As this column is being published on Remembrance Day, this author would like to ask readers’ indulgence for a somewhat personal column. My father, Harold Edgar Swift, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (the name still included the “Royal” part back then) as a rear tail gunner in the iconic Mitchell bomber aircraft. He served two tours of duty and survived two plane crashes. He sustained injuries that plagued him the rest of his life and passed away relatively young at the age of 61.
I imagine this personal history is at least part of why I am so bothered by the fact that hardly anyone these days seems to wear a poppy in remembrance of the terrible sacrifices made in that war, and the many men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Even worse, there was a recent incident in Nova Scotia where a courtroom judge actually had the ignorance and gall to ask people in the courtroom to remove their poppies. Thankfully, there was a groundswell of opposition to this foolish request on the part of someone – a judge of all things – in a supposedly respected role who should view the upholding of Canadian values as an essential part of their privileged position.
The degrading of the symbolic nature of the poppy is not only taking place in our courts. There are leftist groups that seem to think wearing the poppy at this time of year symbolizes support for war. Some of these groups promote a white poppy as a symbol of peace, intending to replace the red poppy. Yet the red poppy does not endorse war by any means. Instead, it serves as a reminder of the many sacrifices made during the war, with the message that we should never want that to happen again.
The fact we have also seen a major increase in anti-Semitism since the horrific events of October 7, 2023, also has a very direct World War II connection. The most horrendous thing that Hitler did, among very many horrendous things, was the Holocaust in which six million Jews died after being subjected to very inhumane and barbaric circumstances. The liberation of the concentration camps was one of the greatest events at the end of World War II. It also finally proved to a doubting world that the Holocaust was real, even though many countries didn’t believe it up to that time.
Following the horrors of the treatment of Jews during the second world war, the expression “never again” gained deserved prominence. Yet here we are, a mere 80 years later, facing very similar anti-Semitic sentiments for no reason other than that the enemies of the Jewish people have chosen this time to revive these appalling and unsubstantiated views once again. What is truly disappointing is that so many of the left-leaning people in our societies, having no knowledge of history nor enough self-awareness to realize their own hypocrisy, seem to be supporting this destructive viewpoint.
So we come back to the poppy. The fact so few Canadians are wearing one this year is the outcome of several forces. Don Cherry wasn’t wrong. Many recent immigrants to Canada are not aware of the sacrifices that were made to enable Canada’s freedoms today, so don’t understand the significance of the poppy. If they did, I would like to think they’d be just as keen to don a poppy as those of us who have been here for years. The leftists who denigrate the poppy while enjoying the freedoms it represents should be ashamed of themselves. Our public school system also must do a better job of teaching our history and the importance of what happened generations ago and the many sacrifices made to permit us to enjoy the lifestyle and freedoms we have today. As for the rest of us, we must ensure we pass down the poppy tradition, and its significance, to future generations.
Getting back to my father’s generation and their many sacrifices, it is no accident that they are called the greatest generation. They went off to war when they were barely entering adulthood, to fight against a truly formidable enemy that was threatening something as fundamental as our way of life. Canada punched well above its weight in World War II, entering the war before the US, as Canadians knew it was the right thing to do. Our troops were known for their bravery, ferocity and perseverance, and were greatly feared by the enemy. And, to all of our great good fortune, the good guys prevailed. Thanks Dad. Lest we forget.
She has published numerous articles in journals, magazines & other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship & women business owners. Ms. Swift is a past President of the Empire Club of Canada, a former Director of the CD Howe Institute, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, past President of the International Small Business Congress and current Director of the Fraser Institute. She was cited in 2003 & 2012 as one of the most powerful women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network & is a recipient of the Queen’s Silver & Gold Jubilee medals.
