Why does everyone seem to think Remembrance Day is a day to thank war vets? That is NOT what it is about. It is a day to remember and pay tribute to soldiers who died, not soldiers who survived. That is what Veteran’s Day is for in the States. When surviving war vets show up at Remembrance Day ceremonies, they’re not there to be celebrated, they’re there to pay their own respect, like you and I, to their fallen comrades. Nothing against thanking survivors, but the day should be reserved for what it is, a memorial. Celebrate the lives and memory and actions of those who died on Remembrance Day, people. It’s what the day was made for. —The Only One Who Seems to Know
This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2012.
I think the point is to remember a whole lot more than just the people who died. How about…
Why they fought the wars in the first place
Who fought in the war (people and countries)
The hardships they all endured
Survivors who are still scarred to this day
The incredible change that those events brought about on a global scale
I’m sure there’s many more things worth remembering, that can be added to that list. The entire generation deserves remembering
It doesn’t help when the schools call it Veteran’s Day. A friend of mine referred to it as Veteran’s Day and I asked her what the hell she was talking about. I said it’s Remembrance Day and she told me the schools call it Veteran’s Day.
You honor the dead,in part, by making an attempt to understand what the survivors must carry. They are our connection to an experience that we can never fully know. Thanking them is not the whole meaning of the Day; but it’s not mutually exclusive, either.
“It is a day to remember and pay tribute to soldiers who died, not soldiers who survived.” (The Only One Who Seems to Know)
What an odd distinction. Why must Remembrance Day be restricted to those who died and not those who survived? While “to remember” means to recall that which no longer exists – in this case those veterans who died in war – why cannot one also “pay tribute” – to show appreciation to those veterans who did not? Both the living and dead were engaged in the same thing. What is the basis of the distinction? Can one remember without simultaneously paying tribute or pay tribute without simultaneously remembering? Are both, incomprehensibly, somehow distinct sorts of stand-alone activities? What is this all about? Why the hair-splitting?
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
* New avatar!
“THE TORCH BE YOURS TO HOLD IT HIGH”…OP maybe read the poem by John McCrae again, very much the survivors need to be reconized.
A day to remember …
The absolute disgusting acts committed by man against man. -no that never comes up
The policies of greed by those delusional egomaniacs who ‘lead’ the countrys into war – never hear anything about that either
The favoritism show to the rich, the elite & connected to save their sons & now daughters from the meat grinder, to allow them the luxuries denied to the rest – That rarely shows its head or comes up in conversation
THe stupidity of those who blindly follow the rhetoric & outright lies of their leaders & fight for GOD & Country …while their opposites do exactly the same thing – I can’t remember anyone ever talking about that either.
No all we remember is the deaths & sacrifices by the poor /middle class masses & the delusional with the blind as usually following a call to go kill your fellow man without question . & instead of calling it murders, we drape it in euphimisms like honorable & noble & just causes of death
Yeah I remember alright , I remember the stupidity & that it is still going on right now, today & has been nonstop since before WW2 !
Too bad the rest of the world’s population wouldn’t remember & maybe learn this & remember it. The next time your leaders tell you ” we ” need to go to war , you tell them Yes Sir …RIGHT BEHIND YOU !
Because if they aren’t physically right there with me leading the charge ,I guarantee you I’m not going to be there either .
Maybe if all of us remember that it is a huge waste of time, lives & resources that won’t make a bit off difference in 500 years from now, & killing each other on mass will never solve ANYTHING
Maybe that’s what we need a Remembering Day for, to remember the stupidity of the conflict in the first place.. perhaps if all of us spinning about on this tiny insignificant planet in a small solar system of a rather mundane galaxy we might reconsider the out right slaughter of untold thousands & be horrified by it, instead of thinking about the “noble sacrifices”.
But no, all everyone would rather do is forget the truth & remember the bullshit you’ve been taught to remember & never ever speak out about the status quo.
Sorry for upsetting you all with the truth ,this day depresses the hell out of me.
I actually agreed with something Montrealman said. Galactus must be nigh.
Originally decreed to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty; the federal department of Veterans Affairs Canada states that the date is of “remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace”.
So OB, you’d rather we forget about those who are still alive as their contrbution isn’t as good as the one’s who died, right?
Just want to check to be certain I have your assertions correct…
(ya’ fucking’ cunt)
It’s a free country, I can think about whoever I want on Remembrance Day.
PS: Way to go, Meaty, on your first good post ~<:)
it’s a half dozen of one, and 6 of the other. let it go o.p., before the anti war people vent their wrath on you.
