Readers weigh in on Nov. 11 debacles, the Amsterdam pogrom, possible barbarians at the gates and more in letters to the editor

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Re: Ontario school played Palestinian protest song in Arabic as its Remembrance Day music — Adrian Humphreys, Nov. 11; Nova Scotia principal ‘deeply sorry’ for requesting no uniforms on Remembrance Day — Chris Lambie, Nov. 8; and The woke takeover of Remembrance Day — Michael Higgins, Nov. 13

The recent statement by the principal of Sir Robert Borden High School in Ottawa that Remembrance Day is usually only about “a white guy who has done something related to the military” demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of those who sacrificed their all in preserving our freedoms.

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As a veteran of 40 years, I assure you that every military member served to protect all Canadians, even those who may not fully appreciate their sacrifice. He should be removed from his position immediately.

Col. (retired) C.C. Johnson, Kanata, Ont.

Wishing to show my respect for our veterans, I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at Old City Hall in Toronto. I was stunned to hear the proceedings begin with not only a land acknowledgment, but also an African ancestral acknowledgement.

What does any of this have to do with honouring Canada’s proud military tradition? Such performative wokeism is unwelcome at the best of times, but incredibly inappropriate at an event such as this. Can we not pause the self-flagellation and cede the stage to our soldiers just for one day?

Also, while I appreciate that Indigenous and Black veterans served Canada with honour, there was no reason to highlight their contributions or traditions. Those who fought for King/Queen and country did so as Canadians, and identity politics have no place in that equation. We were there to celebrate all veterans.

Simon Finch, Mississauga, Ont.

Playing a Palestinian song, in Arabic, on Remembrance Day, in an Ontario school, in the name of “diversity” makes as much sense as having an Imam come in to deliver a sermon, in Arabic, in an Ontario Catholic church on a Sunday morning.

It was this insistence by progressives of shoving literally anything and everything down our throats in the name of diversity and inclusion that just got Donald Trump re-elected in the U.S.

Damian Kanarek, Whitby, Ont.

How shameful, and sad, that there are “leaders” across the country who hijacked Remembrance Day in pursuit of their own misguided woke agenda. Here in Stratford, Ont., where, as usual, thousands gathered to pay tribute to our fallen heroes — including a significant number of school children — our service began with a special acknowledgement of the contributions of Canada’s native peoples in both world wars.

It was pointed out that they volunteered in large numbers and often overcame challenges that included travelling great distances to get to a recruitment centre and enduring prejudice. They did it because, like hundreds of thousands of their fellow Canadians from coast to coast, they were proud of their country and determined to serve it in the defence of freedom. That, told in myriad individual stories of........

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