Nerd Church - With Respect (Remembrance, and The Call For Peace)

Warning: this post discusses war, death, and atrocities

Some people in the media and politics somehow think that's it's disrespectful to protest for peace on this particular weekend. This post is my response to them.

With respect, I understand how many people mourn for those who laid down their lives fighting for their countries - for this country.

With respect, I sympathise and empathise.

With respect, I realise that if people aren't able to call for peace, then that sacrifice - made by generations - meant nothing.

With respect, a reminder that we can no longer help the dead, but we have a duty to protect and aid the living. 

Whether that's a wounded British soldier, a Ukrainian refugee, a traumatised Israeli civilian, or a Palestinian civilian who has lost everything.

With respect, nothing is more respectful than asking for an end to actions which are causing suffering right now, in the world in which we live.

With respect, calling for the end of the senseless slaughter of children can never be disrespectful.

With respect, we must remember the dead. Not add to their number.

With respect, atrocities have no justification. 

No matter who commits them. No matter where they are committed.

With respect, nothing is more important than calling for an end to bloodshed.

Some context:

In the UK the 11th of November is Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day.

The day comemorates the end of the First World War and has been marked ever since as a day to remember those who have been killed in war.

The closest Sunday to the 11th is Remembrance Sunday - it usually has a big ceremony in London, with a lot of smaller ceremonies in pretty much every town and larger village in the country.

This year, Armistice Day was yesterday (Saturday,) with Remembrance Sunday being today (the 12th.)

It also coincides, this year, with renewed conflict between Israel and Hamas, the crossfire and backlash of which has persecuted and slaughtered the people of Gaza.

So there have been, understandably, marches calling for peace.

Calling for a ceasefire. Calling for an end to the killing, and, in some cases, calling for a Palestinian state free of persecution and violence.

...Only our Home Secretary (...important UK government minister,) has completely lost whatever was tethering her to our reality, and invented her own instead.

In Suella Braverman's view, protest at the mass slaughter of civilians is now a 'hate march.' 

(She also claims rough sleeping and being homeless is a lifestyle choice - and that's pretty on-brand for her, tbh. Her nickname is Cruella. For obvious reasons.)

Have a good day, and never stop calling for peace, and the relief of suffering.

You can donate to UNICEF's Gaza appeal here.

You can donate to the British Legion's Poppy Appeal here.

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Previous Nerd Church Posts:

• Nerd Church - The Writer Diaries: The Words Need To Be Out There, Somewhere

• Nerd Church - Short Story: Bex Is On Her Own

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