With all the hecticness of everyday life, which mainly consists of school work for me, it’s easy to forget that the liberties we have are not shared by everyone. Indeed, injustice and oppression continue to this day in many areas of the world. Living in Canada, we are very fortunate that our basic rights are not infringed upon, thus allowing us to pursue our hopes and dreams. Many people do not have this opporunity.

It it thus fitting that we should not forget the sacrifices of the soldiers who fought to preserve this freedom, not only for our country, but for other countries caught under the foot of tyranny. Looking at the Canadian casualties in Afghanistan, Canada’s most recent and current conflict, I can’t help but feel immense sorrow and honour for the fallen, many of whom were my age or younger. And, of course, there were many more casualities in past conflicts, such as the Korean War, World War II and World War I. Many of those who did return still bear the burden of injury, whether physical, mental or emotional.

To forget or to not understand why these sacrifices were made is to lose touch with what makes our country such a great place. Furthermore, to not learn from history is to let injustice repeat itself. Thus, everyone should make an effort to learn more about these conflicts. With the information age that we live in, there is no excuse for not learning the facts, as almost anyone has access to the Internet, which can provide an abundance of information on the subject. This is the least we can do. To do anything less would be tantamount to apathy, and as Edmund Burke put it, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Lest We Forget.