Tuesday was Remembrance Day. No, I didn’t forget. But I feel remiss for not having commemorated it here on the blog. It had nothing to do with feeling it’s unimportant – on the contrary, in fact – and more to do with simply not having time to write an entry. So forgive me if this is a couple of days late. As they say, better late than never.
The big scandals in the media were about a local IKEA store and some CIBC branches that refused to allow veterans to sell poppies on the premises. Both were quickly shamed by public outrage into reversing their decisions. And rightly so. After all, it’s only thanks to the veterans and their sacrifices that we’re able to go about our daily lives in the first place.
It’s unfortunate that it took a media scandal to bring more attention to the day this year than usual. 364 days a year, we get to take our freedoms for granted. These include the freedom to work, study, shop, travel, spend time with our families, or even to go to a peace rally denouncing war. The last one of course is the ultimate irony.
All the brave people who sacrificed so much for these freedoms are asking for is one day to pause and remember. And not even a full day – just a moment of silence. But think about it: how many of you really stopped answering the phone, typing the e-mail, typing the report, or studying for the exam at 11am on Tuesday? I can admit freely that I didn’t – it wasn’t till about a quarter to 12 that I realized that, in the midst of my hectic work routine, 11am had come and gone. At that point, I paused and reflected for about 10 seconds, until real life came calling once again.
If it’s true that “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it”, then we’re in big trouble. Look around, you might say, we’ve been repeating the same mistakes for centuries, even millennia. Why should now be any different?
So it’s easy to be an armchair activist… or an armchair pacifist… so long as we’re not called upon to actually do anything. Wave flags? Maybe. Hand out flyers? Perhaps. Show up at a rally or to hear (or jeer) a speaker? Once in a while. But to be called upon to serve one’s country takes a different brand of courage. The veterans who fought recognized that some values are worth fighting for – even dying for. And for that, they deserve to be remembered, honoured, and quite simply, thanked.