NoveMBER
      19,
      2004
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PINION
      &
      CO
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MMENTARY
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Remembrance
      Day
      -
      Lest
      We
      Forget
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I‘m
      a
      pretty
      easy-going
      gal.
     
     
      Not
      much
      pisses
      me
      off.
      But
      when
      I
     
     
      encounter
      a
      person
      who
      outright
     
     
      refuses
      to
      wear
      a
      poppy
      or
      doesn’t
     
     
      bother
      to
      observe
      Remembrance
      Day
     
     
      in
      their
      own
      little
      way
      -
      well,
      I
      geta
      little
     
     
      upset.
     
     
      Nomatter
      what
      differing
      views
     
     
      we
      have
      about
      war,
      we
      should
      all
      be
     
     
      united
      in
      the
      debt
      owed
      to
      those
     
     
      soldiers
      who
      fought
      in
      wars
      for
      our
     
     
      freedom,
      and
      peacekeepers
      who
      enlist
     
     
      to
      do
      the
      things
      for
      our
      country
      that
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rest
      of
      us
      don’t
      really
      want
      to
      think
     
     
      about.
     
    

    
     
      Those
      people
      who
      refuse
      to
     
     
      observe
      Remembrance
      Day
      should,
      at
     
     
      the
      very
      least,
      realize
      their
      freedom
      not
     
     
      to
      do
      so
      was
      paid
      for
      with
      the
      blood
      of
     
     
      those
      brave
      souls
      who
      at
      the
      end
      of
      their
     
     
      lives
      may
      or
      may
      not
      have
      believed
      in
     
     
      the
      cause.
      They
      may
      not
      have
      known
     
     
      what
      a
      profound
      effect
      their
      service
     
     
      would
      have
      on
      the
      future
      of
      our
      nation
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      for
      generations
      to
      come
      -
      but
      they
      did
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      anyway.
     
    

    
     
      I’m
      not
      sure
      if
      Canadians
      can
     
     
      fully
      understand
      the
      complete
      freedom
     
     
      we
      have
      here.
      It’s
      a
      freedom
      we
      take
     
     
      for
      granted
      everyday.
      We
      can
      say
      what
     
     
      we
      want
      to
      say
      without
      getting
      gunned
     
     
      down
      in
      the
      street,
      we
      can
      buy
      what
      we
     
     
      want
      to
      buy
      and
      live
      how.
      we
     
     
      want
      to
      live.
      How
      many
      other
     
    
   
   
    
     
      choices?
      How
      many
      people
      in
     
     
      other
      countries
      would
      die
      to
     
     
      give
      what
      we
      have
      to
      their
      own
     
     
      children?
      How
      many
      people
      in
     
     
      other
      nations
      do
      nottruly
      know
     
     
      what
      freedom
      is?
     
    

    
     
      I
      think
      people
      who
     
     
      refuse
      to
      observe
      Remem-
     
     
      brance
      Day
      have
      their
      own
     
     
      ideas
      about
      what
      the
      observa-
     
     
      tions
      stand
      for.
      It’s
      a
      day
      to
      pay
     
     
      tribute
      to
      Canadian
      veterans
     
    

    
     
      -and
      peacekeepers
      who
      have
     
     
      made
      the
      ultimate
      sacrifice
      in
     
     
      protecting
      our
      country
      or
     
     
      assisting
      other
      countries
      in
      their
     
     
      attempts
      to
      gain
      the
      kinds
      of
     
     
      freedom
      we
      have
      here.
     
    

    
     
      Remembrance
      Day
     
     
      doesn’t
      glorify
      war.
      It“gorifies”
     
     
      it.
      Since
      our
      first
      assembly
      in
     
     
      elementary
      school,
      we
      have
     
    
   
   
    
     
      people
      are
      given
      so
      many
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      been
      told
      of
      the
      horrific
      tragedies
      of
      war
     
     
      -
      how
      much
      was
      lost
      by
      the
      soldiers
      but
     
     
      gained
      by
      a
      nation.
     
    

    
     
      Teary-eyed
      veterans
      illustrated
      the
     
     
      reasons
      why
      peace
      should
      be
      sought
     
     
      and
      war
      should
      not.
      They
      toldus
      stories
     
     
      of
      seeing
      friends
      blown
      to
      bits
      and
     
     
      losing
      the
      use
      of
      their
      limbs
      ina
      matter
      of
     
     
      seconds.
      They
      told
      us
      how
      it
      felt
      to
     
     
      choke
      on
      mustard
      gas
      -
      battling
      for
     
     
      every
      breath;
      seeing
      hospital
      carts
     
     
      passing
      in
      the
      distance
      -
      not
      knowing
     
     
      where
      one
      man
      ended
      and
      another
     
     
      began.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Aspainful
      asitis
      to
      picture
      all
      of
     
     
      this,
      imagine
      whatit
      must
      be
      like
      to
      have
     
     
      these
      thoughts
      and
      images
      so
      deeply
     
     
      etched
      in
      your
      memory
      long
      after
      the
     
     
      wars
      ended.
      Having
      to
      see,
      smell
      and
     
     
      feel
      the
      horror,
      over
      and
      over
      every
     
     
      time
      you
      closed
      your
      eyes.
     
    

    
     
      So
      if
      you
      don’t
      want
      to
      wear
      a
     
     
      poppy
      -
      don’t.
      Atleast
      be
      grateful
      to
      the
     
     
      people
      who
      have
      given
      up
      so
      many
     
     
      nights
      of
      restful
      sleep
      so
      you
      can
      lie
     
     
      comfortably
      ina
      cosy
      bed
      ina
      beautiful
     
     
      nation,
      having
      the
      freedom
      to
      deny
     
     
      those
      who
      have
      done
      so
      much
      for
      you.