Lest We Forget

Today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, silence should descend across the country as we remember those who fought, those who fell, in a war that was supposed to the be the war that ended all wars.

These brave men stood forward, to pay a debt that they did not owe, a debt that we can never re-pay, to award us freedom. We re-paid them by disrespecting their memories, fighting more wars, seeing more mothers lose their sons, children lose their fathers, families being made bereft as they fought abroad, and seeing families destroyed on our shores.

We have not learnt the lesson that these brave individuals gave their lives for. We continue to fight wars, and we have allowed political parties that bear the fascist regimes that were fought against, like the BNP in the UK, to stand and become successful in our country, a country that boys fought and gave their lives to protect.

Personally, I am anti war. I don't think that the UK should be involved in the conflicts that we are. There's no use arguing or debating with me, I know the facts, and my opinion remains the same.

However, would I disrespect those who have fought so that my children, who would have been exterminated under a Nazi regime, can grow and contribute to society? Never. We all have our poppies, and we wear them with pride.

I would not disrespect those of you with family members in the armed forces by arguing what is merely my opinion. You cope wonderfully, and I so admire you. All of you.

I wish I could guarantee that there would be no more war. I wish that I could tell you that our children will never see conflict. I can't.

What I can tell you, what I can guarantee you, is that, so long as I am alive and my children are alive, we will attempt to repay that which we can never do, by honouring the minute's silence, by getting our poppies, by explaining what happened and why it is important, and in trying to prevent the spread of fascism as much as we can.

Ode of Remembrance

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

"I have one sentiment for the soldiers living and dead ; cheers for the living and tears for the dead." Robert G Ingersoll