disturber of the peace
Posts: 1,546 
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...after growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...after growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
April 9th, 2007, 10:05 PM
Listening to the news, I heard the announcer says that this was a day of rememberance and celebration. I don't see any reason to celebrate. It was war. It was people killing people. That isn't anything to celebrate. Remember and learn from? Yes. Celebrate...no.
Listening to the news, I heard the announcer says that this was a day of rememberance and celebration. I don't see any reason to celebrate. It was war. It was people killing people. That isn't anything to celebrate. Remember and learn from? Yes. Celebrate...no.
Senate Member
Posts: 6,500
April 10th, 2007, 07:16 AM
SNAFU
Aren't we lucky then you aren't calling the shots and making the rules to honor the slain.
The least we can do is pay homage those who have died for their nation - for whatever cause or reason.
It would seem you lack knowledge of the meaning of the word celebrate... a missing link which often takes only a few minutes to look up on the internet to discover something new...
Thesaurus
Library > Words > Thesaurus
celebrate
verb
SNAFU
Aren't we lucky then you aren't calling the shots and making the rules to honor the slain.
The least we can do is pay homage those who have died for their nation - for whatever cause or reason.
It would seem you lack knowledge of the meaning of the word celebrate... a missing link which often takes only a few minutes to look up on the internet to discover something new...
Thesaurus
Library > Words > Thesaurus
celebrate
verb
- To mark (a day or an event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing: commemorate, keep, observe, solemnize. See remember/forget.
- To show joyful satisfaction in an event, especially by merrymaking: rejoice, revel. Idioms: kill the fatted calf, make merry. See laughter.
- To pay tribute or homage to: acclaim, eulogize, exalt, extol, glorify, hail, honor, laud, magnify, panegyrize, praise. Idioms: sing someone's praises. See praise/blame.
Executive Member
Posts: 9,534
April 10th, 2007, 09:59 AM
Quoting Dexter Sinister
Whether Vimy Ridge was worth it or not is something that can be argued for decades and it has been. One point I'd like to make is that Canadian troops had already put in time as cannon fodder for at least a couple of incompetent British generals who inherited their commissions. Vimy Ridge was at least a Canadian planned operation. The 3600 Canadians who lost their lives and the thousands injured at Vimy were a terrible price, but far better than the 11,000 who were cannon fodder and who were so blasted to smithereens that there wasn't enough left to identify. As well, those who came home could be very proud of their achievements. This coming November we might not have a single WW1 veteran at the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa, but I remember when we had tens of thousands. I just wish we had treated our veterans a little better when they were still here.
Saddest thing of all, to my mind: 620,000 Canadians mobilized, 67,000 killed, 173,000 injured, many of them cripplingly and permanently. For a country with less than 10 million people at the time, that's a whole generation of young men. And it being an all-volunteer army tells us something about who they were: the adventurous spirits, the bold and brave, the risk takers... We lost more than just those men, we lost a spirit and an attitude too. Imagine how different Canada might be if they'd lived and had children and grandchildren... That's one of Pierre Burton's conclusions in his book about Vimy Ridge. At the end he asks, "Was it worth it?" His answer was no, and so is mine.
In retrospect it's easy to see that it was a stupid war fought for stupid reasons and created the roots of conflicts--notably in the MIddle East--that are still vexing the planet. That's one of the reasons why we ought to remember; you'll never make sense of the current geopolitical situation if you don't understand WW1.
And it's certainly no reason not to honour our fallen and remember their sacrifices. My mother's father and his brothers were there. They all came home again, and they were all physically whole, but other relatives confirmed that they were never the same after that. As one of my Great Aunts put it, all the joy was burned out of them. They were casualties too. Their whole generation was.
In retrospect it's easy to see that it was a stupid war fought for stupid reasons and created the roots of conflicts--notably in the MIddle East--that are still vexing the planet. That's one of the reasons why we ought to remember; you'll never make sense of the current geopolitical situation if you don't understand WW1.
And it's certainly no reason not to honour our fallen and remember their sacrifices. My mother's father and his brothers were there. They all came home again, and they were all physically whole, but other relatives confirmed that they were never the same after that. As one of my Great Aunts put it, all the joy was burned out of them. They were casualties too. Their whole generation was.
NHL Hockey Insider
Posts: 3,623
Location: Vancouver Island
Location: Vancouver Island
April 11th, 2007, 01:50 AM
My grandfather fought in the Boer War, and also World War 1. He never spoke of the wars,
kept it all inside for the rest of his life. He survived physically, remained very healthy, but
something was taken from his spirit forever.
I remember him well, he was very quiet, didn't want any trouble with anyone, ever, just lived out
his life, without bothering anyone.
My grandfather fought in the Boer War, and also World War 1. He never spoke of the wars,
kept it all inside for the rest of his life. He survived physically, remained very healthy, but
something was taken from his spirit forever.
I remember him well, he was very quiet, didn't want any trouble with anyone, ever, just lived out
his life, without bothering anyone.
