By Amanda Craver, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, November 12, 2024
Amanda Craver is World BEYOND War North Country chapter coordinator.
To the Editor:
As we mark Veterans Day this year, we would do well to remember its origin, the end of World War I on November 11, 1918 — a day when longing for peace was truly felt. This date was celebrated as Armistice Day, a day to end all wars, until 1954 during the Korean War, when the U.S. Congress re-named it Veterans Day. What was meant to be a time of silence, of remembering, of mourning the horrors of war, of aspiring for times of peace became a day to merely thank a service member, as if thanks were enough to actually recognize their sacrifices or take care of them as they deserve to be cared for by the country they served. The glorification of those who fight in wars, and thus war itself, turned the original meaning of Armistice Day on its head. Strip away the vague and simplified language we normally hear about good vs. evil, and freedom vs. tyranny, and we are left with the fact that many serve and sacrifice without true winning of wars, and often pay for it for the rest of their lives while wars rage on. True respect for Veterans and active service members would mean opposing war. We are, no doubt, grateful for community members willing to serve in times of need, but to truly honor them, we should call for peace on Veterans Day.
We can reclaim the spirit of Armistice Day this year by calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and throughout the Middle East. The surest way to achieve such a ceasefire is for our own government to stop sending bombs to Israel, who is killing hundreds of people a day with no accountability whatsoever. It is high time to put an end to this live-streamed genocide, military provocation, and the very real prospects of a nuclear war that could bring a terrible end to human civilization as we know it. Let us truly honor those who serve by not asking them to serve in more wars that can be ended, or at the very least, opposed.
