Just another day?

The weather was not the best for car drivers. Freezing rain, hail, rain and more freezing rain and snow. Just another winter day but one that we must simply take in our stride, sliding our way to and from our houses.

Today is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, 1941. I remember the day quite well. As I was nine years old, I was in grade four. I also remember the beginning of WWII in 1939, almost like yesterday. There was excitement, talk of soldiers going overseas, the bold black lettering on the front page of a newspaper, "WAR". That war, I was able to follow easily as most parents and families listened to the daily news. The radio at that time was for families the main source of entertainment and news. It was a centre point where families gathered, much as television is to most families today.

I remember in particular V.E. day, as Canadians celebrated the end of "our war", in Europe, in 1944. Then thoughts turned to the "American" war with the Japanese, which did, in fact, turn out to be "our" war, as well. I remember the dropping of the atomic bombs and the quick ending of the war in the Pacific, in 1945. A very small percentage of our population remembers those wars. We, who do, also remember the Depression and the suffering of people in the United States and in Canada during those years. Now, we who do have those remembrances will be reduce in numbers over the next ten or so years. This is one reason Remembrance Day, November 11, is so important. We in the free world must keep those memories close to our hearts. We have lived without our lands having fallen to the "enemy". We have remained free. That does not mean that we did not suffer. Our opportunities to enjoy life during those war years was significantly reduced. We had food rationing, we had gasoline rationing, we had a reduction in food production and consequent consumption. We saved our pennies to buy war stamps to be used for the purchase of War Savings Certificates. Many children were deprived of their fathers who were serving overseas or elsewhere, far from their families and friends. Mothers had to raise their children without a male's influence in the home or to have the support and assistance of a man in the house. Times were tough but we survived. Many families did suffer then and on a continuing basis as many of our military did not return and many returned but with war injuries. What I saw for the Second World War, many saw for the first. In fact, I also witnessed the suffering of families who were not only affected by the Depression but also who lived without parents and relatives and some who had parents who returned with war wounds, both physical and mental.

With those memories, though, I am not heartless. Over the last few years I have seen our politicians taking part in services for military personnel who have died in the service of Canada while on foreign assignments. I wish that they would devote more of their time working on matters relating to the military such as providing the necessary monies to provide our military personnel with the best equipment and the necessary personnel to do the effective jobs that are assigned to them. The government needs to provide better living quarters for all military personnel. Our politicians need to respect our military and to provide for their safety and security. Grieve they should when any military personnel die in the service of their county. We all should. To make a public display smacks of political profiteering. I for one don't like to see this.

Today marks the day when one thousand American military personnel have died as a result of the war in Iraq. We all share in the grief of Americans. We wish to see an early end to that war; that does not seem to be a possibility. That war may last for another three or four years. It will end up costing many more lives and many more billions of dollars. Why? Why? Why?

Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of the mass murder of 14 female university students in Montreal. There have been candlelight vigils across the county. That was a very sad event and many Canadians, female and male grieved. Those women were killed because they were women. It provided women with an opportunity to focus on the problem of violence against women in our society. This is a most serious problem not only in Canada but around the world. Some countries are studying this problem in some depth. For example, France has done so and the statistics generated clearly indicate that the problem is most serious. Many more police charges have been made leading many court cases. The situation is out in the open. The future does look brighter!

Violence in families and in particular against women must be not only reduced but must be eliminated. Eliminated? Now that is a serious task. It never will be but the reduction, a significant reduction must be achieved in France and in all countries around the world.

Our nation's worst mass shooting must serve as a reminder about violence against women but it should also focus on mental health. There can be no doubt that the perpetrator of that crime was not in a good state of mental health. There are many men and women and children who are not. It is far better to work on crime prevention of all types before serious events take place. It could be that there were many contributing factors to the mass murder in Montreal. That man was not the only person responsible of the terrible act. We, as members of society, must accept a measure of blame. Did we fail in not providing some necessary preventive supports that might have prevented that event?