War is Ugly

For far more times than I care to count, I have sat beside the bed of a dying veteran of one of the world wars. Some of whom have shared freely of their experiences and some of whom remained silent, even unto that hour of death. What I have learned, most profoundly is that, war is ugly.

The red poppy was not chosen as a symbol of remembrance because of its beauty. It’s because it grew around the graves of soldiers killed in Europe during the world wars. The deep red colour of the poppy reminds us of the blood that poured from the wounds of people killed in battle.

We place a symbol of the poppy on our lapels, near our hearts, to remind ourselves of one essential fact, that war is ugly. The poppy in no way falsely glorifies war. Its intention is the exact opposite, it reminds us of the utter and complete horror of the violence perpetrated on soldiers and civilians in war. The poppy is a stark symbol of the need for us and our political leaders to do all in their power to achieve an everlasting peace.

It is therefore important for us to wear the poppy and to gather in remembrance events. We do so in honour of those who paid the supreme sacrifice in war. But make no mistake about it, the only real way to honour their sacrifice is to achieve peace. Anything less is our failure. There is nothing unpatriotic about a desire for peace. There is nothing that is unsupportive of our military when we hope for peace.

War is ugly. Peace is beautiful. Peace is our goal. Peace is our prayer.