Here’s a flavour of how Liberal Democrats are marking Remembrance Sunday, some in an official capacity, others on their blogs. I suggest you put on Elgar’s Cello concerto as recommended by Armour Plated Liberalism and have a look at the following:
Tim Farron spent yesterday selling poppies in bad weather:
Selling poppies in a hailstorm in Kendal. Thanks to all the people out collecting in such interesting weather! pic.twitter.com/oLAWibzXmo
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) November 9, 2013
Jo Swinson tweeted from a service in Bearsden
Rousing piping from BB band led parade to Bishopbriggs War Memorial for well-attended service & wreath-laying pic.twitter.com/tidUSmLQLq
— Jo Swinson (@joswinson) November 10, 2013
Cllr Richard Kemp has family on his mind as he heads for the Liverpool Cenotaph
When I am at the Cenotaph later I will remember my Mum and Dad who met during WWII whilst serving in the WAAF and RAF.
— Richard Kemp CBE (@cllrkemp) November 10, 2013
Richard also supported a call for parking tickets given out at the time of the ceremony to be rescinded as many elderly soldiers need to park nearby.
On the blogs, Jae Kay shares his partner’s moving video to commemorate those who died in the Falklands.
Paul Walter shares his Uncle Alan’s story. Paul never knew him as he had been killed at the age of 18 during the Second World War. His post features some letters he wrote home, showing the gruelling work he had to do:
We started painting the ship gray today, because of this war the Apprentices don’t get any time to study and work all the time, we did four hrs off and 4 on coming over. We were very tired and experienced the coldest weather than I have ever seen. We wore two coats and half a long scarves, but now we are getting the hottest weather I ever had and we are going about out work in bare backs.
A Scottish Liberal, in a thoughtful post, questions what acts of Remembrance are for, stating first what it should not be about:
While it must be remembered, and indeed commemorated, it should not be glorified. Neither should it be hijacked by politicians keen to either exploit or instill a sense of national identity or, worse still, to foster a willingness to support our continuing military involvement in various parts of the world.
How he is marking the occasion:
I hope we can all choose to remember in whatever way we see fit. Personally, I’m taking half an hour out of my working day on Monday at 11am to reflect on the effect various wars have had on my family and indirectly on my own life – and also to respect the countless millions on all sides who either actively served or were involved in some other way in the often tragic dramas history describes simply as wars.
But, just as patriotism is not enough, neither is Remembrance. The purpose of Remembrance is of greater significance than the act itself. Of what use can it be if it doesn’t cause us to strive for a better future?
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
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One Comment
In my Waltham Forest councillor days, I used to represent the Council at one of the three ceremonies (a throwback to when there were three councils, and because there were three war memorials). I did the one in Leyton. It was a small ceremony, attended mainly by British Legion veterans plus a pipe band which had played also in Japan and outside war cemeteries of both parties in North Africa.
On one occasion during the ceremony a young Black man appeared at the opposite end to us. He stood silently, head bowed, His clothes suggested he’d been jogging, not going expecting to take part. At the end, I went to speak to him but he had vanished.
That was unexpected and moving.
By the way, I’d always understood the ceremony was to commemorate all those who had died in war, which in the Second World War included a lot of civilians. But BBC and ITV news people referred only to the armed forces.