Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
Each Remembrance Day, it is important to remember those who fought and died in past conflicts for the freedoms and systems of democracy we are fortunate enough to engage in – if we have the will to do so – in Canada and the United States.
At the same time, I have always believed that every November 11th – if not every day – is one where we collectively ask the question “Why.”
Why can’t we humans, who pride ourselves in the thought that we are the most intelligent species on the planet – find other, more peaceful ways of resolving our differences other than slaughtering ourselves on battlefields?
In that spirit, I leave you this Remembrance Day with the lyrics of a song that say it all – written and recorded in the early 1960s by the great folk master, activist and humanitarian, Pete Seeger, who left us early this year. They are the lyrics of ‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone.’
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time passing?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone for husbands everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time passing?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time ago?
Where have all the husbands gone?
Gone for soldiers everyone
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time ago?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
(NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
To quote the astronomer Carl Sagan:
Look at that dot, earth. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human who ever was, live out their lives. The aggregate of our joy& suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies & economic doctrines, every hunter & forager, every hero & coward, every creator & destroyer of civilization, every king & peasant, every young couple in love, every mother & father, hopeful child, inventor & explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar” & “supreme leader”, saint & sinner in history lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals & emperors so that, in glory & triumph, they could become monetary masters of a fraction of a dot.
Pretty much sums it up.
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That is a beautiful response, Linda McKellar. I cannot imagine anyone disagreeing with this statement. It’s stellar. We have never met, nor know each other at all, but through this great News site, can agree, find commiserations. My extended family has never had an ancestor lost in the World Wars, but, as descendants of Canada, we go every Nov. 11th to our local cenotaph/events, to honour those who gave us the freedom we enjoy in Canada. Noble? no. Just to give honour, quietly, among so many.
An added comment, if I may. I would not like to see Nov.11th become a statuatory holiday (much in the news, posited by our controlling Feds) as that means all those much younger than me will have no idea what it represents for us as Cdns. Immigrant family descendants we all are. Making it a Stat. holiday allows everyone to just take time off, go shopping, whatever, nothing to do with Remembrance.
Enough said.
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I was recently in Italy & at the Commonwealth cemetery in Cassino saw grave after grave of young men, almost all dated May 24th, 1944, their ages from 19 to 40. It must have been a slaughter. All of our group returned to the bus in tears. What would those young men have become? Did some have children? What became of them? Why does this happen again & again?
To add insult, I heard several on our tour say “I didn’t know Canada was in the war” (nationality of these individuals not to be revealed). How sad that they don’t know what happened even while some veterans still live!!!
I lost 4 first cousins in WW2, had an uncle damaged forever from his experiences in Italy & my dad was a veteran in the RCAF. I know many other families can relate.
On the 11th, please take A MINUTE, just one minute, to remember those who spent several years in hell for us & those who never returned. We owe them big time!
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