Possible motives for destruction of wreaths
The recent destruction of three wreaths laid at the foot of the cenotaph in Duncan during Remembrance Day services was both inexcusable and disgraceful. Remembrance Day should be a time in which we solemnly pay our respects to those who served and their comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Before Nov. 11 fades from our memories we should spend some time considering what might have motivated this thoughtless act.
One possibility is a malicious delight in destroying public property, especially that placed in a place of honour by those for whom it has special meaning. Regular Canadian citizens have a hard time conceiving of why someone would want to do this, and cannot grasp the mindset of those who enjoy it. Balanced people don’t do this sort of thing.
Another possibility might be a sudden act of opportunity by someone who impulsively decided to damage the wreaths for no particular reason they can identify. Perhaps they later regretted it, although that is as unlikely as the idea that the act was purely accidental.
A third, and more concerning motive, might be that it was a political statement, and that would be the most concerning of all. If the destruction of the wreaths was motivated by a desire to strike out against our time honoured traditions, Canadian historical events, imperialism, colonialism, or any of the other buzz words so prevalent these days in our current social milieu then the disrespect shown by this act is all the more heinous.
Leave Remembrance Day and the sacrifice it represents out of the political arena. If there was ever a day in which politics should be irrelevant, it is that day. Let’s hope next Nov. 11 will be incident free.
Perry Foster
Duncan