For many people, November 11 is a day to sleep in, to be off school or work, while there are many who will still have to go to work to serve their customers as usual, and there is no time off.
The question may well be asked, is it really that important to remember? For many people, especially those under the age of 30, it’s difficult to remember a wartime that occurred decades before they were born, but was from an era of their grandparents.
The First and Second World Wars were certainly from a long time ago, as was the Korean conflict and the Viet Nam War, and there have been innumerable smaller conflicts in between then and now — and people of the current generation have been hearing all about the “war on terrorism” that has been going on for many years, with the infamous 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon, and the rise of ISIS in recent years.
Do we need to remember? Absolutely we do, “lest we forget”. It would seem for many people, we have forgotten, because armed conflict still continues. Bombs are still going off, multitudes of people are being killed or injured, and there have been repeated occurrences in Europe and now back in New York City of large vehicles mowing down innocent people, all in the name of ISIS, which has declared war on most everybody.
There are massive movements of refugees due to ongoing armed conflicts, in recent years from Syria, Africa and Myanmar, just as there were in the Second World War.
Have we enjoyed a time of real peace in the world, ever? Look over the past several years, decades and generations. There is always a war somewhere, with armed soldiers attacking or defending and innocent people dying and losing their homes and their lives, and massive property damage being caused by all the fighting.
We do need to pause, and remember that there are men and women who have and continue to lay down their lives to defend us and to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. The world-wide conflicts in the 20th century saw many hundreds and thousands of Canadians injured and killed in defence of our country, and Canadians have continued to lay down their lives as peacekeepers or in support of other forces.
As residents of a peaceful land in a world of turmoil, Canadians need to be thankful for the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf, and we need to remember them so that those sacrifices have not been made in vain, “lest we forget”. — Greg Nikkel