House Member
Posts: 3,652
Videos: 2
Location: 50° 30' N, 104° 38' W
Videos: 2
Location: 50° 30' N, 104° 38' W
April 11th, 2007, 02:17 AM
Quoting talloola
Yeah, I've seen the same pattern in veterans of both World Wars, I'm sure it's visible in Vietnam veterans (though I don't currently know any) and it'll be visible in the veterans of Kosovo and Afghanistan and Iraq and so forth. Very bright and able people, content to live out their lives being much less than they could have been. One of my favourite people (dead now, alas) was a veteran of convoy escort duty on corvettes in WW2, very intelligent, widely read, deeply thoughtful and insightful, he'd have been an excellent academic and teacher, spent his professional life selling shoes and never wanted anything more than peace and quiet. Nothing wrong with that, but he could have been so much more, for himself and many others, and I've always felt the combat experience broke something in him.
...just lived out his life, without bothering anyone.
NHL Hockey Insider
Posts: 3,623
Location: Vancouver Island
Location: Vancouver Island
April 11th, 2007, 02:36 AM
[quote=Dexter Sinister;820227]Yeah, I've seen the same pattern in veterans of both World Wars, I'm sure it's visible in Vietnam veterans (though I don't currently know any) and it'll be visible in the veterans of Kosovo and Afghanistan and Iraq and so forth.
Why can't it 'just' all end. It's such a helpless feeling for all of us who, just want peace, and peace
comes closer from time to time, but then away it goes, as some new war is born, it's very frustrating.
The U.S. government just seems to have become paranoid since 911, and if they don't elect someone
who is a moderate/diplomat in 2008, they will continue with their non peaceful methods, and threats
to other countries, and their accusations toward others as 'terrorists', when, what is really needed is a more diplomatic approach, and some 'calm'.
McCain and Gulianni both scare me, as they just want to continue on in the same path as Bush.
[quote=Dexter Sinister;820227]Yeah, I've seen the same pattern in veterans of both World Wars, I'm sure it's visible in Vietnam veterans (though I don't currently know any) and it'll be visible in the veterans of Kosovo and Afghanistan and Iraq and so forth.
Why can't it 'just' all end. It's such a helpless feeling for all of us who, just want peace, and peace
comes closer from time to time, but then away it goes, as some new war is born, it's very frustrating.
The U.S. government just seems to have become paranoid since 911, and if they don't elect someone
who is a moderate/diplomat in 2008, they will continue with their non peaceful methods, and threats
to other countries, and their accusations toward others as 'terrorists', when, what is really needed is a more diplomatic approach, and some 'calm'.
McCain and Gulianni both scare me, as they just want to continue on in the same path as Bush.
disturber of the peace
Posts: 1,546
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...after growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...after growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
April 12th, 2007, 12:26 AM
Quoting Curiosity
Well, screw your dictionary terms...when I see celebrate, I think of a party...I think of glorification. I don't think death and war and mass destruction should be celebrated. Remembered, yes. Celebrated...in the way that I most often use the term, and most often hear it used....no. But thanks so much for your help in the matter.
SNAFU
Aren't we lucky then you aren't calling the shots and making the rules to honor the slain.
The least we can do is pay homage those who have died for their nation - for whatever cause or reason.
It would seem you lack knowledge of the meaning of the word celebrate... a missing link which often takes only a few minutes to look up on the internet to discover something new...
Thesaurus
Library > Words > Thesaurus
celebrate
verb
Aren't we lucky then you aren't calling the shots and making the rules to honor the slain.
The least we can do is pay homage those who have died for their nation - for whatever cause or reason.
It would seem you lack knowledge of the meaning of the word celebrate... a missing link which often takes only a few minutes to look up on the internet to discover something new...
Thesaurus
Library > Words > Thesaurus
celebrate
verb
- To mark (a day or an event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing: commemorate, keep, observe, solemnize. See remember/forget.
- To show joyful satisfaction in an event, especially by merrymaking: rejoice, revel. Idioms: kill the fatted calf, make merry. See laughter.
- To pay tribute or homage to: acclaim, eulogize, exalt, extol, glorify, hail, honor, laud, magnify, panegyrize, praise. Idioms: sing someone's praises. See praise/blame.
disturber of the peace
Posts: 1,546
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...after growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...after growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
April 12th, 2007, 12:29 AM
Quoting talloola
I can't imagine what war would do to someone. I think how war would affect me...I just can't imagine how it would mess with me. It is not something I would wish on anyone...and I wish there was some way to put an end to it...especially modern warfare.
My grandfather fought in the Boer War, and also World War 1. He never spoke of the wars,
kept it all inside for the rest of his life. He survived physically, remained very healthy, but
something was taken from his spirit forever.
I remember him well, he was very quiet, didn't want any trouble with anyone, ever, just lived out
his life, without bothering anyone.
kept it all inside for the rest of his life. He survived physically, remained very healthy, but
something was taken from his spirit forever.
I remember him well, he was very quiet, didn't want any trouble with anyone, ever, just lived out
his life, without bothering anyone.
House Member
Posts: 3,401
Location: USA
Location: USA
April 12th, 2007, 11:37 AM
Quoting snfu73
I suppose that all warfare is modern at the time it was fought.
I can't imagine what war would do to someone. I think how war would affect me...I just can't imagine how it would mess with me. It is not something I would wish on anyone...and I wish there was some way to put an end to it...especially modern warfare.
