Robert Cerjanec
Contributor
Nov. 11 is Remembrance Day, when we honour and remember the veterans of our country who have fought and died in the count- less wars and battles throughout the history of our nation. Nov. 11 marks the day the First World War ended for Canada and its allies in 1918. It’s a day that still lives on 92 years afterwards.
Recognizing the contributions and, more importantly, the lives that were lost in the pursuit of peace is vital part of Canadian History and culture. Many men and women who fought for Canada in the First and Second World Wars were student aged. Some were as young as 16, yet they felt it was their duty to fight. They felt that they had to leave their school, their jobs, their partners and everything they had in order to fight in a war against tyranny and injustice. They died for us to be able to live in a world free of war or oppression.
When looking at the history of wars, we have to remain aware of their terrifying power. We have to understand that over 120,000 Canadians have died in theatres of war. We have to take the lessons from the past and do everything in our power to stop and prevent war from happening again. One death is too many. One death means that someone is missing a parent, child, partner, sibling or friend. That life cannot come back: it’s gone, taken away forever.
Let’s take the lessons learned from war and turn them into peace. Let’s turn those lessons into hope, not fear. We should never forget the sacrifices that were made in war. Those sacrifices were made for us. Let’s not take those sacrifices for granted. Let’s work together towards a better world.
If you haven’t already, wear a poppy and show your support for our veterans. We have to be aware of war and what it’s capable of. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, rest your head in a moment of silence and think about war and how it has affected our world. Once you think of that, I challenge you to help stop war in our world today. I challenge all of us to say “never again.” Lest we forget.
A Remembrance Day challenge
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