[Dragon-Dancer]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

I think you're out of your mind.

You want a system where parents and kids and pick and chose which classes they decide to attend all based on "beliefs"....be my guest.

We can't fail them for missing the class either, we'd have to pass them.

The revolving door of religion and accommodation continues....that sweet smell of "freedom"

You already have such a system where parents can pull kids out of classes where they discuss homosexual issues or sex ed in general.

Core curriculum like math, science and social studies however, cannot generally be opted out of.

On the subject at hand. You can't force respect nor is attendance at a ceremony able to imply respect. People remember in their own ways and in their own time. It's far more important that we don't forget the history, the circumstances and the results than it is to make hollow gestures. Use the lessons of the past to avoid recurrence in the future, we're free to make those choices.

[Xort]

No point to force anyone to go to a remembrance day ceremony.

More so when it's not even on the 11th.

[martin14]

How to make your own poppy..

http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/ot ... _poppy.php

[Freakinoldguy]

andyt andyt:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

After years of crowd size at Remembrance Days increasing we're likely going to see a shift back to how it was in the 60's, 70's and early 80's where the only ones attending were the Veterans, Military, Civilians with Military involvement and the Protestors.

And Andy, since Remembrance Day is a Stat Holiday those kids won't be sitting in the classroom they'll be out playing and having a good time which will likely lead to more of them wanting to skip Remembrance Day Ceremonies.

Hell when I was organizing the services for the Greater Victoria Area, we had to make it a Class A event so Military not specifically involved would attend.

This whole story is much ado about nothing since it's a stat holiday in Alberta how can they make the kids attend or even check to see if they did and this would only be relevant if it took place in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick or Ontario where Remembrance Day isn't a stat.........not in freakin Edmonton?

Jesus FOG. You think anybody even considered forcing kids to attend Remembrance day ceremonies on Remembrance day? Why only kids? Let's get the army out and force the whole population to the ceremony at bayonet point.

The school has a ceremony on a school day. Those kids who choose not to attend have to sit quietly in class. I know what I'd do given the choice in that instance.

Here's what Lewis McKenzie had to say (from the OP):

$1:

But retired major-general Lewis MacKenzie, 71, says demanding every child adhere to a social standard is a slippery slope.

"It's unfortunate, but there are all kinds of factors, especially when related to religion," he said. "That's an understandable reaction but if it's in rare cases, it's not fair or just to make a big deal out of it."

He says he'd like to remind those who may have taken offence to the practice that

"They are making their decisions and that should be respected," MacKenzie said.

Students who don't attend their school's Remembrance Day ceremonies are required to remain in school and wait in silence, Sterling said.

Nothing personal but I know what you'd do in that instance to.

If they hold a Remembrance Day Ceremony at the school then these kids should be obliged to attend. It's no different than attending any other non optional school function or assembly. You may not agree with it but you have to be there.

Sitting in a classroom silently is a form of punishment not motivation which, will likely lead to even more animosity towards Remembrance Day Ceremonies and those that should be honoured. But then again I guess being made to attend a ceremony that they aren't likely old enough or informed enough to make a decision about is punishement for these children to.

The sad part is that because of political correctness we are slowly relegating the sacrifice these men and women made to the scrapheap of history.

But I suppose General Mcknezie is right, everyone has a right to believe what they want and do what they want especially since this appears to have become the mantra of todays society. It's a good thing the Veterans didn't ascribe to this philosophy though or we'd likely be discussing this in German.

Although maybe the good General should have rephrased his remark to: Some of the youth today pay great attention to veterans.

[BeaverFever]

Honestly, in a democracy, people should be free to be ungrateful assholes. Forcing them to participate in a ritual whose meaning is completely lost on them doesn't honour the veterans or anyone else and doesn't right any wrongs. At the end of the day, these people are going to believe what they believe and forced participation isn't going to change that.

It's no different than forcing someone to say "I love you"...someone who says it against their will isn't in any way similar to someone who says it because they actually feel it. And the coercion probably guarantees that they never will beleive it.

