I abhor war.
It’s always caused by mad men who think themselves sensible.
Always the result is slaughter. But not for the mad men.
And it is not for them that I wear the poppy. It is for the men and women who were slaughtered, the cannon fodder.
Ordinary people from all walks of life, from all levels of social structure, who either answered the call or had no choice. It didn’t make any difference. The end result was the same.
Wearing a poppy does not mean one supports war. It means that once a year, a special tradition is observed to remember the fallen.
It means that our respective nations, for two minutes at least, show solidarity in a common cause.
There are people who come to our countries to do harm and who try, in many ways, to change our way of life. We can’t fight them, even if we wanted to. But we can show them what we are about.
We can show them that when it comes to it, we can be united and will not roll over and give in.
We can show them that they are up against a nation. Us.
At least we can on Remembrance Day.
Please wear a Poppy.
Ken Jennings, Parksville
