November 11 Examined

When did Remembrance Day get weird? I grew up attending Girl Guides, which meant that every November 11, I put on my uniform and lined up in the cold to march in a parade to the cenotaph behind the veterans in our little community. One of us laid a wreath while the rest of us stood still, and then the veterans led the way feebly into the legion for hot chocolate. I went to a community cenotaph today, and there were still over a thousand people crowded into the small space, although precious few veterans WWII veterans are left. I stood near an elderly man, two middle aged women, a family with children perhaps one and six years of age, and a couple police officers . It wasn’t weird during the ceremony, listening to the high school student perform the last post, wishing I knew the words to “Abide With Me,” and spending the moment of silence imagining the experiences of all the soldiers and those that loved them.

What was weird was earlier in the week, as I heard debate about purple poppies to remember the animals killed in the war, and white poppies to advocate for peace. I don’t imagine the people behind these movements meant offence, so I don’t bother to take any. I wonder though, if they have a distorted idea of why those of us sporting red poppies choose to do so.

I am not a military-minded person. If I was Prime Minister I would be working hard to avoid armed conflict. The truth is that war can’t always be avoided, at least not by the second party. If the all of the allied nations chose not to respond to Hitler’s Germany, many more than six million people would have been killed in concentration camps. We would have a very different world now without the actions of the soldiers who fought. Not all of the battles in Canadian history have been noble. The British and French fought over possession of the land, and in some cases the Europeans fought the Natives for the land too. Since Confederation, though, we have mostly served to protect people and ideals. Canadians are proud to be a peacekeeping nation. Warmongering often involves a great deal of idealizing and emotionalizing, unifying a people against a foe. I don’t always agree with the ideology used, but I respect the brave men and women who have supported their country. They acted in faith, doing what they believed was right. Thousands of them have died trying to protect our freedom, or the freedom of those in other nations.

The people who went over in WWI and WWII came back changed for life, if they returned at all. Most of them would not have wished such experiences on another generation. WWI was called the war to end all wars in part because so many people hoped it would. The poppy isn’t a “Support Our Troops” sign. For most it is worn in remembrance. We recognize the horrors that veterans endured, and that peacekeepers continue to endure. We thank them for the freedom they fought and often died for, so that it was not in vain. I believe most of the veterans would like to think that some day we actually will end all wars. Every child who grows up understanding the sacrifices made by others for the freedom she enjoys brings us a step closer to that day.

Yay for Bill C-288!

I am so pleased to hear that the House of Commons passed a bill giving Harper 60 days to come up with a plan to meet the Kyoto Accord. The Tories have so far given hints that they plan to disregard the bill, which could lead to a no-confidence vote. A no-confidence vote sounds exciting to me because the majority of Canadians don’t like Harper, and perhaps an election would turn out differently now. On the other hand, we definitely can’t afford an election after only 14 months. I think perhaps the Harper government doesn’t realise how many Canadians are getting concerned about the environment. The conservative local papers have been publishing countless environmental stories this year, and it’s not out of altruistic interest. They know that it’s what their customers want to read about. Unfortunately Stephan Harper hasn’t been paying attention. He’s still too tuned into America to understand what his voters want Canada to be. Perhaps it’s time to write some letters to MPs and cabinet minister John Baird.

Christmas Thoughts

I love Christmas. I love the music, the food, the trees, the opportunity to see friends who are home just for the holidays, and the traditions. It’s so great to give presents to friends and family, and to spend time eating, laughing and visiting together. I also find Christmas to have some stress mixed in with the fun though. It can be stressful to find good gifts for the many people on my list, and to get wrapping and card writing done in time. Then getting to all the parties and gatherings can even get a bit hairy. After New Year’s, I will feel poor, and overweight.

Christmas is a time when we value the important things in life, such as family, friendship, peace, love, joy, generosity, and for some of us, the nativity story. Unfortunately, we also spend a lot of time thinking about much less important things at Christmas too, such as ornaments, house wares, electronics, clothing, and toys. Of all the things I bought others for Christmas, and the things I received, how many were items that any of us needed? Let me list a few items: a hand bag, candles, hobby supplies, DVDs, CDs, framed photographs, calendars, a hand held mixer, pyjama pants, pot holders, puzzles, socks, books, electronic memory, and chocolates. Many of these were great presents, but not essential. The watch strap and the black trouser socks I asked for are important for my particular work environment, but not for my general survival. We start taking our decadent lifestyle for granted in North America, and this results in feeling that we need things that we really don’t. For example, yesterday, my boyfriend and I were considering what to go shopping for in the Boxing Day Sales. He said that of the things I had wanted for Christmas, the second thing I needed most was a memory card for my camera. My current card holds only 16MB, which takes 16 default-size pictures. I agreed that I wanted a bigger card, but it was hardly a necessity. Photography in general is a luxury item, never mind updated technology. When I compare what I have to other people, I think that I need more, but when I compare what I have to my concept of say, life in Uganda, or Nicaragua, I have more than plenty.

Most of my friends agree that Christmas is too commercial, but oddly enough, none of us really do anything about it. I hate the malls and all they represent, but I still want to give my friends something more tangible than my time to express my affection for them. Ideally, I would make all the presents I give, but I would need more time and talent for that, and I would still have to buy all the supplies for the presents. I made a few gifts this year, and I think I will make a bigger effort to do more of that next year. One aspect of Christmas that I don’t keep up with is decorations. I have some old wreaths from an aunt that I put around my flat, and I have a tree, but I have no outdoor lights. Lights are pretty, but they are a misuse of electricity to me, and they aren’t related to the people, love, joy or peace that I value at Christmas, so I choose not to conform in that way at this point in my life.

