Lest We Forget Remembrance Day 2021

[tenni]

As Rembrance Day approaches I believe that on November 11 we reflect on those who ?died for their country?. Your country may have a different day to remember the impact of war on us. I remember nine years ago when a young 24 year old man was gunned down as he stood guard at Canada"s National war museum. I remember questioning the validity that soldiers died to keep us free. When my country sacrificed young soldiers during WW1 and WW2 it gave me a pause. In recent years, my country ?invaded? Afghanistan to drive out the Taliban. Canadian soldiers paid the ultimate price and it included women. This year the Taliban is back and did the NATO soldiers die mean anything?


As we honour Rembrance Day soldiers, the day is more close than recalling soldier?s in WW1 and WW2. On TV news today a man looked through his neighbourhood and found that some who served who actually lived on his block. That made it real for kids today.


As bisexuals, does our sexuality play any role in remembering those who served their country?

[marine20]

i'm a vietnam vet, and i cannot ever forget the brave men that did not come back. I've always had survivors guilt , but that's nothing compared to a lot of vets . here's to you , my brothers that gave the ultimate sacrifice ! we will never forget you . and no , sexuality has nothing to do with this.

[darkeyes]

On telly, in the street, on buses, trams and trains, everywhere there are red poppies for remembrance worn at this time of year for armistice day and remembrance Sunday.. At work, in schools, kids as young as 3 and 4 wear poppies and if they don't mummy and daddy are pressed into them soon doing so.

I have never worn a poppy, not even a white poppy which signifies peace. I have always been pressured by work colleagues, friends and parents that I should, in honour of those who lost their lives in war since 1914. I will not do so, not because I do not honour the dead of war, but because of remembering and honouring the dead of war too well. I remember why and by whom the worst of these sacrifices were made. Invariably not for the reasons we are told in history books, media or by our countries respective ruling elites.

This morning at 11, it being Armistice day, my class, like classes all over Scotland the rest of the UK stood in silence for 2 minutes in remembrance of the dead. I stood alongside them,but unlike them for my own reasons. Unlike most of them, especially the boys, I am an absolute pacifist and it does not become me wear a poppy to remember butchery. I will remember the dead of all sides, civilian and military who were not sacrificed to defend their or my ancestors or our own ways of life, but to defend the way of life of the rich and powerful of our countries. I will remember the needless sacrifice of millions of men women and children to defend the welfare and say of life of their "betters". The dead of all nations whether ally or enemy of my country. They are not and were not my enemy. I do not need a piece of tat such as red artificial poppy to honour and remember the sacrifice and waste of living beings.

[Neonaught]

As Shakespear pointed out in Henry V a soldier's obedience to his king/nation/commanders makes his death in the line of duty honorable and it is not his place to question motives but to obey orders to the best of his or her ability. This is not to say that such blood should ever be sacraficed needlessly and when this happens the dishonor belongs with the leadership.

Rest well my brothers in arms. You earned our undying gratitude!

[Jazminedress]

Where I will respectfully disagree with many comments here.............And it's okay we all dont think the same way

I am a combat vet. I have seen multiple war zones when I was barely old enough to have three hairs between my legs. This day is NOT about supporting war, it is not about supporting government. Wearing a poppy does not mean you condone violence.

This is simply a day, to pay tribute to those that made a decision in their life to serve. We use to have a saying " I am signing a blank check to the people of the USA good for everything up to and including my life"

I can guarantee, the ones who are the most against war, are those that have seen it up close and personal, but, we also uderstand, there is evil in this world, and whether it is in our own country or elsewhere, sometimes, evel needs to be ended. Hitler did not stay in Germany, he branched out, other countries had to step in. When you have seen a mass grave in a ditch, when you have seen dead women with their clothes ripped knowing they were used like a toy and thrown away, you realize, it may not be my war, but someone needs to put a stop to this.

@Darkeyes, I respect your stance, but I also know one of Americas biggest objectors, volunteered, served as a medic. FOught and won the right to NOT carry a rifle, and was personally responsible for saving the lives of something like 75 men, Desmond Doss. Wearing a piece of cloth is simply a rememberance, once we forget, we repeat the same mistakes. Many times, those people may not be your enemy, and some in England said that in World War 2, until the Panzer division was in France and the planes were bombing London

@Tenni , yes, every soldiers death means something. It means that someone was willing to stand up, and maybe it wasn't their own family, or their own country, but they were still willing to stand and fight when something was wrong.

To answer your question, does being Bi play any role in rememberance, not at all. I am NOT classified as anyone one thing. I was a soldier, I am a father, I am a brother, I am many things and it has changed over time. My belief in serving my adopted country, is about giving back, and remembering those who went before me, is simply respect, nothing about sexuality.


Yes, I know people can come upw ith a ton of anti government items, or statements and history of wasted lives, wasted wars. We can also come up with the positives, like anything in life, people can have a spin on things. I could point out, when Japan had a tsunami, it was American Sailors who went in to deal with the Nuclear reactors, or flooding in states where soldiers went in to save people and sand bag, helping after a natural disaster...................but everyone immediately thinks of war.

It's okay to hate war, it's okay to hate violence, it's okay to hate hate.

