Soldiers Really Made a Difference
Published in The Daily Courier
November 8, 2012 |
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Canada has a distinguished reputation as a defender and protector of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
On Sunday, Canadians from coast to coast to coast will take time to remember the sacrifices made by the men and women of our Armed Forces throughout history to protect our core values and freedoms.
We will visit war memorials and cenotaphs, those sacred spaces created and preserved to acknowledge and pay respect to those who gave so much to preserve our privilege to enjoy peace, freedom and democracy.
Canadians of all backgrounds will purposely pause to reflect and respect those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of future generations. These shared moments are important for our national culture and collective history.
When I was young, I often thought of veterans as those men and women who served in the First and Second world wars and and the Korean War. Our veterans reach far beyond those conflicts to include those who participated in peacekeeping missions in some of the most troubled places in the world and the war in Afghanistan.
The sacrifices of these men and women protected the right and privilege we have today to express differing views without the fear of reprisal. Respectful dialogue is a hallmark of democracy and is the legacy of our war heroes.
We revere the contribution of all our veterans, but their numbers are slowly diminishing. It is so important that our young people have an understanding and appreciation of the horror and human experience of war.
During my service as executive assistant to Peter MacKay, then foreign affairs minister, the war in Afghanistan was one of the most important and challenging engagements.
I remember the look of deep and personal sadness when MacKay received the call advising that another Canadian was killed in combat.
Canada's mission in Afghanistan has made a difference. Women parliamentarians from Afghanistan visited Ottawa to learn about our democratic practices. Afghan girls now go to school. Millions of Afghans are immunized against the ravages of polio. And infant mortality rates have fallen dramatically due to access to basic health care. None of this would be possible under Taliban rule.
This progress, however, has come at a high price for Canadians - 159 men and women did not return home safely. This is why it is important that we never - ever - forget.
But how do we keep these reflective sentiments present and alive?
For those of you active in the Twitterverse, the Ottawa Citizen created a Twitter account called We Are the Dead (@WeAreTheDead), a line taken from the poem In Flanders Fields.
We Are the Dead tweets the name, regiment, date of death, and age at death of a Canadian Forces member killed in the line of duty - every hour at 11 minutes past the hour.
It will take 13 years to tweet the names of every soldier killed. Each and every day throughout the year, these tweets serve as an hourly reminder of the ultimate sacrifice these Canadians made to protect our freedoms.
Even with these hourly tweets, it is easy to skip over these messages to move on to read about the latest trends, news and crises.
I urge you to follow We Are The Dead and think about what those names mean.
This Remembrance Day, I urge you to remember and acknowledge the sacrifice of our military personnel by wearing a poppy with pride and reverence, and attend a Remembrance Day ceremony.
We have much to be proud of as a nation - and we have even more to be grateful for as a society.
Lest we forget.
On Sunday, Canadians from coast to coast to coast will take time to remember the sacrifices made by the men and women of our Armed Forces throughout history to protect our core values and freedoms.
We will visit war memorials and cenotaphs, those sacred spaces created and preserved to acknowledge and pay respect to those who gave so much to preserve our privilege to enjoy peace, freedom and democracy.
Canadians of all backgrounds will purposely pause to reflect and respect those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of future generations. These shared moments are important for our national culture and collective history.
When I was young, I often thought of veterans as those men and women who served in the First and Second world wars and and the Korean War. Our veterans reach far beyond those conflicts to include those who participated in peacekeeping missions in some of the most troubled places in the world and the war in Afghanistan.
The sacrifices of these men and women protected the right and privilege we have today to express differing views without the fear of reprisal. Respectful dialogue is a hallmark of democracy and is the legacy of our war heroes.
We revere the contribution of all our veterans, but their numbers are slowly diminishing. It is so important that our young people have an understanding and appreciation of the horror and human experience of war.
During my service as executive assistant to Peter MacKay, then foreign affairs minister, the war in Afghanistan was one of the most important and challenging engagements.
I remember the look of deep and personal sadness when MacKay received the call advising that another Canadian was killed in combat.
Canada's mission in Afghanistan has made a difference. Women parliamentarians from Afghanistan visited Ottawa to learn about our democratic practices. Afghan girls now go to school. Millions of Afghans are immunized against the ravages of polio. And infant mortality rates have fallen dramatically due to access to basic health care. None of this would be possible under Taliban rule.
This progress, however, has come at a high price for Canadians - 159 men and women did not return home safely. This is why it is important that we never - ever - forget.
But how do we keep these reflective sentiments present and alive?
For those of you active in the Twitterverse, the Ottawa Citizen created a Twitter account called We Are the Dead (@WeAreTheDead), a line taken from the poem In Flanders Fields.
We Are the Dead tweets the name, regiment, date of death, and age at death of a Canadian Forces member killed in the line of duty - every hour at 11 minutes past the hour.
It will take 13 years to tweet the names of every soldier killed. Each and every day throughout the year, these tweets serve as an hourly reminder of the ultimate sacrifice these Canadians made to protect our freedoms.
Even with these hourly tweets, it is easy to skip over these messages to move on to read about the latest trends, news and crises.
I urge you to follow We Are The Dead and think about what those names mean.
This Remembrance Day, I urge you to remember and acknowledge the sacrifice of our military personnel by wearing a poppy with pride and reverence, and attend a Remembrance Day ceremony.
We have much to be proud of as a nation - and we have even more to be grateful for as a society.
Lest we forget.