Red Flower, White Flower

Recently, a group of people have taken it to their minds that wearing a poppy glorifies war, that a poppy somehow symbolizes all that is evil in the world. These people have banded together and made a white poppy, saying that they want to show peace and not war. These people have it in their heads that by showing up to a memorial wearing a white poppy they are doing something meaningful.

Here in North America, we live in a society that is safe, secure and free. We are free to think and say just about anything without having to worry about being sent away to be re educated. Todd Akin can spout his views on ``legitimate rape``, I wonder if any woman he knows or child of his has had the opportunity to put into practice what he claims. christian extremists like Fred Phelps can spew hate and pain at people when they are saying goodbye to a loved one, a loved one who was out doing the same thing that allowed phelps the freedom to preach his hate. Some days, sadly, it amazes me how far the envelope of decency is pushed by some people. This freedom we are privileged with has a  price tag attached to it, a price that was paid and continues to be paid by those men and women who choose to put themselves between harms way and you.

The red poppy is a symbol of remembrance, something to show you know what happened and who worked to give you the freedom to be who you are. Wear it with pride, and look at those men and women who fought and are fighting and remember that they are allowing you to be who and what you wish to be. The white poppy is a political statement. Fine, here in North America we are privileged to be able to make political statements, but there is a time and place for everything. November 11th is not the time, nor is there any place appropriate that day. If you can`t find it in yourself to attend a memorial without your political statement, then don`t. Those who were there do not need to see you. They have paid their dues for your freedom. Don`t spit on what they have done.

There are 365 days in a year. You have the right to make whatever political statement you wish on any one of them because of what people paid the price for. The least you can do is remember that is by not walking up to a memorial with a political statement on your chest. If you can`t even do that, then just stay at home because you and your politics are not welcome

The Job That Needed Doing

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In 1915, Major John McCrae, a Canadian military doctor, wrote this poem about the people he had knew, the people he had walked with, drank with and then the people he had seen buried. Each man and women he saw were people, just like him, who had come to that place to do a job that needed doing. No one had come for glory, or fame. No one wanted to die or have to kill. Something needed to be done and they went to do it.

At 11 am, November 11th, 1918, the guns fell silent on the Western Front of World War I, ending the fighting between the Allies and the Germans. This war, then dubbed the war to end all wars, was effectively over. All told, 37 million soldiers, sailors and airman were counted as casualties, 8 million of those were counted as dead. 8 million crosses were needed to mark the spots where these men and women were laid to rest. Men and women who went to do what needed to be done.

On November 11th, stop for a moment and think about what happened and what is still happening. Men and women are out there doing a job that needs to be done. They are not there fighting for some oil company, or some political power play, they are out there because someone's little girl is in danger, because there is a madman out there wanting to erase an entire race of people, because someone needs them to be there.

2 minutes, that is all they ask for

Remember not who sent them nor why they were sent

Remember that someone needs them to do a Job That Needs Doing