmIn five years we will note (20)11/11/11/11:11:11. Set your digital alarms now!
