Poor taste

“..some could argue that it’s tacky to use a holiday to peddle war and death.”

To those people who honestly think this, (and I think/hope they are in the minority), I have this to say:
For one, it’s not a holiday. Just because school, gov’t offices and most retail outlets are closed, it doesn’t make it a holiday. It’s not a celebration and it’s not SUPPOSED to be religious or political, though there are some out there that like to think/make it so. It’s not, “Hey Bob. We’re all going up to the cottage for the Remembrance Day long weekend. You coming?” It’s an observance. A day of remembrance, mourning, respect and gratitude. It’s essentially a national memorial service for those men and women, (those who died AND those who were lucky enough to have survived) who felt it was their duty to serve their country and help defend the principles on which it was founded, (however flawed some of you may think those are).

The day does, in no way, glorify war or peddle death and destruction. (People who use this argument really burn my ass!) On the contrary, it serves to remind us all of the absolutely devastating toll war takes on people, serving and non-serving alike. Families, friends, communities, provinces and the country as a whole all feel the incredible sacrifice and pain that war brings. The day is meant to reflect on that sacrifice and pain in hopes that it may never happen again. It’s a day to teach our youth, the future Canada, that war should be avoided if at all possible and for the hope that they (youth) will never know what war is. Hopefully someday, they will be able to resolve future conflicts peacefully and without bloodshed. In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as war, but us humans, being far from perfect, unfortunately it rears it’s ugly head more than it should/we’d like. Sometimes, as in the Great War and WW2, it’s unavoidable.

I’m sure there are some people who see the parades on Remembrance day, the actively serving and the veterans marching in regimental formation, in full uniform with medals shining and think that it is somehow a glorification of war. That the marching bands and the pomp and circumstance is all in celebration of us “winning” the war. That it’s all some sort of over-the-top recruitment drive and the whole reason they’re doing it is so they can “show off” and get cheered on. That’s just not the case. The military has many deep rooted traditions. Marching in formation is one. The Remembrance ceremony itself is steeped in military customs and traditions and is their way of paying respect and gratitude to their comrades that went before them.

No rational thinking person wants war. And I think if you were to ask any service member, past or present, I could tell you with a comfortable degree of certainty that not one of them would tell you the reason they joined the military was for a chance to go to war or to gain glory and honour. The vets of the Great War and WW 2 did it in a time of great crisis. Although a fledgling country, Canada was still very much tied to Britain and, as such, were obligated to help her out. Their country needed them and they answered the call. (And aren’t we lucky they did?) They didn’t do it because they WANTED to go to war. They did it because they felt it was their duty. With the exception of one instance in the latter months of the Great War, each and every one of them volunteered. No one forced them to go to war. No one forced them to leave their loved ones behind and each one knew that there was a good chance that they may not return home.

That still holds true today. Aside from secondary reasons of it being a good career and a chance to learn some valuable skills, people join the service today out of a common underlying sense of duty and a willingness to serve their country. (And I’m not suggesting that they are better than anybody else because of this. Everyone serves their country in their own way. This is just how they choose to do it.) Each soldier/sailor/airman-woman signs the dotted line of their own volition, knowing full well that they could be called upon at any moment to be put in harm’s way in defence of their country. This is made abundantly clear.
Although not perfect, they love their country and they felt/feel that the freedoms and rights that we enjoy, (and sometimes take for granted), everyday are a damn sight better than the alternatives and are worth protecting and defending.
“Using a holiday to peddle war and death”
The mere fact that people can say things like this in an open and public forum without fear of persecution, imprisonment, bodily harm or death should be enough proof of that.

Goo?? GOOOOOOOO!
Mmmmm, cream eggs are egg-cellent!

(see what I did there? )

Ham??! HAM??! What’s your beef (snicker) with ham?? I mean, it’s practically bacon. What’s not to like??