Remembrance Day in Canada is just around the corner on November 11. Tonight we will be discussing Remembrance Day as well as the importance of remembrance and the concept of our own remembrance.
- Will you attend a Remembrance Day ceremony this year? Have you ever attended one? Why or why not?
- What traditions (if any) do you have related to the remembrance of relatives or friends or other important people who have died?
- What responsibility do Canadians have for our veterans? Where does that responsibility end? Does it matter if the veteran was involved in combat?
- How do you want to be remembered? Why?
- Do you wear a poppy at this time of year? Why or why not?
- Do you attend the funerals of people you know? Why or why not?
- What do you know about your great-great-great grandparents?
- In remembrance of your life would you rather have a funeral or a "celebration of life", or both, or neither? Why?
- How (if at all) do you recognize Remembrance Day (November 11), The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30), International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27), the Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20) or other "remembrance days"? Why?
- How important is it to you to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries (your own or other people's)? Why?
- Are there things which we as a society would be better off NOT to remember? If so, what and why? If not, why not?
- Do you think that you will be remembered in 150 years? Why or why not?
- Should attendance at Remembrance Day ceremonies be mandatory for school aged children? Why or why not?
- Have social media and commercialization trivialized "remembering" important dates? Why or why not?
- What should young children be taught about war and Remembrance Day and other events like the Holocaust or Residential Schools in Canada? At what age? Why?
- How important is it to you that YOU are remembered? Why?
- What sort of support should be available for the families of Canadian soldiers, both while they are serving and once they have been discharged or killed while in service? Is this an act of remembrance? Why or why not?
- What responsibility do we have to accurately remember those from the past whom we honour as a society (like John A. MacDonald or Gandhi or John F. Kennedy)? Who should determine what is included in those remembrances? Why?
- Should buildings, roads, mountains, lakes and rivers be named for people? If so, how and why? If not, why not?
- Should monuments, plaques and statues be erected in honour of people? How about in remembrance of events? Why or why not?
** BONUS QUESTIONS! **
- How do you feel when you forget an important date?
- How do you feel when YOUR important date is forgotten by others?
- How do you feel when your important date is celebrated by others?
- Why, if at all, is it important to us to be remembered?
- Do you visit cemeteries? Why or why not?
I hope that you will join us for this discussion.
Special thanks to Thomas Ahn for integrating Table Conversations' Meetup account with his existing account.
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Given the success of this format we are going to be continuing to gather via Zoom. We will be allowing up to 30 participants for this meeting and, after a brief introduction, we will be splitting off into virtual "tables" of six.
As long as you have RSVP'd before 5:30PM on the day of the event you should receive an email from Robert prior to 6:30PM giving you the Zoom meetup credentials.
*** PLEASE NOTE ***
If you are a member of Table Conversations and you didn't receive an email announcing THIS Table Conversations meetup then you likely won't receive the email with the Zoom information on the evening of the event. Please confirm that your Meetup.com profile is configured correctly by carefully following the step-by-step instructions in this link: https://www.meetup.com/tableconversations/events/270360456/
Otherwise, since I don't control Meetup's mail system, if you are not receiving notifications please contact Meetup.com for assistance.
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* Room opens at 6:45PM (often earlier) for socialization
* Discussion starts at 7:15 and finishes at 8:45ish
* Keep talking until dawn!
