The question perhaps is whether or not Anzac Day and such events are about war or peace.
Australian has sent troops to just about every war anywhere since the Boer War and probably before. Some would argue that Hitler was a threat to Australia and stopping the spread of communism or Weapons of Mass Destruction was a justification for troops to Vietnam and Iraq, but I do no think we should have been dragged into it or into Korea or Afghanistan or Malaya etc.
Do we celebrate the heroic actions of our VC winners or talk more about the thousands who died in WWI and II ? Do we disclose the alleged atrocities committed by our blokes in Vietnam and Afghanistan ? Or do we continue the myth of ANZAC spirit that may breed war-like attitudes ?
All I know JBomber, is that my Dad and Mum, both refused to discuss any of their war exploits and perhaps that this is the real story.
The day is not about glorifying the atrocities of war, itās about showing gratitude and respect to those who have served and are presently serving our country - particularly those who have given their lives in the line of duty. I would have thought thatās all pretty obvious and self-explanatory.
It bothers me when I see people politicise the day and attempt to make it about something other than what it is. I see this on Australia Day as well and itās shameful.
Maybe if you made the Politicians who start and continue these wars, be the first ones to the front-lines then you may never have wars.
Last year I drove through Belgium and stopped at a war cemetry at Tyne Cot in Zonnebeke which had nearly 12,000 graves, about 1600 Australians, and over 8000 are unmarked. I found it very emotional and quite devastating.
So I hope the message from Anzac day if there is one than remembrance of the fallen is that we do not want any more graves.
Other than the footy I think that it is an opportunity for kids to understand what went on in at least the major wars, the sacrifices made and the lives lost. My wife is a kinder teacher and that is certainly the message she tries to get across. Whilst wars are political I think itās pretty sad to politicise the day as itās not what the intention of the day is in my opinion.
I did a war interview in high school in the 80ās (showing my age) of my now dead great uncle who was in WW2 and a POW. He never spoke about the war - never - so I was very lucky that he agreed to do it and the assignment is the only thing I kept from high school. For him Anzac day was about getting together with his mates - that was about it. I asked that question so I know thatās his answer. The war destroyed his life though.
I also have a relative who served in Afghanistan. Since coming back, he has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, his marriage has ended and his life is now destroyed. Regardless of agreeing with the war or not, he was in the army and he was required to go.
There just does not need to be any pushing of agendaās or opinions with Anzac day.
I suppose Mr Wolf, now that I reflect upon it, the reason that ANZAC Day for me is about the Footy and watching for a Bomber victory, is that anything else just makes me sad.
My Son has the same outcomes from Afghanistan as your relative, and that makes me incredibly sad as well.
Maybe Iāve been to different services but Iāve never once heard anything that I would remotely consider promoting war. On the absolute contrary Iāve always found every service to be sombre & the general tone to be one of acknowledging the horrors rather than some glorification of how great it would be to lose a few mates to malaria, starvation, or maybe if they were lucky, a quick bullet to the head. Perhaps its the crazy old diggers round the Marsh area that get drunk every year & say āgo out there kiddies & get yourselves to war, its friggin great, kill some Charlies or Fritzās, best fun everā but my Grandparents like your parents certainly didnāt promote war as anything but hell. Its that acknowledgement of the hell my grandfather in particular endured that I remember every ANZAC Day.
Congratulations on missing the point even on this.
So whatās Christmas for, the one day a year that you donāt have to be ashamed to be a capitalist?
Why would you feel racist for being proud of your country? Do you think you have our country wrong if you canāt be proud of it openly? Do you think the ANZACs were an homogenous group? Do you also recognise the Kiwis and the Aboriginal veterans and the 16,000 Sikh and Muslim Indian people at Gallipoli and the Gurkhas who fought beside the ANZACs? You can and should. Iām sure the ANZACs were as appreciative of their cover fire as everyone elseās. If you think its a time to selectably praise only certain diggers then I think you may have missed an opportunity to learn the lessons of the wars.
Just a question Fox, do you think blue ribbon day promotes cop killing? Does sorry day promote more discrimination? Do you have any examples of when an ANZAC Day celebration has escalated into a full scale ground invasion of another country?
Not entirely sure that Blue Ribbon Day is necessary for me to understand what a great job Police do and how dangerous it can be. And Sorry Day is also not necessary for me to know that our history has sadness and evil, and that our Indigenous Peoples have been murdered and displaced.
Politicians decide when we invade other countries and you could argue that they use nationalism to stir up the populace. Our PMās (from all sides) go to visit troops in Iran and Afghanistan, and talk about courage under fire and heroic acts, in conflicts that I argue we should not have entered.
I believe it is very important to support our Troops, but perhaps Government should be much more selective at sending them into harms way.
As I watched the ceremony at the G yesterday, I found that my views have changed since my Son was in Afghanistan and I just hope that you or your kids donāt have to go through it at all.
I think thatās part of the significance of the day and the reason itās important for kids to understand and appreciate it. War is not something played on a video game, nor in boardroom nor on a footy field.
The actions and consequences of our government sending troops to war or conflict should be understood. Letās face it, weāre apathetic when it comes to politics, if it doesnāt directly affect us we donāt care. Iām not sure what has influenced the young people to turn up for Anzac Day services. Iām only pleased and proud that they have.
They used to do none, but got burnt many times, mostly before the election, but not always. There was one Labor bloke, when I was much younger, who got elected with severe form for Wife bashing, attempted rape and some other serious stuff. He was in Parliament for over ten years.
The media scrutiny now makes it very hard for anyone to slip through.
Pretty close to what I was considering this time around. My daughter is in guides and has been involved in the guard of honor for the last two years. Before then I attended most dawn services (either as a weekend warrior or just there to pay my respects to family and their mates who served). It was always drummed into me that the day is a solemn occasion where you remember the sacrifice of service people and the terrible tragedies of war in the hope they arenāt repeated. Scanning through the crowd I saw a few types of people there. Those who were there to honor family, much like myself. Those who had official roles. And, a presence I seem to notice more recently. Those who seem to be there in some kind of celebratory, patriotic capacity. I find this a little disturbing and I can almost guarantee my grandparents generation would be angry about the growing misappropriation of the occasion. Those who werenāt too scarred by war to even acknowledge the day, that is.
If anyone wants a few perspectives on the individuals thoughts on being a soldier, āyou canāt ask thatā just had an episode with returned soldiers. Tough watch but worth it