November 11th is a bittersweet occasion, for it commemorates the end of a great war and a return to relative peace, while at the same time honouring and mourning the sacrifices of our veterans.

November 11th is a day of hope and gratitude, sadness and reflection. Though I’m not a veteran, I’ve seen firsthand the terrible human cost of war, and I share the profound hope of all human beings that one day the world will know true peace.

It may sound contradictory to say that peace is what our veterans fight for, but it is nonetheless true. For there can be no peace without freedom of expression, without human rights, without freedom from tyranny. Our veterans defended these universal human values in the massive wars of the 20th century, and they continue to do so today in wars that may be smaller in scale but no less dangerous for our men and women in uniform. Indeed, we are reminded of the human cost to our troops at regular intervals, and our hearts go out to the families of the fallen.

This Remembrance Day, I ask all Albertans to pause for a moment of genuine and heartfelt contemplation. We must all do our best to understand and respect the sacrifices of the citizens who stand up to defend us and to defend the weak and helpless overseas, and to keep the peace in the world’s most troubled regions. We have so much to be grateful for here in Alberta and in Canada, and the men and women of our armed forces deserve our gratitude.

David