By: Jessica van der Vooren, co-president, 1998-1999.

Starting on November 11, 1919 at the end of World War One, Remembrance Day was and still is an important celebration. It is our way of commemorating the brave Canadian soldiers who lost their lives to make the world a better place.

Thousands upon thousands of men, women and children have lost their lives to a deadly creature: war. People are dying needlessly all the time- even right now. These people need to be acknowledged, their memories not allowed to die along with them.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we pause to remember those gone before us, not only in the first World War, but all who died as a result of war. These people fought for our freedom from oppression, and even though they may not be here to hear it, we thank them. Through their ultimate sacrifice, we can truthfully say that we live a better life.

But can we really, truly remember something that was not really ours to forget in the first place? People see the global repercussions of war, but many overlook the damage done to families and friends. So many soldiers lost, fighting for freedom which should have never been taken from them. Even though we cannot completely recall the events of war, it is still important to pay tributes at the very least.

Many people fail to understand the truth of what Remembrance Day is all about: the past. It is about the lost and the brave. It gives us a chance to truly see that there is no benefit from war, only agony. While some say Remembrance Day is pointless, it is they who are mistaken. Remembrance is about the beginning and the end. It is about the beginning of a new, better life, and the end of appalling, destructive warlike ways. If there is only one lesson learned from Remembrance Day, it should be to not forget how war destroys and ravages, even those farthest away; and to always have peace.

War does not deserve a chance to spread its ugly wings and take more lives. But it won’t disappear on its own, humanity needs to drive it away. Peace is the best and only solution. However it will not disappear overnight. Peace is something humanity will have to work at diligently in order to succeed, but it can be done.

People should not be given the opportunity to forget. Yet we cannot dwell simply on the past, either. We still have to ensure that the future will be a better place. Keeping our heads in the clouds, fantasizing about the future won’t improve the present. While remembering the past, we must walk ahead together, one step at a time. War must not be allowed to happen again, but it should not be forgotten, either.