ARMISTICE DAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 26, 21 November 1944, Page 4

ARMISTICE DAY

Sir —Mr Barry's disgust at the nonpbsc.rva.ncc of Armisti'ce Day is as futile as the idea behind the two minutes silence. The men who died have never ■been forgotten, they have lived in the hearts of those who loved them. Had we instead spent a few minutes to remember those, who came back, then perhaps, we may not have been lighting today we may not have had to add to the numbers of those who died* I have stood close to the Cenotaph in London and watched the ceremony associated with remembrance. That ceremony which was always certain to arouse the patriotic sentiments of hysterical journalists and the following day the papers would be full of lyrical absurdities while men were selling bootlaces and watches at the kerb, wearily leaning on crutches to support their tired stumps; or lying in some old contraption of a Avhecl chaii silent-. ly begging for the means to live. I have often wondered how many of those who so religiously observed, the two minutes silence gave a thought to the widows and orphans _ of these poor wrecks who returned. That there could not have, been many is apparent, now that we are at war again. During the years of comparative peace many attempts were made todraw public attention to the needs or returned men. The problem is one that, is closely bound ud .with the problem of social and economic security. Agitation hunger mnrencs, unemployed demonstrations were the only weapons that could be used to arouse the public conscience but that conscience refused to be roused. This lead many of the leaders were contemptuously dubbed Reds, Bolshies, un-British were thrown into jail and. persecuted. Their followers clubbed into, submission by zealous policcned; given the dote that soul and mind destroying weapon of reaction, held captive by poverty, their future. lost in despair. If Mr Barry were to give a little of his time to thought on social problems it is possible-he may realise the deep significance of the apparent apathy of the people. His sense of disgust, would be replaced by apprehension or approval according to the. view ho takes of social and economic problems. The people are tired of empty phrases. The spectacle of young lives thrown into the arms, of death in defence of an ideal for Avhich the last Avar was fought is an indict-* ment of our generation. Can we only express disgust because the people appear.to have forgotten. If disgust is felt at all it should be disgust at ourselves for allowing a recurrence of Avar because avc had not the courage to create the. system, the men of the last Avar died for. . We. pledged ourselves to two minutes of remembrance, for those Avho died in the cause of freedom. For years we have witnessed that pledge turned into a hypocritical pageant of lip service to the dead and for 'the living only the freedom to starve. Tf Ave must remember the dead, then let us erect Domocracy as a recognition of their sacrifice. When we have banished forever the fear of poverty, economic insecurity and human degradation, when Ave have created a social system that ensures to all individuals a full and happy life, then Ave can honour the dead Avith a clear conscience. We will no longer need to be hypocritical for we Avill have discharged the obligation they placed upon our shoulders by their sacrifice. Yours etc., S. MAYOW, (We. publish the above in accordance Avith our policy of enabling all vieAvpoints to have free expression. That extreme views, of this type can be woven about such a humble gesture as- the Havo minutes silence' on Armistice Day isindicative of how hopelessly its true* meaning can be misinterpreted by individuals. Ed.)