Lest we forget...

Yesterday, my dad and I went to see Rambo 4 (I think), and in the movie we were taken to Burma, the civil war there, and how the army ambushes villagers, kidnaps their children, kill the men and rape the women. The movie is full of blood and gore, unsuitable for young children, but thought provoking if we question certain aspects of the movie.

I know abductions, rape, child soldiers and honor killings are a fact of life..an unpleasant fact, which most North Americans pretend to ignore. But that movie yesterday, fictional maybe, but it brought forth something important to me..Remembering those who suffer.

Today, my dad and I watched a BBC documentary on Auschwitz, and how 1.3M people were sent to that camp in 4.5 years and 1.1M were killed. Of them about 200,000 were children. A survivor was almost in tears as she recognized her aunt and 4 cousins in a photograph taken minutes before they were sent to the crematorium. The children ranged from 2 - 10.....Remembering those who are brutalized.

A few minutes ago, I read this, an article about child soldiers in Uganda, Rwanda, Columbia and other war ridden countries. The author uses a byline "Lest we forget"....something I feel is very important in counteracting these acts of crime, war, terror and inhumane brutalization.

In our busy lives, we juggle work, families, friends, colleagues, our kids schedules, our finances, and so much more, and we think our lives are hard. Maybe our life is hard, for us, in this little world we can view. But if we look at the bigger picture, rather if we consider the gargantuan struggles faced by these individuals, children and adults alike, we look and sound like morons. Yet, what do we do when we hear about 15 year old girls abducted from their homes, raped repeatedly, forced to bear children and then fight in a civil war? We feel terribly burdened, maybe for a few hours, we feel indignant and angry, and then we go back to our normal and sane lives. In short, we do nothing. Sometimes, it's rather burdensome to even consider that you and I, ordinary people, can do something about it. Maybe we can..I am doing what seemed like an idea to me..Lest we forget...

I find that the most inhumane thing which could happen to these survivors, is being forgotten. Nothing hurts as much as being forgotten. Their struggles, their strength, their unbroken spirit, their stories - when we forget the events, their cries for help, and their courage, we are no better than the insipid idiots who were responsible for these war crimes...Lest we forget.

Tonight, I cannot forget and refuse to do so..In my own tiny way, this is my homage to those warriors who were forced to survive, and to those who gave up their lives, so that others may survive....children, men, women, jews, gypsies, asians, africans, native americans, mexicans, columbians, indians, army, navy and airforces, abused women and children, gang war victims, and everyone else I did not mention...I remember..

Lest we forget....