We will remember them

Four score and eleven years ago today the armistice was signed to put an end to one of the most deadliest conflicts the world had ever been involved in. More than 15 million soldiers had sacrificed their lives in a war that had lasted four years. Many then believed that such was the blood spilt in the Great War that it would be the War to End All Wars. But now, we do not only reflect on those who died in World War One, but also on the many conflicts that followed thereafter.

Now, 90 years on, the situation is much different. Soldiers are now dying on an almost daily basis in Afghanistan, and some question the motive and justification of the mission. But we must not forget, that if we withdraw our forces from Afghanistan, if we leave our mission incomplete, all of these brave and courageous men would have died in vain. And we must also remember, that they are fighting for peace, fighting so that we would be safer from terrorist attacks from groups such as the Taliban.

Today is the day that we remember all the British troops who have died fighting for Britain, no matter whether it is 1919 or 2009. We will remember them, for they died defending our beloved nation. We will remember them, for they died defending our people. And we will remember them, for they died so that we would be able to enjoy our rights of freedom, justice, and democracy that we take for granted today.

But it is not only the British we should remember - the courage of French, American, and Russian soldiers not only kept their own countries safe, but our nation also. And thus we should also remember and thank our allies, who gave their lives so we could live in a society free from oppression. Yet this is only half the story, we must also remember our enemies. The German, Italian, and Japanese soldiers, who did not subscribe to the extremist ideology of their leaders but were forced into battle, and condemned to a bloody death.

However, in the long term, there is no use looking back and reading the names of those who had died in these numerous conflicts just today - because their heroic actions and deeds would have compensated the fact that they gave the ultimate sacrifice to our country, and their actions in war would live far longer in memory than actions in peacetime. The world does not need one particular day of pomp and ceremony to help us remember - we should already do so each and every day of our lives, as their impact on it is far bigger than what we can add or detract.

But our job is still unfinished, and in the future we will still have to face those who do not subscribe to the majority of the world's view that all men (and women) are born equal and should enjoy the same rights. It is not enough for us to simply remember these men who have died so courageously - but their memories should urge us to work harder to perfect our society, to defend our values, and to ensure that there will not need to be a time where so many lives would need to be sacrificed due to the actions and ideologies so few people. And we seek that one day, governments round the world would adopt the principles of liberty and freedom, of justice and equality, of democracy and a representative government that we are fortunate to consider so close to our hearts.