[Yogi]

Rememberance Day is about the most important reason that Canada is THE CANADA that the immigrants 'supposedly' CHOSE to leave their countries of birth, and come here for. Yet, so often, they come here, and the first order is to grab onto all the freebies that we so generously offer to them, all the while denying our Veterans, and then they- many immigrant groups-proceed to point the barrel of human rights, and freedoms at us in order to change the 'Canadian way' to 'whatever way' they were supposedly escaping!

[andyt]

Yogi Yogi:

:evil:
Rememberance Day is about the most important reason that Canada is THE CANADA that the immigrants 'supposedly' CHOSE to leave their countries of birth, and come here for. Yet, so often, they come here, and the first order is to grab onto all the freebies that we so generously offer to them, all the while denying our Veterans, and then they- many immigrant groups-proceed to point the barrel of human rights, and freedoms at us in order to change the 'Canadian way' to 'whatever way' they were supposedly escaping!

Again, wtf does this have to do with immigrants? Which immigrants are you alluding to that didn't want their kids to attend Remembrance Day?

[Tyler_1]

Alberta kids start learning about Remembrance Day right from kindergarten up. The rule means nothing for anyone except peeps who like making rules. The kids will either feel it or they won't, no matter where or when.

[Brenda]

DonnaWho DonnaWho:

Alberta kids start learning about Remembrance Day right from kindergarten up. The rule means nothing for anyone except peeps who like making rules. The kids will either feel it or they won't, no matter where or when.

Here too. It's a part of Canadian history, simple as that.
I "don't feel" Christmas. Never have, never will. It's a tradition tho, simple as that.

[Brenda]

andyt andyt:

Yogi Yogi:

:evil:
Rememberance Day is about the most important reason that Canada is THE CANADA that the immigrants 'supposedly' CHOSE to leave their countries of birth, and come here for. Yet, so often, they come here, and the first order is to grab onto all the freebies that we so generously offer to them, all the while denying our Veterans, and then they- many immigrant groups-proceed to point the barrel of human rights, and freedoms at us in order to change the 'Canadian way' to 'whatever way' they were supposedly escaping!

Again, wtf does this have to do with immigrants? Which immigrants are you alluding to that didn't want their kids to attend Remembrance Day?

Thank you.
It is pretty annoying for an immigrant to constantly hear shit like that.

[Gunnair]

Yogi Yogi:

:evil:
Rememberance Day is about the most important reason that Canada is THE CANADA that the immigrants 'supposedly' CHOSE to leave their countries of birth, and come here for. Yet, so often, they come here, and the first order is to grab onto all the freebies that we so generously offer to them, all the while denying our Veterans, and then they- many immigrant groups-proceed to point the barrel of human rights, and freedoms at us in order to change the 'Canadian way' to 'whatever way' they were supposedly escaping!

Hey, sport, I see a pretty damned good percentage of immigrants in uniform these days serving their new country (averaged about 20 to 25 percent of my crew) and I see a lot of anger from those who have not pissing on them in general. Go to your local cenotaph on Sunday, take a count of the population that can't be bothered to go, then tell me it correlates well with the numbers of your immigrant community.

Bet you'll see how quickly you find out how much bullshit your point was.

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

Again, wtf does this have to do with immigrants? Which immigrants are you alluding to that didn't want their kids to attend Remembrance Day?

Who else would all of a sudden have an issue with these types of ceremonies?

[andyt]

What do you mean all of a sudden? This is an ongoing policy, but somebody with space to fill is making an issue out of it.

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

What do you mean all of a sudden? This is an ongoing policy, but somebody with space to fill is making an issue out of it.

It's actually law, not policy....and while I know it's ongoing, what stirred the pot? How did this come on the radar of the media now and never in the past?

[Brenda]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

andyt andyt:

What do you mean all of a sudden? This is an ongoing policy, but somebody with space to fill is making an issue out of it.

It's actually law, not policy....and while I know it's ongoing, what stirred the pot? How did this come on the radar of the media now and never in the past?

Because shit like this never used to make the paper. You know, the ones in print.