Saltaire's Caroline's Social Club currently has an impressive display for Remembrance Day, with hundreds of knitted poppies and some wooden ones too. It also has symbolic paintings on most of the windows. I don't recall them doing this in past years but I may be wrong. Perhaps it's because it's the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, and probably one of the last times there will be any actual veterans of that war still alive. They have clearly put a lot of work into it and it's a nice example of community spirit, involving at least one local school too, I think.
I'm sure most of us won't 'forget', though I can't see it makes any difference really. There are still wars... seemingly more, and more brutal, than ever... and so much division and hatred seems to be surfacing in our societies lately. Ironically some of the worst attitudes seem to be among those who hang on fiercely to our notions of sovereignty and national pride. Personally, I'd like to see a lessening of the trend for sentimentality that surfaces when tragedy happens; all those flowers and teddies and candles left at key sites, by people who never even knew those concerned. All those balloons and flaming lanterns released 'in memory', despite that we know how harmful they then prove to be to our wildlife. Yes, we need to teach the younger generations about our not always glorious history and we should always be deeply compassionate to those who struggle, for whatever reason, but I'm not sure we should sensationalise things. I'm not against the respectful commemoration of those who gave their lives and wellbeing for the sake of others, but maybe it's time to dial back on some of the indulgence of nostalgia. (I realise this may not be a widely held view but it's how I feel.)
Dear Jenny, I could not agree more with what you write here. Everything seems to be turned into some kind of „event“ and blown up out of proportion - even the weather forecast is not happy anymore with just telling us that it‘s going to rain, but it has to be a weather WARNING in red and capital letters. Sign of the times?
ReplyDeleteAnd as you say, we don‘t actually forget, but it doesn‘t make the world more peaceful.
The poppy displays are striking.
Wow, those poppies are incredible. Nothing like red to stand out! As a pacifist, it's always hard for me to consider all the awful conflicts still raging around the world today. I will give tribute more to the children or other victims of criminal gunfire. But I've never lit a candle or brought a bouquet to a location where it might have happened. Loss of life is criminal in my mind, in any way.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the nostalgia and sentimentality are out of place. And there's a kind of emotional blackmail about the poppy, as in what kind of person wouldn't wear one,etc. I think these observances tend to glorify war rather than discourage it. I do honor the dead and wounded, but not by display.
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