Why this day is more important than ever
Canada has welcomed home the last of its soldiers who participated in the NATO Libyan no-fly zone. After international deliberation, the no-fly zone ended on Oct. 31, but it wasn’t until Nov. 5 that soldiers retuned to Canadian soil. The no-fly zone created tension between Libyan-NATO alliances, as 20 of the 28 states contested against entering into the combat initiative with NATO. However, the no-fly zone played a key role in dismantling Moammar Gadhafi’s regime.
The CBC has quoted that “the mission has been hailed as a success by NATO’s military and political leaders, who have argued that the bombing raids caused minimal loss of innocent lives.”
While we celebrate the overthrowing of a dictator and the tentative formation of a democratic government, these successes should be taken with a note of caution. It should never be forgotten that what may be a “minimal loss” in numbers is not “a minimal loss.” It can be easy to gloss over the comparatively small casualty rates for the gains in a bigger picture. However, the loss of innocent lives should never be minimized or disregarded, no matter the context.
In the past, Canadians have prided themselves as being peacekeepers. In the wake of the Libyan no-fly zone and other international initiatives, it is important for us to remember that these peacekeeping tours are not without violence. “Peacekeeping” is still a branch of the Department of National Defence, and the term “no-fly zone” sugarcoats the bombing raids that were part of the campaign. The Ontarion in no way means to downplay the major concessions of the Libyan people, nor the efforts of NATO soldiers. However, we are asking you to reflect upon the tragedy of war and violence. Incidentally, the completion of the Libyan no-fly zone coincides with Remembrance Day, lest we forget.
Remembrance Day, although a celebration of victory, is a way for us to pay respects to soldiers, and the sacrifices they made in both WWI & II. It is also a time to recall the struggle of all those who lived during that time of war. Their struggles and losses are celebrated so that we can understand the value of living in a country that, at least on the national level, is in a relative state of peace.
When you step back, 65 years is an insignificant amount of time. However, it seems to be long enough to make the younger members of the community feel removed from the horrific events of WWII, as demonstrated by the waning participation in Remembrance Day events and ceremonies. What The Ontarion finds particularly distressing is the lack of participation in the two minutes of silence.
The two-minutes of silence at 11 a.m. is the moment on Remembrance Day that serves as collective pause for reflection so that people never forget the terrible events of war. Increasingly, there are a large number of people who will not stop for the two minutes of silence. Or if they do stop, rather than take part in this introspective moment, they continue to send text messages or divert their attention elsewhere.
There are some arguments floating around that Remembrance Day is obsolete because the veterans who took part in WWI & II have passed away. However, to disregard Remembrance Day on these grounds is unacceptable: Remembrance Day is not to glorify war, but to remind ourselves of the many losses and why it should never happen again. The meaning of Remembrance Day can be translated to all instances of war, and in this light we should be participating in this day with more enthusiasm than before. Therefore to dismiss it as irrelevant demonstrates a lack of critical thinking and more importantly, a lack of compassion. War continues to happen, and Remembrance Day should be continued with only increasing enthusiasm.
When you refuse to remain silent for those two minutes; when you continue to mix your coffee, walk to your class, or check your email you are inadvertently saying that the actions of others have no value.
One thing hasn’t changed and that is that war is, and always will be a tragedy for all those involved. If we don’t talk about these issues, and allow ourselves to feel the loss of life and human potential, we can’t understand the value of peace.
At the end of the day, the person who benefits the most from reflection is you.
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