As the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month of the year comes around for another year, it’s another year that we take the time out to appreciate those people that fought for peace those many years ago. I wasn’t alive then, my parents weren’t alive then, and although we weren’t directly impacted, there’s a lot of things that could have been different had the war been lost. We observe two minutes of silence to reflect on those lives fought for our countries, and when I was a kid, I remember the special assemblies in Elementary school, and you don’t really know the importance or understand just why it’s such a patriotic tradition to observe out of respect those brave veterans.

            The history of Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the United States) is signified by the Poppies worn over our hearts, the famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ by Canadian John McCrae, and the overall theme that we don’t forget those who fought for us. Now, there’s still war in the world that Canadians are still involved with and more soldiers are dying. It’s important that we still understand that their significance is important and that it’s not only the WWII vets that get all of the recognition. All soldiers are united as one in a common fight for freedom. A famous passage from the book ‘1984’ (which I need to get back into reading) states:

WAR IS PEACE
FRREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

There is no peace without having to fight for it, and there’s always something that has to be fought for in order for it to cease and for both (or all) parties to come together on common grounds. War is one of those things that will always be imminent, and here’s why. Everyone wants control, and power is one of those things that is glorious to have. You can’t touch it, but you can obtain it; that’s what many people in high positions want. The more power you have, the more fear you can control over people. Fear rules all, and that’s why many countries have civil unrest; people aren’t afraid as much anymore. War is a means to bring about peace, but if the Bible has taught us anything “violence begets more violence” or something along those lines.

The fight for freedom is one that we all fight for; to be free of a 9-5 job, to be free of a crappy relationship, but what is the cost of freedom? Many have given their lives for it, and very few will taste it, so it’s an everlasting battle to free yourself from life’s shackles. What is freedom? Many people have their own personal definitions of what freedom is to them that another person wouldn’t. It’s not always about having that dream home and having a lot of money; Money is the root of all evil, but it can give you a taste of what it is to be free (irony).

They say ignorance is bliss, but ignorance is also a root of fear, which is a state of control, and those tie into war. When you don’t know something and you choose not to discover the meaning of it, but rather go against it, you’re feeding into the ignorance, then what happens? A rash of ignorant people running around spreading more ignorance to more people, and they say strength is in numbers, so when you have more ignorance, it creates an embodiment of strength.

All of these characteristics tie back to what our soldiers were fighting for and continue to fight for. We’re all soldiers of war, whether physical, mental, or emotional. We have to fight for what’s ours to create peace within us. Our soldiers fought to be freed of the ignorance that was in Europe. They ruled over fear by sheer ignorance, so we fought to bring peace. We were successful, and we should heed to that event and that significant moment in history. The 11^th hour symbolized peace, and as comes, let there be peace, for one day we can all find inner peace within all of us, because Lord knows when there will be peace in the world.

That’s My Word & It STiXX