It's the same thing every year: remember, remember, remember. The message is no less important, but as time passes, each new generation falls more out of touch with the reality of the sacrifices that were made. Eventually, the words 'sacrifice' and 'remembrance' become nothing more than terms people trot out once a year. The phrase, "lest we forget" has been repeated so many times that new generations don't even bother to try to understand what it means. To kids who never had to say goodbye to a father, brother, uncle, etc., those words are just rows of letters attached to a pretty red poppy.
But there's something that a lot of people seem to forget; something the word 'remember' doesn't seem to encompass: the wars never stopped.
Every year, Remembrance Day comes and Remembrance Day goes. There are numerous ceremonies held all over the country by schools, the government, institutions, etc., all honouring the fallen soldiers from - mainly - the First and Second World Wars, and then occasionally making brief mention of subsequent wars.
But what about the wars that are still being fought? The war in the Middle East that seems to fly below the radar until a loved one is killed? When that happens, a collective trail of cars on the Highway of Heroes pays tribute to the fallen when they can be grouped together, but then all is forgotten by the next day. The family and friends of those fallen are left to mourn alone.
When Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot two weeks ago, the entire nation was in an uproar. The media paid appropriate tribute to him rather than sensationalizing the murderer - as it should - but that doesn't mean his memory should be left there. The names of so many other modern soldiers who never returned home should also be forever memorialized during Remembrance Day ceremonies with those from decades ago.
There's one problem though: there are some people who seem to think that just because our modern-day soldiers aren't fighting a war we all support, they shouldn't be acknowledged. Moreover, even if they were supported, out of sight suddenly means out of mind. With all the media and technology available for the sharing of information, there seems to be so many more interesting things to look at rather than the war overseas.
Nobody cares because there aren't war camps in their backyard, there's no conscription, and too many young men post glamour shots in their uniform on Facebook and Twitter. War just isn't a hot topic anymore, so nobody cares to hear about "letters from the front lines" like they used to 100 years ago. Without those constant reminders - without war being a part of the everyday fabric of our lives - it's easily forgotten. The horrors and terror of violence and death that our soldiers experience thousands of miles away don't affect us. Their deaths become nothing more than a statistic on a Wikipedia page.
Let me be clear: I'm not blaming anyone. When you're not personally connected or invested to these people, it's hard not to get distracted by everything else in your life or on the Internet. Even on Remembrance Day, it's difficult to spend more than a few moments of silence in memory of our fallen soldiers.
However, during that moment of silence when even high schoolers bow their heads, it wouldn't hurt you to also bow your head. Take a moment - take ten seconds - to close your eyes and say thank you. Say thank you not just to the soldiers to whom we owe our freedom, but also to the soldiers who are fighting for the freedom of others.
When Remembrance Day comes, we aren't just saying thank you for our ability to live and speak freely; we're saying thank you to the modern soldiers who gave (and are still giving) their lives trying to give that gift to someone else.
MJ