But, we should always be respectful to those in uniform, we may not agree with their reasons, but they made adecisions to serve and maybe sacrafice their own needs and desires and life for others..................this is simply my opinion, and I respect those that differ, I served because I believed in that right

[darkeyes]

Jaz, I used to buy in to the argument that if we (humanity) forget, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past. It is some years since I bought into the argument, for it seems that by remembering, the nations of humanity repeat their mistakes time and again in an increasingly large scale and with ever more vicious and destructive means.

I am aware that the armed forces of many nations, not simply those of the US assist in the world's natural tragedies. I only ask this, why on earth do they have to be military? Can nations not aid each other in times of natural disaster by deploying civilian organisations and provide? To some degree nations do this already, but how much more could they achieve by use of non military options?

I dream of and hope for better things from our species. Unfortunately as with the climate I fear that humanity will do itself in .. worse.. we will eliminate all life on this world through our greed and selfishness. Let's hope I'm wrong and my fears groundless, hey?

On Sunday my daughters and I will stand together with other members of our family in remembrance of the fallen of all nations as in my view we should. Millions of the fallen were not combatants at all we must always remember, but people often just in the way who perished because of the brutality of human beings in war. I will never forget the civilian dead of conflict.. of any conflict. I will always argue and fight for peace and always remember the dead, but equally we shall remember why they fell and the elites and other vested interests who sent them there and why.

[Jazminedress]

[QUOTE=darkeyes;360465]

I am aware that the armed forces of many nations, not simply those of the US assist in the world's natural tragedies. I only ask this, why on earth do they have to be military? Can nations not aid each other in times of natural disaster by deploying civilian organisations and provide? To some degree nations do this already, but how much more could they achieve by use of non military options?

I dream of and hope for better things from our species. Unfortunately as with the climate I fear that humanity will do itself in .. worse.. we will eliminate all life on this world through our greed and selfishness. Let's hope I'm wrong and my fears groundless, hey?

/QUOTE]
The problem is not remembering, its that mankind always thinks they know better and will do it better.

But why does it have to be military, thats very easy. Even in the USA, we had hurricane katrina, civilian forces could not deal with the bad guys and operational safety and humaniterian work. It took disciplined military personel. No matter how much you try, non military people will never do the job like military will. My unit, did what i said, when I said, how I said and no questions.

When I was a civilian apramedic, things got delayed because everyone wanted their say, tis why I quit

[void()]

In recent years, my country ?invaded? Afghanistan to drive out the Taliban. Canadian soldiers paid the ultimate price and it included women. This year the Taliban is back and did the NATO soldiers die mean anything?

As bisexuals, does our sexuality play any role in remembering those who served their country?

I'll mirror a lot of @jazminedress's commentary on these subjects. Felt compelled though to offer my own voice as well.

Agree that a death of any soldier lost in service has profound value & meaning. That person chose to sacrifice their life serving others, for others. May not agree or respect the policy, planning, bullshit what led to soldiers committed to a deployment. Do though agree & respect the act of serving. It isn't a choice made lightly.

I do feel strongly against violence. It needs to ultimately be the very last resort. My uncle, who served in 'Nam, explained feeling completely lost.

"We could be winning the war by killing them off, sure. We lost everything though because they would stand smiling at us while we shot them down. They had already won because we drew the sword first."

That has stuck with me quite a while. Cannot speak to my own experience beyond suffice knowing he was/is correct. You cannot defeat anyone that way. We speak of freedom but can only imagine the freedom such an enemy has already attained to never surrender.

This is same freedom a soldier might be capable of choosing by the choice of serving. It is difficult to say how many can, will though.

Do not think anyone's sexuality, or gender plays any part of choosing to serve. Knew homosexuals in service just as courageous or more so than heterosexuals. Knew of one or two females which granted waivers went all in, became SEALS, green berets. They were as tough, or tougher than some balls dragging in the dirt, hardcore bad ass men. If someone desires serving, they will do it.

On the other end of that spectrum, if someone desires creating genocide, unless there are soldiers willing to stop it, genocide will come to be.

Do I think soldiers ought to be used for humanitarian ends? Well, I do not disagree with such a use. As @jazminedress points out soldiers are disciplined, soldiers follow the "get shit done" mantra too. Rules are there as guides & to be bent, and in dire cases ignored or broken in order to save life/lives. Trouble being this is an open ended "call" like police officers firing on someone. Situations often dictate everything.

"You want save lives or bicker over bullshit? Let's go!"

Do I think NGOs ought to play a role as well? Yes, I do. Can I say that NGOs and other civilian groups can fully handle crisis or trauma. I leave that open ended with a "it depends" on the situation. And yes, sure soldiers would step aside and stand down if civilians can/do/will have capability to handle it.

I do think we should remember and give reverence to those who have served. They keep us from facing monsters directly and call the toughest calls. So that's my thought process on the subject/s.

One last bit. Can also agree that soldiers are the last people to desire war/combat. Life has taught me that some expressions/maxims need revised.

One such maxim is "To have peace you prepare for war." I opt to revise it with "To have peace be peaceful and expect peace." If you're "preparing for war", golly, you really don't want peace do you? You're giving war all the power it needs by simply expressing its existing.

Ah, alright I've said too much, not enough.

[Rest85]

I also honor those who served to protect us.