People are celebrating the heroics of the D-Day landings today which I am sure you must know all about. However, there is one thing that I am a bit unsure about and I was wondering if anybody felt the same way.
Surely the use of fireworks is a bit counter-intuitive to the memory of the war? The ceremony in which leaders of nations attended included a reenactment of the D-Day landings with. This feels a bit odd as it was a day in which these brave men fought and over 13,000 allied troops were killed, yet the weapons of war that killed them are being glorified. Granted, fireworks are not actual artillery but just look at the picture below.
Frightening?
The sky looks like it is filled with hundreds of missiles and shells and it is rather frightening. An amazing scene for sure but I am just wondering, how many of the Veterans actually want to see a reenactment of the landings? The people who were not there cannot possibly fathom how that day was and a reenactment void of the terror of going against the enemy seems to belittle the nature of that day. A celebration of the day I think, should be done in a more peaceful way in order to honour those who fell.
Today, you have on one side people giving solemn speeches and on the other, roaring cannons and gunpowder. Quite an odd juxtaposition if you just stop and think about it.
A Worried Student
A WORRIED STUDENT 
I don’t really know of fireworks around here. But that could just be my not paying attention. The 4th of July is the main day for it here.
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Hmm well fireworks tend to be used at nearly every celebration and event right? Opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies, anniversaries, new years but it just seems a bit odd to use them in today’s D-Day commemoration.
Then again, I may be completely wrong.
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I, thankfully, haven’t heard or seen any fireworks going off but I do agree with you. It is not the most considerate way to acknowledge the occasion. I think there are better ways to go about it.
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Haha I am laughing at the way you have said thankfully, I take it you are not a fan of fireworks at all?
I don’t think they are being used over the country, just at the celebrations.
Definitely 🙂
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I don’t mind them so much when they are suitable for the occasion. Sadly, I recently moved to a place where they let them off whenever they feel like it, and it’s ruined my enjoyment of them slightly! 😦
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Ahah well that is not good! Ruined sleep!
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I hope you don’t mind my linking to this video here, or seeming a little preachy, but if you watch starting around the 25 second mark you will see some soldiers reaction to fireworks that I believe illustrates nicely how “counter-intuitive” all of it really is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rQOR2MK0o4
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Wow that really does illustrate it perfectly! Thanks for that. It is a bit sad really as it is as if we are not really viewing things from those veterans’ perspectives.
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I agree, it seems a bit insensitive. Luckily I haven’t heard of any firework displays going on around here.
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Don’t think displays have been going on around the world, just at the location where they’re celebrating.
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