I have two opinions or takes on Remembrance Day that is perhaps different from others. I tried to make them clear in the survey.
1) Remembrance day isn't necessarily about the dead. It's about sacrifice. Actually, the dead's sacrifice may have been the easiest in many cases. Sacrifice comes from the families who have to go on. The kids with no parent. The wounded in mind and body who are still suffering, and the families who bear the financial, mental, and physical strain of caring for them or in many cases can't, thus destroying that family. The mental damage to the kids with a parent in a war zone. Focus on the sacrifice.
2) Remembrance Day is about taking responsibility for your decisions. It's no surprise that people run away from responsibility. It's always happened and it always will. When a government takes the hard decision to send troops into harm's way, they are making that decision on behalf of the voters. The voters, in a democracy, are essentially responsible for that decision. This means the people of Canada are responsible for the results of sending troops into harm's way. We asked our fellow Canadians to do something for us. We need to acknowledge that.
Remembrance Day is the only day of the year, we Canadians, collectively take responsibility for our decisions. We acknowledge and recognize that in an act of mourning. Who takes responsibility for the dead and the suffering? We do. All of us.