Nobody asked me, but...
November 21, 2005
By Cam Tait
A few astute readers - thank you so much - took the time to write in last week to point out that Remembrance Day is not a national holiday. (Memo to self: don't forget, okay?). That in itself raises a few questions, namely why? Why have we let this important day slide into commercialism without respecting what it is supposed to represent? We could debate that until the cows come home, but we won't.
"Unfortunately," writes Ann from Kitchener, "Remembrance Day is not really a national holiday, nor even a statutory holiday in all provinces - not here in Ontario. On a local radio station, people were calling in a few days ago on this issue - whether or not Remembrance Day SHOULD be a statutory holiday. One caller wondered if the kids aren't better off in school, where at least they would attend an assembly. Maybe if it was a day off, it would be JUST another day off and not marked by attending a ceremony at the cenotaph. I have to agree, and wonder if that might not be the case."
Interesting.
One thought - and I plead guilty for taking the idea of the person who called in to the radio station - is to have all students attend school on Remembrance Day. Because, let's be honest, how many kids these days really get the meaning of November 11th, and why they don't go to school that day? Not a lot, I would guess. That's a shame, but it's nobody's fault. Father time has a way of forging ahead. It's just too bad some of the greatest history lessons and some of the bravest acts known to mankind are fading, much like the ink used to chronicle them.
We can turn things around, though. All it takes is some creativity and hard work. Considering the sacrifices Canadian soldiers went through in two world wars, is hard work and being creative so much to ask?
So, from the Department of Nobody Asked Me, But Here's My Two Cents Anyway, we bring you the following: make November 11th a special day at school. No more school holidays. But here's the difference. Students would meet at their school and then be bussed to their local cenotaph. And who would be on those buses? Personnel from the local Royal Canadian Legion. On the way to the Remembrance Day ceremony, Legion members would give the students a brief overview of what was going to take place.
Once the bus got there, students would have their own seating for the ceremony. But here's where it could be really cool - once they returned to the school, a number of veterans would come and talk to the students about their experiences. Students need to hear wavering voices and see some tears to fully understand, appreciate, and most importantly, respect why Remembrance Day is a day we can never let out of our hearts or our memories.
In order for all this to happen, we have to give students an experience: one they look forward to and one they buy into. It's a new challenge, absolutely. It's going to take a combined effort by people from different walks of life, absolutely. And, like any new project or initiative, it will take funding, and cut into the already crumbling piece of pie that represents community investments. But would it be worth it?
Absolutely.
Cam Tait is a sports reporter and columnist for the Edmonton Journal. He covered community investments and volunteers for 19 years. E-mail Cam at cam@charityvillage.com with thoughts, suggestions or ideas.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
