Skip to content

LETTER: Ending all wars

The Royal Canadian Legion should consider donating its paraphernalia to local museums.

Editor:

In six years the world will celebrate the centennial of Armistice Day. The Royal Canadian Legion, and other legions, should consider winding up their affairs, donate all of their paraphernalia to museums and, at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month of 2018, pass the torch not to another body to honour our war dead and their sacrifices but virile young hands and their dedication to a world order for peace.

Our war dead will forever be remembered under crosses, gravestones and at memorials but it seems to me that a century of commemoration of two world wars presents an opportunity to renew dedication to world peace and that this become the legions’ worthy legacy.

Otherwise it will all have been in vain. The sands of time erode all memory of events and ineluctably, remorselessly the same will happen for the two most egregious events ever perpetrated by human beings on each other – so far.

The grim knowledge that this supposedly most enlightened of species is also capable of devising the most evil forms of destruction should be sufficient proof that we have not only the means but also an inherent streak in us to use them.

How much more noble if Canada declared a disbanding of its war machine, declared itself a non-aligned and neutral state and got down to the increasingly urgent war against destruction of our home place – our land and our planet. Do not elect politicians who are not ready to stand for this.

The vast treasure spent on arms would be dedicated to global education (despite primitive men who would shoot little girls who want to go to school), global health and welfare, global environmental protection and an assurance of sufficient food and clean water for all of us. The balance to be spent on assuring sanctity for all the other organisms with which we share this place. Let’s strive to make the white poppy a symbol of renewed dedication to world peace. I have worn my red poppy and medal for the last time.

Dave Milton,

Grand Forks