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| My dad North Nova Highlander 1941 Springhill Nova Scotia |
When Remembrance Day comes round every year I always feel conflicted. I think about my father and his family who escaped Germany during WW11. My father changed his family name in hopes that people would not call him a German Jew.
Though I am not what I would call a pacifist, I hate war, and all it entails, because of it's negative affects on soldiers, their families and civilians alike.
After reading Chris Hedges book War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning, I have an even deeper negative feeling about war. On Remembrance Day I can't help acknowledge my sadness and my conflicted feelings. So I am re-posting a blog post for a second time called Home Town Battlefield
This song written and performed by J.P. Cormier brings this message of the toll that war and other traumatic experiences, takes on individuals. I recently heard J.P talk about how when he wrote this song, he then had to face and come to terms with his own PTSD, not so much from war, but from his life. I was happy to hear him talk about this openly, and candidly.
If we can't seem to end war in the world, it does give me hope to know that there are individuals being candid and honest about how PTSD has affected them, to break down the walls of stigma that surrounds mental illness, whether it be through war, or other traumatic events in life.
5 comments:
These days it is hard to know for sure why we're fighting and who is really the enemy. It's as though leaders are playing war games based on opinions and power struggles. At least in WWII, we were fighting someone intent on world domination and the eradication of a people. That was a more moral, ethical reason for war to me.
I hear ya Bev.
I think especially here in Canada the past ten years of Harper as Prime Minister he desecrated Veterans Affairs and then when Remembrance Day would come around he would make a big show.
Fact is we have Veterans living on the street, homeless suffering with PTSD or just not getting help. He shut down offices for the Vets all over the country.
Yes it's important to remember the sacrifice especially those that lost their lives but there are Vets living and their families that are being forgotten.
Canadians are all feeling hopeful that a dark veil has been lifted and now we have a new energetic and principled young Prime Minister.
Harper messed up this country so bad in so many ways. The only reason he got in the last time is because not enough people voted. Boy did that change this time round! Thank you sweet Jesus!
It is shameful how we treat our vets here too. Mental health care is just as important as the physical health care (neither of which has been very good, though there are signs this may be changing thank goodness).
I was just recently watching John Oliver's show about Canada's election:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V5ckcTSYu8
(Keep in mind he's a comedian!)
Was your dad Jewish? Or, did he just have a Jewish-sounding name? Is that why he and his family "escaped" Germany?
My great grand father was from Poland (Danzig) he was orphaned as a kid and came over to Canada at as a young man. I have no way of really knowing for sure if they were Jewish because I can't go back any further than my great grand father on my father's side. I know this name Meyers is a Jewish Germanic name. I suspect they may have been Ashkenazic. They are all very dark complected.
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