Remembrance Sunday

Today is the day we honour and remember all the past wars, primarily of the last century. Most notably the First World War and Second World War; in many countries around the world, wreaths are laid, the bugle sounds ‘The Last Post’, and then at 11:00 we stand for two minutes silence.


I am not sure how many countries follow this tradition, but it seems there is not enough, because we still have wars, we still have unnecessary death, and carnage. We never seem to learn from these wars do we, and every year we commemorate with sadness the lives lost, the honour and sacrifice of millions of young men and women throughout the world. The true heroes, who died, or were wounded, some still to this day haunted by the memory, living with the nightmare.

I have great respect for anyone who served in the armed forces, even more respect for anyone who fought for their country; it is the supreme sacrifice. But now in this day and age, with all we have been through, all we have witnessed, war should be ended stopped forever.

It is not honourable to die for nothing, because of hate, and prejudice, because of distrust, doubt and deceit, to die because of the greedy selfishness of the few.

So many people have died because of this, and we should try everything in our power as civilised human beings to end wars.

I used to think fighting for freedom and the safety of your country was a good enough reason to go to war, but most war isn’t fought because of that. Yes I know the Second World War was, but that is the exception to the rule. Approximately 100 million people died directly or indirectly because of war in the 20th century. Let’s not have the same happen in the 21st century.