I have never in my life been so worried about my freedoms, than I have felt in the last while…
We have grown up with such privilege here in Canada.
Were we the wealthiest… were we without struggle… No…
Everyone faces their own unique experiential struggles to their circumstances. In the past we have seen unified struggle, through wars, depressions and illness. But today it feels so divided. Where a pandemic that seemed to unite initially has created so much divide. With infringement on rights and freedoms…
Until now, through all the privilege, I never once doubted the freedoms that were once fought for and gained through the heroic unity of the past.
But lately….
What’s happening in the background?
Or in plain sight with a mask?
I can’t help but feel history being forgotten…
Our friends, our families serving and sacrificing the ultimate price for our freedoms…
Freedoms that have been taken for granted…
Freedoms that are disrespected…
Why is it that the highest voter turnout for Federal Elections here in Canada was in 1958 with just over 79% turnout??? [1] https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e
Our population has significantly increased and voter turnout seems to follow similar trends even with population growth.
These above numbers are skewed anyway because they’re reliant on census information being filled out and submitted.
I can’t help but wonder why?
The waste of resources and nonsense is overwhelming.
Is it lack of transparency and education to a huge portion of our population on understanding that their vote matters?
Is it that a huge portion of the population believes their vote is meaningless and they’ve given up on democracy?
I don’t know the answer to this… Do you?
I feel it’s more naked and ignorant and abuse of power.
Lately I’ve been feeling a great divide…
A divide that is created through wealth and privilege… An abuse of, system… Such as, why the policy makers have amazing retirement pensions after only serving less than a decade to our communities. But the everyday person who spends a lifetime contributing is allotted pennies in comparison…
Where I see a social system that is padding the pockets of the top 1%… Feels a little bit like a Robin Hood story, No? Where is our modern-day Robin Hood… To help equalize the unbalanced scale?
Some of that lies in the voting population that doesn’t show up…
But it also lies in our everyday People… Through our choices…
Where some of this divide is seen because our everyday People have been funneled down a cyclical path. A path that makes many people feel trapped. On their journey to providing a life that society expects…
This brings me back to a few articles from the past, (Lake, Horizon, Sky, Clarity https://jemsmind.com/lake-horizon-sky-clarity/ ) and (One more is never enough… https://jemsmind.com/one-more-is-never-enough/ ) articles that remind, to take a moment for clarity to truly look at what makes life purposeful for each individual…
But for today through all the mud, I want us to remember that our freedoms were fought for us with blood.
The generations that came before us cannot be forgotten.
Their path was for our brighter future…
In turn our path is for our future generations…
To our friends and family of the past, present and future;
Thank you for your
Choices,
Sacrifice,
Service,
Love.
Your bravery and strength,
To protect us from above.
Your fight for human rights and freedoms,
Were not in vain.
For many stand with you,
Remembering your name.
We support and wear poppies, to symbolize that you remain.
A symbol of unity for what is RIGHT…
We are so grateful you were able to stop the fight…
For Freedoms are not a God given RIGHT…
They are privileges gained through the fight…
Lest We Forget!
JEMI
Edit- WDI
P.S. Here is an article that shines some light onto the history of the poppy. Happy 100th anniversary to the Poppy and its symbolism. As well as, a kismet connection to John McCrae the Author of “In Flanders Fields.” A lieutenant-colonel who served as a medical officer during WW1. Who was from Guelph, Ontario, the current city I reside in. McCrae wrote “In Flanders Fields” May 1915, “following the death of a fellow soldier.” [2]
Sources
[1] E. Canada, “Home,” – Elections Canada. [Online]. Available: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e. [Accessed: 08-Nov-2021].
[2] J. Ferreira, “The poppy turns 100: 8 things you may not know about the remembrance symbol,” CTVNews, 07-Nov-2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/the-poppy-turns-100-8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-remembrance-symbol-1.5655839. [Accessed: 08-Nov-2021].