Nov
11
I find Remembrance Day to be deceptively complicated. For many years, I have been concerned that it is too focussed on the world wars – particularly the first world war – rather than current or more recent conflicts. I worried that by drawing on symbolism from the Somme, Remembrance Day was losing its “relevance” to today. As a young cub scout, participation in the remembrance day ceremonies sometimes felt a little boring. That’s changed of late, due to the salience of the fighting in Afghanistan and previously Iraq.
It’s also difficult for those who don’t support a particular conflict. There have been times when I’ve had to remind myself that it is possible to separately mark the commitment, dedication and sacrifice made by men and women over many wars, rather than the decisions to send them into conflict. And discomfort over political decisions about war can also mean the solemnity of the occasion is combined with anger at the wastefulness of the loss.
I am sometimes concerned that by combining the symbolic act of wearing a poppy – and the events being co-ordinated by the Royal British Legion – the conflation of remembrance, charitable fundraising and the armed forces deters some people from paying their respects. I don’t agree with that view – but Remembrance Day should not be a divisive occasion.
And as @markng reminds us, Remembrance Day in Britain has a focus on those lives that were lost, sometimes obscuring the many thousands who were injured, or fought and remain healthy, and we need to remember their sacrifices too. The new Armed Forces Day is yet to really catch public attention.
On a practical level, I suspect that we do not do enough as a country to support our armed service personnel and their families. Both those who have suffered loss of life or permanent physical injury but also those who have mental scars – or just struggle to find gainful employment after the leaving the army. I was pleased to see the Howard League for Penal Reform launching an inquiry into why so many former service personnel end up in prison. As Max Atkinson reminds us there are those who didn’t fight in the war, but made no less a considerable effort to war. Wearing a poppy should remind us of that, too.
I also worry that by focussing on Remembrance Day, although a successful fundraising operation, the British Legion doesn’t receive enough sustainable giving – and that it serves as an excuse to proper taxpayer funding of veterans’ support.
And for all I enjoy a bit of symbolism, I’m concerned that in some years, our national act of rememberance is neatly confined to a single day, or week, when it should be a much more frequent exercise in saying thank you to those who had the courage to stand up and fight, do what they were told, and safeguard the freedoms that make Britain a prosperous and vibrant nation.
But all of that over-thinking doesn’t obscure some very basic, fundamental issues which mean that as complicated as Remembrance Day may be, it is simply the right thing to do. It is right that we remember the war dead and injured. It is right that we come together, as people across the country – and the world – to remember the horrors of war and the cost of protecting the world from tyranny – or sometimes just our national interest. It is right that we contribute financially to the well-being of troops and their families. And for all those reasons, I wear my poppy with thanks.
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