Who remembers?

This is July 1, 2011.

In Canada, the Government is subsidising fireworks to celebrate something called `Canada Day`, which means nothing to me. It used to be called `Dominion Day` and it celebrated Canada`s accession to complete self-governing status within the British Commonwealth. It MEANT something.

On July 1, 1916 -- just 95 years ago today -- Canadian, British and Newfoundland troops assaulted a strongly-held German front line along the Somme River in France. This was to be The Big Push, the battle which would end the War. By the end of the day, Commonwealth forces had lost 25,000 men, the German Empire had lost better than 20,000, the Newfoundland Army had sustained 92 percent casualties.

The battle went on for another 4-1/2 months.

July 1, legally, still is Memorial Day in Newfoundland, although Canadian influences have pretty much destroyed it.

But some of us still remember, because we had friends there, or we lost family there, or we have a sincere interest in how the world got as messed-up as it is..... and that day was crucial..... and remains so.

I remembered.

Did you?
.

The modern generation don't like Remembrance or Memorials or (in many cases) respect . To them it's all a bit stuffy and historical and er...religious. They just want to party. It's down to us (minority I suspect) to know our history and hold the fort for our heritage.

Anyways ... Happy Birthday Canada, 144 and still looking good.

I still call the U.S. Veterans Day, Armistice Day.

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day.

I'm not big on changes to something existing. It a group thinks something else should be honored, then make it's own day, don't bundle.

The 40's and the 60's generations were/are different then the 80's and 2000 people.

It changed from we did or will do something, to the I and me way of thinking. Instead of wanting to help it's what is someone going to do to help me. This is going to cause many changes in the coming years.

Here in the U.S. my generation has paid all of our working lives into programs (Social Security, Medicare). The now people want to change it. It will effect millions.