Remembrance Day is a day to remember the tremendous loss brought by war and to understand how we got where we are.
Settle down, sebastian. Fairies don’t win wars in white loafers and fake lashes.
http://www.athenstaxigroup.com/Portals/0/A…
Thanks Mel!
*ya cunt*
Really because I thought it was a day to remember all the horrible things that war brings and all the sacrifices made for our freedom.
It doesn’t matter if someone gave their life, time, money, support or prayers. On Remembrance Day I’ll remember and be thanful for anyone who ever did anything to bring peace and freedom to the world.
You don’t have to be dead to be worth remembering!
Yup More I’m with ya, I appreciate the sacrifices made by individuals who believe they are fighting for a greater good but I have to say I don’t believe in what they are doing, I have never understood how war is supposed to solve anything. All it does is maybe slow the other guy down a bit, it doesn’t resolve conflict or change how people feel it’s just a pissing match, whoever has more resources wins.
if it weren’t for the WWII vets i would never have been born.
I don’t care if they’re currently alive or dead. I’m allowed to appreciate them.
By your logic, i should ignore the bereaved at a funeral because they’re still alive. Since when do you have to be dead to be remembered? Since when does sacrifice have to end in death?
http://www.amazon.ca/What-It-Is-Like-War/d…
An extremely interesting and thoughtful book which explores the experience of war and it’s effects on the warrior. It’s a whole lot more complex than us Tom Clancy/Red Friday types and the “Give Peace A Chance” brigade would like to acknowledge.
The last word on war will always belong to the warrior.
ordered the book, thanks for the link ivan.
Wow! My Pleasure GDM. Hope you enjoy.
i knew a guy in high school that signed up, went to vietnam. he came back to give a talk and all i saw were his eyes. he went back again.
then my son signed up, served in panama.
it won’t be an ‘enjoyable’ read i know. but the review i read sounds like it should be read.
http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx72/br…
For all my friends who observe Remembrance Day, whatever you conceive it to be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKU3b7rnvlQ…
thanks commander, i’m always weepy on this day, the bear’s dad died on nov 18th, i regret he didn’t get to meet the boy. the silver cross mothers always get to me too but watching the old guard standing there i always think they could probably whip our arses^^
this is kinda cool and illustrates my point http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/16…
Me too, Painey. I’ve been sitting at the keyboard with a cold libation and listening to sad songs all afternoon. Here’s one for the Bear’s Dad, since he fought in Italy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4hny_XRaw4…
the bear sends his thanks, lovely lady astor *not* rawk scree roo
Painy Who is The Bear?
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I agree completely with what you’re saying but sometimes there are assholes who are in the absolute worst political position who have to be stopped (Hitler for example, or Idi Amin) as for the majority of conflicts what you say (wrongful conflict) definitely applies (Vietnam, Iraq, Guatemala, Suez the list goes on and on) but sometimes people and regimes have to be stopped. Yes, our politicians have definitely failed us miserably for the most part but sometimes people have to go to arms and stop genocide or mass tyranny. The reality of the situation must be acknowledged regardless of how one might go into the abstract ( I am aware that vast areas of reality are subjective it really depends on the specific situation whether or not people have to kill to intervene and stop further murder).
I guess I’m trying to hint at war is war murder is murder but it really depends on the specific situation.
Killing is wrong in any circumstance but if you can cause less killing by killing the killers before you are killed that is in my mind war. You don’t see many wars like that anymore though.
Boru – The Bear is Painey’s S.O. and a great swell he is.
Daniel – in the fall of 1985 I visited the Vimy battlefields, The Monument and surrounding cemeteries. Incredibly moving, overwhelmingly sad, the emotions engendered were an uncomfortable mix of pride at being Canadian, gratitude at the reverence in which our dead are held there and anger at such a colossal waste of lives.
A week later I visited a place called Natzweiler-Struthof, and nothing I have read before or since has confirmed so well that there are, indeed, things worse than war.
My opinion, for what it’s worth.
Ivan Thanks.
I don’t think that reserving a day to remember the dead means that we must “ignore” the living and I don’t think that’s what OOWSTK meant. Why can’t we have one day to remember those who sacrificed their lives? Not only is that what the day actually is, but there aren’t many days like it. It’s an important thing, really. People really like to polarize issues, don’t they? “What? a day to remember the dead? So you’re saying those who lived don’t MATTER?!” Use your heads.
behold what the simulated future looks like….
bleak doesn’t even begin to describe it.
http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/ux…