Today I went to my own church for Remembrance Day, as the garrison decided the Council were not worth reserving seats for. Seats were only reserved for the Mayoral group including I assume the leader and cheif executive. A great shame, as it had become a good tradition in which councillors were at this important time actually seen by our community shoulder to shoulder remembering together - still I am sure they had good reason to discontinue this tradition. The important thing is that however we do it - we remember, and keep remembering and never forget the sacrifices made by so many, and so many that were young and had a lifetime ahead of them. They were loved and missed, and every British family was affected in the great war, from the highest in the land to the lowest. A war that should have stopped all wars.
At our own service it was good to hear from retired soldiers and those distiguished with honour in the Falklands war sharing their experiences and remembering comrades and those that have sacrificed all for others and the cause of freedom. It was also good to stand with them in silience and remember, and to close the service singing our National Anthem.
2 comments:
It is for each person to decide how they may wish to honour the fallen dead. Some may do so by attending a church service, others may wish to have their own private reflections. Some may wish to wear a red poppy, others may wish to wear a white poppy to show their opposition to war and bloodshed.
No seats should be reserved for councillors. What sacrifices have they ever made?
The only reserved seats should be for the frail and injured.
We should remember that the Great War could have ended many years before it did. It was the politicians who decided the fighting should continue.
We should not forgot that those on the Front Line called their own truce, walked out into No Man's Land and befriended the enemy. The officers fearing a mutiny ordered them to continue fighting.
We should not forgot those who were executed for cowardice who were suffering from shell shock.
We should also think of those who are injured, who are cast aside by society. Also think of families, who are kicked out of their Army homes, who then find Rushmoor fails to give them any help.
Some of us still remember how Maggie Thatcher banned the Falkland War wounded from the parade as it gave the wrong image.
What other society treats its war casualties in this way?
Those who fought in the two world wars thought they were fighting for freedom. What freedom is there in today's society? Where old age pensioners fear to go out at night. Where they are forced to choose between eating and heating. When they are thrown into prison when they cannot pay their Council Tax. When we all live in a police state, our every move watched and monitored, where plane spotters are harassed and treated as terrorist subjects, where photographing a train station gets you detained as a terrorist subject, where you cannot protest outside Parliament without fear of arrest.
what a bitter sad individual who writes above. yes we all can worship or remember how we please, and we DO have that priviledge many don't. If Britain is so bad, why don't you leave?
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