A chance to say "Thanks!"

November 11 is Remembrance Day across Canada and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the brave men and women who have served, or are currently serving in our armed forces.
Too often we take for granted the freedoms that these brave individuals have fought for and helped to protect. I think it is important to take a moment to not only think about how different our lives would be without these invaluable contributions, but to also say thank you to those who put their lives on the line to give us the comforts and freedoms we currently enjoy.
It can be easy to forget that many people across our world do not live in a democratic nation. Speaking out against a government action, or even criticizing a political party or politician can lead to jail or torture in many nations. If we look at what is going on in the world today we see how many nations, including most-recently Libya, have fought for their freedom from oppressive regimes. Hundreds of thousands have given their lives to enjoy the rights we take for granted in our Canadian society.
Too often we forget that hundreds of thousands of Canadian men and women gave their lives to bring us these freedoms, and more recently to protect them, in addition to working to promote these rights and improve the way of life in countries around the world.
It is because of the bravery and selflessness of our veterans that many of us will never experience the horrible conditions of war, and it is often difficult to imagine and understand the hardships and atrocities many of our citizens endured during armed combat. That is why Remembrance Day and Remembrance Week are so important. These annual events remind us of what it took to bring us where we are today. Those who serve in the armed services, do not do so to get rich or become famous, they do so because they believe in freedom and democracy and are willing to give up their own life to promote and protect those principles.
That is also why I think it is important for each and every one of us to take time out to listen to their stories, to understand what they have gone through and continue to go through in service of our country, and to celebrate the contributions they make in our home nation and across the world.
We should all attend Remembrance Day ceremonies, teas, and dinners in our community. We need to support our Royal Canadian Legion branches and our troops: so we can understand the sacrifice they have made, so we can gain a deeper appreciation for the important work they do and so that we can maintain this support system for our veterans. You may not knowt his, but many of our Legion branches are struggling to survive. This is shameful. By coming out to events at our local Legion branch, we can help ensure that the important services and support system that these branches provide continue to be available.
I would like to take this time to say thank you to our veterans and to those currently serving, and I would like to encourage everyone to take time out to say thank you. We owe our freedom to their sacrifices.