Remembering the realities of war

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we remember all those who fought and died during both WWI and WWII, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, and now those in Afghanistan.

For me, Remembrance Day has always been a struggle: who exactly are we remembering and for what reason?

As a kid, I always went to Remembrance Day ceremonies and participated because that's what everyone else did. We went and sat and listened to stories from veterans, were as quiet as possible for the two minutes of silence, and then went back to class not actually understanding what had happened. Even while participating in my town's ceremony with Girl Guides, I could tell this was a much more serious event than what was shown in school, but I still had no explanation. 

In high-school, after finding my academic niche in history classes, I slowly began to understand why Canada has a day of remembrance for veterans. The tens of thousands of both men and women who served and fought should be remembered. However, once I began university and continued studying history, I became more frustrated with ideas surrounding Remembrance Day. 

I am in no way saying that we should not remember, as that would be utterly disrespectful. What irks me is that many people draw the line and pay homage only to Canadian soldiers. Yes, I understand that we are in Canada, and yes, it is extremely important to respect those who share our Canadian heritage, but at the end of the day, war boils down to people fighting people. 

Soldiers, whether fighting at home or overseas, all experience very similar things. They are away from their family and friends, they are forced into extreme, inhospitable conditions and contexts, and many must deal with the overwhelming emotions of taking another human's life.

At the end of the day, there are no "good" or "bad" guys. There are only those with the courage to fight for whatever it is they believe in. This level of devotion and sacrifice deserves nothing more than respect.

Who is to say that a German soldier, stuck down in the trenches, covered in filth, doesn't deserve any form of remembrance? Did he not also leave his family behind to go and fight? Whether by choice or conscription both loyalty and courage was displayed, both of which warrant respect.

At the end of the day, everyone involved in war is human, and these people all suffered horrible experiences that should be both recognized and remembered.

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There are also a number of articles that I would like to share without necessarily commenting on them.

This article by Dough Saunders touches on common characterizations of veterans, and whether or not this language should be continually used.

Some veterans across the country silently protested during ceremonies today due to poor policies implemented under the Harper government.

If you want to read more about veterans not being compensated by Veteran's Affairs, Bruce Moncur wrote about his experience serving in Afghanistan.

Harry Leslie Smith also shared his reasoning for choosing to pay respects in private, as the public has begun to skew the meanings of remembrance.

These are all important pieces of the puzzle that Remembrance Day has become. How we choose to pay our respects should be on a more personal level given the different contexts that everyone experiences. However, despite how you choose to pay homage, one thing should remain the same: only the utmost respect is given to all veterans. 

the gunpowder treason will never be forgot

Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason, the gunpowder treason, should ever, be, forgot!

Today the United Kingdom is celebrating Guy Fawkes Night, also know as Bonfire Night. In North America, you may hear people reciting the rhyming lines above and talking about how they're going home to watch V for Vendetta.*

However, Guy Fawkes Night isn't celebrated because of a comic book. It's celebrated because Guy Fawkes, along with 12 other men, attempted to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I. 

Their plan was dubbed the Gunpowder Plot, and Guy Fawkes Night is actually celebrating the plot's failure. 

A group of English Catholics - led by a man named Robert Catesby, and also including Fawkes - began meeting in 1604 to devise this plan. They decided to assassinate King James I on November 5, 1605, as that was the date when the State Opening of Parliament was to take place. (The State Opening of Parliament is a yearly event that marks the commencement of a session of Parliament and includes a Throne speech.) 

The main reason for wanting to kill James I was simply because he was a Protestant king. England, much like the majority of Europe during this period, was dealing with the repercussions of religious reformations. As a result, there were extremely high tensions between people of different faiths, and violence was not uncommon. While James I was tolerant of Catholics within his country, many were still wary of his Protestant faith, and preferred to see a Catholic sit on the throne. 

While the main goal was to kill James I, other notables of the royal family and parliament were also expected to be present and therefore killed, which made November 5 the most ideal date for their plan to unfold. After killing James I the Catholics planned on making his daughter, Princess Elizabeth, a Catholic, queen. 

All of the conspirators took an oath of secrecy so that their plot would not be discovered, and they began planning almost a year in advance. 

Fawkes, who had many years of military experience, was elected to take charge of the gunpowder. He began storing it in a cellar underneath the House of Lords, which was easy to do because the parliament buildings were usually full of merchants and workers who hauled around food and various other supplies. 

It was decided that Fawkes would be the one to light the gunpowder, and then quickly escape before getting caught. The explosives were wired to continue going off throughout the designated area. At the same time, a revolt in the Midlands was to begin to ensure that Princess Elizabeth was captured and could be put on the throne afterwards. 

However, an anonymous letter was sent to some men close to the king, and soon enough, James I discovered that there was a plot against him. It was decided that the Parliament buildings had to be searched in order to ensure safety, and this was when Fawkes was caught.

The piles of gunpowder were also discovered when Fawkes was arrested, which confirmed the details of the anonymous letter. On November 5, Fawkes was taken before the king and court. He had immediately used an alias, John Johnson, and upon questioning insisted that he had devised the plan himself and was working alone the entire time. 

However, James I suspected that this was a lie, and ordered for Fawkes to be taken to the Tower of London and tortured. He was subjected to torture on both November 6 and 7, and, according to records, by the end of November 7 had cracked and confessed everything. During these events, other members of the group were also being arrested and brought in for questioning. 

After the accused were revealed to the public, they were branded as Catholic heretics, charged with high treason, and sentenced to death. Fawkes, along with three others, were sentenced to be hanged as well as drawn and quartered. Their bodies, after being put in a noose, were quickly cut down before dying so they would still experience the physical pain of being quartered. However, many accounts state that Fawkes jumped off the scaffold in order to snap his neck and die immediately so he would not experience any further suffering. 

It was one year later, on November 5, 1606, that the "Observance of the 5th of November" was passed, allowing for official celebrations commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot. This tradition has carried on to today, and is now more commonly referred to as Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night. It is also common for effigies of Fawkes to be burned on the fires as a form of protest against him and the Gunpowder Plot as a whole. 

Lighting fires and setting off fireworks on November 5 is rooted in celebrating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot, Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and the rest of the group; the celebrations are for the survival of King James I and a Protestant rule over England. So if you plan on celebrating today, please give some thought towards the history of this date, and don't just give in to the popular culture and practices that are far removed from the traditions. 

* V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore, is only very loosely tied to the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Without giving too much of this fantastic plot away, the main character, V, who dawns a Guy Fawkes mask, is basically planning on overthrowing the repressive, totalitarian government that has developed in a futuristic, dystopian Britain.