The ANZACs... Should we remember? (3 Viewers)

[Generator]

What a title.

Seeing as though it is Remembrance Day today, I was just thinking about our unofficial national day... I know that days to honour those who have served are needed, yet should they be celebrated to such an extent? Are we reinventing the past in order to redefine the Australia of today? What do you think?

 

[Not-That-Bright]

I think they should be celebrated in the way that they are currently, perhaps even more...
Even if you disagree with the wars, disagree with the violence you must agree that we should honor the people that went to war in the name of our country, some of whom died.

 

[thejosiekiller]

yes it should be remembered- they deserve to have one day where we remember their sacrifice

plus my brother's bday is on anzac day- makes it hell easy to remember that too

 

[Kwayera]

I think we should celebrate as we do now. I listened to the trumpet, took my minute of silence, and sang our anthem to our flag - a tribute to all of those who have died, or suffered, in any conflict.

For those who want to have a look at the beautiful poem from which the Ode to Remembrance is taken from, this is it:

For the Fallen:

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

 

[thejosiekiller]

i think the best way to celebrate anzac day is remembering and then spending that 1 day of holiday with ur family/friends enjoying everything that we have now...for me its usually a bbq lunch and then a nice dinner later on

 

[thorrnydevil]

We celebrate our national days. At school we had a moments silence, and the other captain, the principal and myself went down to the Town Green to lay a wreath. I believe it instills pride, and at a time like this when our defence forces are playing up, its needed to remind us that not all of our troops are idiots, most of them have they'd down their lives to defend our country.

 

[Nick]

it's important to remember tragedies like this so we are reminded never to let them happen again

 

[thejosiekiller]

Yes we should celebrate ANZAC day. However these days should not a GLORIFY WAR which Howard seems to do. It is a day to remember those who have fallen, not a day to envoke how proud we are as Australians and how powerful we are miltarily.

I find miltarism and national as scary. John howard does a good job of nvocking blind national parochialism in order to look proud. In actual fact most of Australian miltary history, in particular the anzac tadtition is a lie.

how is the anzac tradition or the kokoda trail a lie? it does have significance other than to promote militarism....

 

[thorrnydevil]

Rememberance Day doesn't mark a tragedy, fool.

 

[thejosiekiller]

no it doesnt specifically mark a tragedy i think, but it does have meaning as such

 

[ohne]

I think we should celebrate as we do now. I listened to the trumpet, took my minute of silence, and sang our anthem to our flag - a tribute to all of those who have died, or suffered, in any conflict.

For those who want to have a look at the beautiful poem from which the Ode to Remembrance is taken from, this is it:

What a lovely poem. God bless them all.

 

[thorrnydevil]

no it doesnt specifically mark a tragedy i think, but it does have meaning as such

Rememberance Day was about the END of the war...not the tragedies that happened during the war.

 

[thejosiekiller]

still the end of the war gives you the chance to have perspective on the tragedy of war itself? i dont think its such a big thing to go on about it...it does have meaning though

 

[thorrnydevil]

still the end of the war gives you the chance to have perspective on the tragedy of war itself? i dont think its such a big thing to go on about it...it does have meaning though

Not a big thing to go on about!?!?!

It marked the cease fire of THE war. Its called the Great War for a reason.

 

[thejosiekiller]

i thought that u didnt think much of Rememberance Day?

thats why i said it did have meaning

 

[thorrnydevil]

No, I think Rememberance Day IS important! I thought you were against it!

 

[thejosiekiller]

ah just some confussion then thornydevil

 

[paper cup]

It is important...but i dont like how some use it to glorify war...makeing it look like war is important in order to forward national indentity. I find it all the more disturbing that war historians of the past lied to us (admission). They wrote their histories well knowing that they had a political agenda and that Australia needed history to be proud of. The ANZAC legend is not exactly perfect

well, seeing as we're only, what, 100-something yrs old, they had to put SOMETHING down now didn't they

 

[thorrnydevil]

ah just some confussion then thornydevil

Yep, no offence intended (if I called you any names or anything)

 

[thejosiekiller]

lol nah i just got a whole lot of sacrasm and ?!?!?!?!