| ANZAC Day |
[25 April 2008|04:43 pm] |
They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
- "For the Fallen", Laurence Binyon
93 years on, lest we forget. |
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| ANZAC Day |
[25 April 2007|09:31 am] |
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
- "For the Fallen", Laurence Binyon
A brief history of ANZAC Day.
Lest we forget.
What a waste. What a total fucking waste. 10% of New Zealand's population fought in World War I, a war on the other side of the world, and we suffered the highest per capita rate of deaths. A quarter of the dead perished on the hopeless shores of Gallipoli; many others were nothing more than cannon fodder on the Western Front, torn down in no man's land on suicidal missions.
And for what? Somebody care to tell me why so many people, my relatives included, had to die in such a completely pointless war? Every year on this day, I hear about how they fought for peace and freedom. Then every night, I turn on the news. Was what the ANZACs did all in vain? You'd think that ANZAC Day would have taught us the futility of sending young men to die in the name of power politics. We've been observing the day long enough; why don't we finally learn something from it? |
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| Holidays. |
[29 April 2006|08:42 pm] |
If my entry on the day didn't make it obvious, it was ANZAC Day a few days ago. I was thinking about how it's really the only holiday anyone takes seriously here. On ANZAC Day, people will actually go to the Dawn Services and there's a whole bucketload of respect for our heritage and those who have fallen in war. In comparison? Australia Day's a good excuse for a barbecue. People are in Christmas for the presents and Easter for the chocolate. New Year's Day simply exists so that everyone can get over the hangover from the night before. And let's be honest, who cares about the Queen's Birthday? No-one gives a damn that it's the Queen's birthday (or at least is the day designated as the day to celebrate a birthday that I think is earlier in the year). Everyone's just in it because they get a day off work, and who doesn't like that? Australia could become a republic and we'd probably still celebrate the Queen's birthday. Or we'd suddenly decide we really love Edmund Barton and should've been celebrating his birthday all along instead.
My point is that no-one typically cares about the reasons behind a holiday, we're just pleased to have a day off work. So what if you aren't a Christian? Hooray for Easter! Chocolate and a couple of days off work. Who doesn't like that? If you don't want to hear about Jesus, just don't go to church, it's that simple. And the Queen's Birthday? Cheers, Queenie, thanks for existing so we can have a day off! I can't hate the Queen, purely for the reason that it's because of her that we all get a holiday on the second Monday in June (or the first Monday if you live in New Zealand, and I think Western Australia celebrates it in late September).
So, by this logic, I've determined we should have John Howard Day and George W. Bush Day. It would actually make their existence useful. Cheers, Bush and Howard! I can't bloody stand either of you, but thanks for giving us an excuse to not do work!
With that said, I better return to writing and trying to complete my essay on the political impact of the Protestant Reformation generally and John Calvin's teachings specifically on the Genevan Republic in the sixteenth century. Thrilling, I can assure you. |
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| ANZAC Day. |
[25 April 2006|10:10 pm] |
I have explained the history of ANZAC Day before, so today, I wish to simply honour those who did not return. All told, New Zealand suffered the most deaths per capita of any country in World War I (despite the fact conflict never touched our soil), and the Australian military suffered the highest rate of casualties of any military involved in the war. Out of New Zealand's entire population at the time of the war, a staggering 10% served overseas.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
- For The Fallen, Laurence Binyon
That single verse emotionally affects me more than every other item of poetry I have ever read combined, and I cannot sufficiently articulate why.
Lest we forget.
E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarongona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa
God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand. |
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sad