For anyone who has ever fought in a war or has a family member who gave their life for our freedom, Remembrance Day is a time to remember their sacrifice and be grateful for peace. We show our respect by wearing a red poppy near our hearts.
As was documented in the famous poem, In Flanders Fields by John McRae, poppies grew and multiplied in the blood-soaked, bullet-filled soil of First World War battlefields. The poppies were not discriminatory; they bloomed over the trenches of our Allies and our enemies. They were a symbol of life spread over a landscape of death. And for anyone who witnessed the scene, I am certain they weren’t jumping for joy and bragging for victory rights.
From what I hear, war is likened to the hot trenches of Hell. I can say “from what I hear” because I’ve been very fortunate to live in a country where we have peace. We don’t have to hide in our basements when we hear the siren of a bomb raid. I can walk out on the streets wearing whatever I want, and say whatever I feel, because there are no consequences from government officials.
When I wear a red poppy, I do not feel like I am instigating a battle. I feel connected to the sacrifice of many for the things I take for granted. I feel connected to the suffering and lessons learned from past wars that I never had to endure. I hope for peace and that I will never have to witness the atrocities that citizens in Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt or any war-torn country have to see every day.
So then why do some activists at the University of Ottawa feel that they need to wear a white poppy to “promote peace?” Their plan is to wear and distribute the Rideau Institute’s white poppy pin, which has the slogan “I Remember For Peace” across it, at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
Celyn Dufay of the University of Ottawa said, “Young people don’t want to celebrate war. We want to work for peace.” Dufay hopes to distribute 2,500 of the pins at the Remembrance Day ceremony, even if it offends veterans.
“We can’t account for other people’s feelings, however, no one has a monopoly over Remembrance Day,” he said.
Veterans Affairs Minister, Julian Fantino, says, “It really does show a total lack of respect for what, in fact, Remembrance Day stands for. And to try and intervene in this fashion, I think, is totally disrespectful, and I would suspect that most reasonable Canadians would see it that way.”
Bill Maxwell, secretary of the poppy remembrance committee for the Royal Canadian Legion, said that Dufay and the Rideau Institute have misunderstood what the red poppy symbolizes.
“The red poppy is a symbol of sacrifice,” Maxwell said. “It’s not a glorification of war.”
Those who gave their lives for our freedom deserve our respect. They gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can have the right to make choices and even the right for these jerks to wear a white poppy. Just because we have the freedom, doesn’t make it right. It’s sad to see the growing disconnect and ignorance of the truth that is becoming prevalent among those who don’t bother to do some history research.
According to Maxwell, Canadians overwhelmingly support the red poppy, with over 18 million of them being worn this year.
I am proud to count myself among them.