[Leica] ...the war is over...

[Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>]

....guys?  With all due respect,

The war has been over for 50 years.

Why are we trying to refight it?

The discussion of the Japanese and the Nazis before it, is a bit ridicules
considering where we are today.

We all lost relatives or were effected by the war, ON BOTH SIDES!
...but it is a different world today and those "responsible" for such
memories are not on this list.

Yeah, I know, just hit the delete key, and this is my usual action but
thought I would tell this story.

I was in Italy a few weeks ago to photograph some old men. They were
Canadian and German soldiers during WWII and 50 years ago they were trying
to kill each other during the Battle of Altona (sp?) in the very field and
river bank they were now sharing dinner and drinks.

These old men compared notes and memories and they ate, drank and laughed
together. I saw no hatred. Just shared memories, understanding and a hope
that no others ever have to do what they had done.  While their memories
where flawless, they all agreed, the war was over a long time ago.

I think we do a great disservice to these men, who were mere boys 50 years
ago, by quibbling over what German and Japanese products we cannot purchase
or using language that only applied to a situation in a world at war 50
years ago.

If we do not learn anything from that war and only continue to harbour the
hate and bias in a effort to remember what will our destiny be?

Forgiveness, tolerance, greater understanding and letting bygones be so,
does not mean forgetting the past. It means we remember the past and LEARN
SOMETHING from it... hopefully for the better.

The world changes.... lets change with it.

best regards to all,









Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>                               
St. John's, Newfoundland. 
- ----------------------------------
TOUCHED BY FIRE; doctors without borders in a third world crisis.
McClelland & Stewart Canada.  ISBN#0-7710-5305-3 
http://www.straylight.ca/touchedbyfire.htm