Honouring the Fallen

There's no question that I'm glad it's a public holiday; Lord only knows, I need the rest. But unlike most other public holidays in this country, which celebrate something or other, this day is about remembering those who paid the ultimate price in defence of their brothers, their people, and their country. Today we remember and honour those men (and women) with silence, contemplation, and reverence.

Let me make it perfectly clear that I do not agree with the wars that this nation fights, not even slightly. A decent examination of the five wars that this country is currently fighting will tell you very quickly that you are fighting the wrong people for the stupidest of reasons, and that you have no hope of ultimate victory until you recognise this fact. Your fathers, brothers, uncles, and sons are being sent to fight and die on foreign soil for absolutely no good reason at the behest of leaders who you elected and who understand nothing of their sacrifice or the consequences of their stupidity- and, by extension, your own.

None of these facts changes the worth of a single good soldier, fallen in combat. Nothing changes the nature of their sacrifice, their innate humanity, or their worth as human beings. In the spirit of this fact, take a moment to remember those who fell in battle, whether righteous or not, and regardless of whether you agree with the conduct of these endless wars, use that moment to thank them for what they have done.

And as for the living, pray that one day soon, the senseless wars that they have been ordered to fight will end, and they will return home to the delight and joy of their loved ones: