Tag Archives: remembrance day

White Poppies? Right Message, Wrong Time

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By Jay Menard

There is a time and a place for everything. And though you may be married to the idea that a personal protest takes precedence, Remembrance Day is clearly not the time to wear white.

That said, everyone has the right to wear a white poppy — a symbol initially introduced in the 1920s by the No More War Movement in England. It’s now established as a pacifist alternative to the red poppy with the intent to disassociate from the military aspect of the red poppy recognition.

But just because you have the Right doesn’t make it right. Continue reading →

The Grinches Who Conscripted Remembrance Day

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By Jay Menard

Christmas seems to be offending more and more people just by its very existence. And the latest weapon conscripted into the battle is the honour of our veterans.

To that I say Bah Humbug and how dare you.

To start, I’m not religious, but I use the word Christmas. If that offends you, feel free to substitute the word X-Mas, Saturnalia, Yule, or whatever other term offends you the least. Continue reading →

I Remember So I Never Have to Know

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By Jason Menard

I wear a poppy and participate in Remembrance Day not as a celebration of war, but as a reminder to learn from its lessons and, hopefully, never repeat them.

I celebrate and memorialize our history so that I never have to know war in reality.

Sadly, our society often forgets those lessons in a rush to fetishise war. We misguidedly conscript military terminology to use in our day-to-day efforts. There are various “Armies,” “Corps,” and “Regiments.”

The organizations will claim they’re fighting for someone; but what’s missing from that statement is the fact that it means they’re in combat against another group. It means we haven’t learned our lessons from war. And in trying to claim these words for our own, we muddle their meaning. Continue reading →

Why I Wear the Red Poppy

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By Jason Menard

I wear a red poppy because at this time of year the symbol is not about me. It’s about those who have served and, in some cases, died fighting for this country.

The red poppy has become increasingly politicized over the years. There are those who choose to wear a white poppy to show their opposition to any armed conflict. The white poppy is used as an alternative emblem to show one’s preference for peace.

I respect that. And I share those ideals and beliefs, as I am staunchly anti-gun and see little need for war.

But I will always wear the red poppy. Continue reading →

A Crisis of Consensus — Lest We Forget

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By Jason Menard

On this day, we remember those who came before us and fought for our way of life — our right to exist as Canadians. It is one day that, regardless of one’s political stripe, we come together as a nation under a common belief — to support our veterans.

And it’s an increasingly rare occurrence in this great nation of ours. Continue reading →