Remembering

"In Flander's Fields" must be one of the most popular poems in Canadian history. It is likely the only poem I remember from my elementary school days, not including Robert Service's gems, of course. I'm sure I am not the only one who can say that. If there was ever an inspired poem, this is it.

As you celebrate Remembrance Day this year, I wonder if you will let the words of this classic poem sink in. And once you do that, let the hidden message of the words sink in. You see, there have been hundreds of wars since this was written, with millions of men and women slaughtered in the name of freedom and liberty. I wonder if Dr. McCrae would be devastated to realize that the so-called war to end all wars was really a mere warm-up act for ongoing national and international fisticuffs.

I suppose I could go into a rant -- and I wouldn't be the first -- and decry the horrible lack of appreciation for those men and women who gave their lives in the name of freedom. But it would be akin to asking people of my generation to appreciate those who didn't have running water, or those of my kids' generation to appreciate those who didn't have computers.

In other words, what we really need is to be without water for a week, then we would really have a sense of what a previous generation has gone through. Or, using the computer argument, we have only dial-up at our place and my kids desperately want high speed. What they actually need is a week without computers at all, then they would appreciate what our generation did without until recently.

My point? It would be easier for all of us to appreciate what these men and women of the uniform have done for us if we experienced a little of it. A little blood here, a little gore here, would go a long way to a greater understanding.

You might think that I am suggesting that we have a war on our own land to understand the terrors of war. Obviously, that is absurd logic, so let's dismiss it. But the question still begs: How do we teach ourselves and successive generations the value of those who gave their lives for our freedom?

Let me try to illustrate again: I never really understood how much my parents did for me until

-- you guessed it -- I became a parent. I find myself, sounding like my own dad more and more, telling my own kids who are now starting to leave the nest the same thing.

Like so many institutions (eg., marriage, church, business) war is most effectively felt, rather than "telt" (a strange variation of the word "told"). Thus, it is crucial that as leaders of our jurisdiction -- be it a family, a class, or even our peers – we make a concentrated effort to re-visit World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, plus other global skirmishes that Canadians were involved in.

How can that be carried out? Rent a war DVD, but make sure that is an accurate portrayal. Use discretion, but there are few teenagers that are squeamish about gore anymore. Get books out of your local library and spend a few nights reading and connecting with the emotions and encounters of each battle. Read a war poem, especially those written by people who were there. You could even invite a war vet to your home, your club, your school.

No matter what side of the military machine you come down on, the reality is that many, many young people have given their lives for your liberty. The many freedoms that you enjoy came at the ultimate cost, the gift of life.

War may be glorified (dumb) or vilified (dumber), and even modified (dumbest). Get beyond the boardroom decisions, the political maneuverings, the patriotic hype, and simply think of the men and women who put their lives on the line.

After all, we want this to be a day of remembering, not forgetting.