WAR

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REMEMBRANCE DAY AT THE SHRINE

Armistice Day, later known as Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth and Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on 11 November to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, at 5:45 am for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at 11:00 am—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918—although, according to Thomas R. Gowenlock, an intelligence officer with the U.S. First Division, shelling from both sides continued for the rest of the day, ending only at nightfall. The armistice initially expired after a period of 36 days and had to be extended several times. A formal peace agreement was reached only when the Treaty of Versailles was signed the following year.

The Shrine of Remembrance (commonly referred to as 'The Shrine') is a war memorial in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It was built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I, but now functions as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war. It is a site of annual observances for Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November), and is one of the largest war memorials in Australia.

Designed by architects Phillip Hudson and James Wardrop, both World War I veterans, the Shrine is in classical style, based on the Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus and the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The crowning element at the top of the ziggurat roof references the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Built from Tynong granite, the Shrine originally consisted only of the central sanctuary surrounded by the ambulatory. The sanctuary contains the marble Stone of Remembrance, upon which is engraved the words "Greater love hath no man" (John 15:13); once per year, on 11 November at 11 a.m. (Remembrance Day), a ray of sunlight shines through an aperture in the roof to light up the word "Love" in the inscription. Beneath the sanctuary lies the crypt, which contains a bronze statue of a soldier father and son, and panels listing every unit of the Australian Imperial Force.

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REMEMBRANCE DAY

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy, and Armistice Day, to mark cessation of hostilities on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918), is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. The day is also marked by war remembrances in several other non-Commonwealth countries. In most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities.

In Australia, Remembrance Day is always observed on 11 November, regardless of the day of the week, and is not a public holiday; it is a time when people can pay their respects to the substantial number of soldiers who died in battle. Some institutions observe two-minutes' silence at 11 am.

During the Second World War, many countries changed the name of the holiday. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations adopted Remembrance Day, while the US chose Veterans Day.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
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SAD DAY...

Twenty-seven police officers were injured and 42 people were arrested today following a violent anti-war protest outside a weapons expo in Melbourne City.  About 1500 people descended on the City this morning against the Land Forces Defence Expo being held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

It was the city's largest protest in 24 years with about 1000 officers, from both Victoria and New South Wales, deployed. Protesters were accused of throwing projectiles like rocks, suspected human faeces, horse manure and balloons filled with unknown liquids at officers following a clash about 7am. Scenes became more violent throughout the day before dying down by the afternoon.

Violence and war are not stopped by further violence an escalation of conflict. War is a vile thing and it should be stopped. However, these protesters were obviously unaware of Satyagraha...

Satyāgraha (from Sanskrit: सत्याग्रह; satya: "truth", āgraha: "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), or "holding firmly to truth", or "truth force". This  is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone who practises satyagraha is a satyagrahi. The term satyagraha was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) as early as 1919. Gandhi practised satyagraha as part of the Indian independence movement and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa for Indian rights.

Non-violent protesting is more effective in furthering one's cause and making people aware of wrongdoing, than is violent and antisocial behaviour. You cannot purport to be a peace activist by injuring others and putting innocent lives at risk. It is shameful, it is wrong, it is counterproductive. A sad day for Melbourne. More to come this week, unfortunately...

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UNCERTAIN TIMES

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
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