Today was Armistice Day to commemorate and remember those who have given their lives in past wars. At 11 o'clock the whole country had a two minute moment of silence. We were at Hampton Court and everything was shut down and everyone gathered in the courtyard and together we remembered those who gave their lives for liberty and the freedom of many nations. I realized as I stood there and reflected, two minutes is really not that long of time but in America we only do a one minute moment of silence. I do not think that this fully does justice for the occasions.
What is it with America and our failure to remember history? Last September 11th I remember that the Jerusalem Center students had to be reminded by our Israeli Hebrew professor to take a minute and think of those who lost their lives. In High school I always thought Veteran's Day was important but it was not until the spirit of Great Britain was shown to me, being displayed through poppies, that I felt guilty for my lack of enthusiasm and remembrance. For those who are not aware, poppies are Great Britain's national symbol for the fallen veterans and for any amount of a donation you can get a poppy pin. For the whole first part of the month of November and even in October you could see poppies all around London and Great Britain. This gesture is quite touching when you see the great unifying affect it has on the people of England. I just wanted to express my appreciation for those who have died for our freedoms and to say that I am proud to be wearing a poppy today.
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