This year I have tried to be more mindful of the little moments of the season. I don’t want to be stressed as I prepare for a gathering, or try to get cards addressed. I want to focus on joy of the holidays, and the people that I have the chance to spend time with. When I find myself feeling hassled about something, I slow down, think about how great it is that it’s Christmastime, and then I smile, and keep going. I hope that you and yours are having a peace- and joy-filled holiday.

Violence Against Humans

Today is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. In 1989, a man killed 14 women at Ecole Polytechnique. He blamed women for many of his problems in life, including the fact that he had not been accepted into engineering. In our grief about the event, Canadians reacted against violence upon women in general.

December 6^th is all the anniversary of the Halifax Explosion, in 1917. It was the biggest explosion ever, until the arrival of the atomic bomb. The incident was caused by two ships colliding in the Halifax Harbour. Around two thousand people died, and nine thousand were injured or maimed. Much of the city, especially the North End was destroyed. While it was an accident, it can be considered an indirect result of WWI. Canada was spared the horror of the world wars, but this one event gave us a taste of the desolation of the war.

Today seems like an appropriate day to think about violence. Acts committed by individuals and acts carried out by militaries on the behalf of states are all devastating. In Halifax we are making efforts to educate students about abuse in relationships, as well as bullying and other forms of violence. On the global front there are often peace talks. Canada is a big defender of civil rights, and we have been famous for our peacekeeping efforts abroad. These sorts of strategies are good, but I think that they will not eradicate the problem.

We say that violence is wrong, but we don’t really believe it. Violence is actually valued in our popular culture. Last night I watched eight movie previews. Of the eight, five were overtly violent. One of those was a children’s movie, but it had a lot of slapstick slapping, hitting and crashing. Of the non-violent movies, Bobby ends with an assassination. Two of the violent movies were serial-killer stories. These movies are made because people will pay to see them. To some degree violence is equated with power. Brute force is a more tangible form of power to our society than intelligence or respect through social connections.

The value we place on violence is evident in our entertainment media, and perhaps we would find it evident in our language and behavioural patterns too, if we took the time to examine it. What messages are we exchanging? What messages are we sending to the next generation? If we want to stop abuse in our homes and neighbourhoods; if we want the nations of the world to stop fighting, then we have to change the way we view violence in small everyday ways.

Good News For the Earth and AIr

Brazil announced today that they will protect a huge chunk of the rainforest. This newly protected portion is about 37 million acres. It will be the biggest rainforest reserve in the world. This will help to preserve important species of plants and animals including the northern bearded saki monkey, the jaguar, the giant anteater, and the giant otter. The area is apparently the home to just less than 20% of the world’s fresh water. Rainforests also do their part in the fight against global warming, by consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

I am excited about this news, and also relieved that high-tech satellites will be monitoring the area to ensure that the new laws are observed. Unfortunately, three million additional acres were hoped to be included in the new laws, and there was an injunction on that section. Thirty seven million acres is still a very impressive effort on the part of the Brazillian government.

Public Pressure Pays Off

In August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not attend the World Aids Conference in Toronto, nor was his government represented in any way. Organizations were loudly critical of his lack of interest. Yesterday, on World AIDS Day, the Harper government finally acknowledged the planet’s AIDS crisis. International Co-operation Minister Josee Verner announced that Canada will give $120 million to the global fight against AIDS. They chose a few directions to funnel the money. Twenty million dollars will go to vaccine research, and $19 million to Haiti and Canadian agencies for prevention programs. Tanzania will receive $20 million for it’s HIV/AIDS plan, while McGill University will receive $2.5 million for research into preventing parent-child transmission in Zimbabwe.

Yesterday’s announcement is great news, but there is still more to be done. The generic AIDS medication promised to Africa years ago has still not left the country, for one thing. A hundred and twenty million dollars is good, but it is only a drop in the bucket.

Harper seemed distinctly unsympathetic to AIDS victims less than four months ago, but now he has changed his tune somewhat. I am sure that public outcry over his silence in August is a big factor in yesterday’s AIDS funding. The Conservatives are, well, extremely conservative, but they must respond to the majority of the people, or they will lose their power. This is especially true with a minority government like this one. Whatever your political concerns, it is always worthwhile to express them. We must continue to voice our opinions until the government is forced to act.

Give A Day's Pay

This Friday, December 1, is World AIDS Day. Two years ago, a doctor in Markham, Ontario challenged the doctors at her hospital to donate a day’s pay to AIDS charity. Fifty doctors rose to the challenge. The next year the word had spread to eight hospitals, and this year they are extending the challenge to everyone. Click here to find out more.

If you have a steady annual income, please consider giving your pay for Friday to The Stephen Lewis Foundation or to Dignitas International. Perhaps December is a tight time with other giving. I expect that if you were able to give a day’s pay later in the year, either organization would gladly receive a cheque.

The Stephen Lewis Website describes the idea behind the give a day campaign nicely. “This movement to raise funds is driven by the firm conviction that whether you live or die with HIV must not be determined by your race, gender or citizenship. This is one part of the human family responding to the broader human family. This is a day to show global solidarity, human decency and compassion.”