Remembrance day. It is a day of mixed emotions. On the one hand it is a celebration of the bravery and virtue of our armed forces and on the other it is an acknowledgment of those that have fallen in the service of their - of our - country. It is a time when we honour our veterans with our deepest gratitude. It is also a time when we remember the pain and horror that is war.
Pride and sorrow.
There was a time in my youth when I had a fascination for all things military. Tanks and warplanes, firearms and grenades. I was hooked on movies like Kelly's Heroes, A Bridge Too Far, Patton, Tora! Tora! Tora! Sure, the characters spoke of war being hell, but the movies made it look dramatic, glorious, heroic and even cool.
Time has tempered my view of such things. The reality of war is significantly uglier than anything depicted on film. For nations still torn apart by ongoing conflicts, war means fear, distrust, despair and hopelessness. While there may be great heroic acts, there is nothing glorious about armed conflict.
People die horrifying and painful deaths or suffer lifelong debilitating injury. The randomness of the victims and the depravity of humanity are daily occurrences. Perhaps the only glory comes when the guns fall silent and peace is restored. Only then do we ponder never again.
This is why I am frequently inclined to pressure our national leadership to do everything within its power to explore all possible diplomatic angles before finally choosing military action.
History is rife with examples of leaders who chose to reach for a weapon instead of a hand. Often because they believed diplomacy was time-consuming, difficult work and governments can be impatient. There have been times that armed conflict has erupted because leaders of wealthy nations chose to ignore the needs of other nations. Some governments have quietly supported corrupt and oppressive leaders in other countries to protect and promote their domestic economic or political agendas.
So, am I anti-war? Damn right I am.
The reason?
Look into the eyes of the soldiers you will see this remembrance day. Those veterans who have seen combat. Those who have stared down the barrel of all manner of weapons. Those who tamed their fears, tempered their anger and drove their sorrows and nightmares deep within.
Look into the eyes of our young men and women serving in today's armed forces. Those soldiers who not only speak of duty, but live it with courage. Those soldiers, our sons and daughters, proudly carrying the weight of responsibility that is to serve a nation. Those soldiers, many of whom we will never know, that will stand between us and the fires of hell to protect our freedom.
It is for our soldiers and veterans that I am against war. The men and women of our armed forces are this country's most prized assets, and though they would not question the sacrifice, to lose them for want of a foolish political gambit is nothing short of a travesty.
I am not naive. I know that there are those in the world who would stop at nothing to rain anarchy and death on innocent people. Which is why we must rely on the dedication and bravery of our soldiers for protection.
We, as a proud and powerful nation, have the capacity and responsibility to seek peaceful solutions to global conflict. This begins with recognizing and addressing the needs of other nations. To seek avenues to promote economic equity. To be open to, and embrace, different cultures, and break down what were once perceived to be barriers.
Time-consuming, hard work, but far less difficult and painful than fields of poppies between crosses, row on row.
This is why we remember.
We owe this to each and every man and woman who has served, and is serving, in this nation's armed forces. For we know when they are called they will not hesitate to act. May those actions always, always be our last resort.
To all who have served and continue to serve, to those that have fallen in the proud and selfless defense of this nation, we owe you our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude.
Lest any one of us should forget.
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