As we approach the annual anniversary of Armistice Day, and perhaps a most poignant anniversary in that it is 100yrs since the silencing of the guns that brought the end of WWI. We shall remember.
We shall remember not just the fallen, but those those who saw and survived the pain, misery and destruction of war in the first part of the 20th century - with millions of innocent men, women and children slaughtered with disregard and disdain amid the brutality of war. Those who cried out in union "Never Again" .
We shall remember every single person who has experienced this since.
We shall remember every culture, every religion and every background who gave their lives to push back the monstrosity of fascism in the hope of lasting peace. We must honour their sacrifice and remember that to quash the rise of fascism is the foundings on which they fell.
We should remember not allow veterans to have to rely on charity. The government, our generation, and every generation before and after us owes them an unbridled debt of gratitude for giving their every tomorrow so that we may enjoy our today.
I am grateful for the freedom I received 100yrs ago. And again in 1945 when our cry of 'Never Again' rang out once more.
Something that has been playing over and over in my mind on this upcoming Remembrance Day is the speech given by Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator. A speech that was delivered to the silver screen back in 1940, only one year into WWII, but words so very true and relevant today all these many years later. Please read these words. Please take in this message. I have read and re-read this dialect many, many times. Every time I pour over these words it just rings truer and truer to the world today, not just 73yrs ago.
The main excerpts that stay with me are:
"I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost….
Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!
(The full speech can be found here: https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/articles/29-The-Final-Speech-from-The-Great-Dictator- )
Take this as a lesson in humility. A lesson in how we as a people should live our lives, with compassion and with tolerance for all. Taking these very powerful words onboard, we must always remember that war destroys lives.
We must commit to global peace.
We must resurrect and embody ‘Never Again’.
We must use our votes and voices to remove warmongers from office and elect political leaders who are unshakably committed to peace.
For our future, for every future.
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the guns fell silent. Because of this great sacrifice for every year since on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we shall remember them.
Happy Damn Friday Peeps! x
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