Does Being a Pacifist Mean We Shouldn't Remember?

I believe that in the most difficult conversations we should be able to negotiate and reach consensus.

I was the parent who refused to allow water guns in the house because they promote violent action. And yet, every year I go and I remember....

Here in Canada it is Remembrance Day. Being from Liverpool, my Dad's father and uncles fought for freedom and they won! My Dad remembers....


As a child, every year, we attended the Remembrance Day service and learned the importance of acknowledging and remembering the sacrifice of people, much braver than us. We were taught to remember...

In fact I can't remember...not remembering.

This has been an important part of teaching for our children. Cold services on army bases when they were little. I remember Chase disappointed at four when he realized the "parade" was just marching soldiers. No clowns, no Santa. But...he remembered...


Now today my daughter in grade seven read Flanders Fields to 400 children (and a very few adults) They remembered....


I disagree with a lot of government policies. The Iraq war for example....don't get me started.

Should Canada be in Afghanistan or not - I honestly don't know. But we can't leave now.

It's a bank holiday today, so that people will go and remember. But I ask you, why are the malls open? How many of the government workers who get the day off take the time to think about it? How many of us took the time to remember?

Even if you disagree with the policies of government that is fine, vote differently next time, but, we live in a democracy and we only live in a democracy because of the men and women who were brave enough to risk (and loose) their lives for it. They deserve to be remembered.

I'll talk about Obama's fundraising campaign tomorrow. For now let us just remember those who put their lives on the line so we can exercise our right to vote.

Take a two minutes now and think about how little time from your day it would take to remember.

In peace,

Kimberley