Mr. Speaker, I too am pleased to speak to the motion of my colleague from Calgary Southeast, whom I wish to congratulate, moreover, because I feel it is very important that, at least once a year, we pause for a moment together to reflect on the great sacrifice that has been made.
Personally, I do not want to get involved in debates about time differences depending on whether people are in the east or the west. It seems important to me that the House of Commons can make at least a symbolic decision, that all elected representatives of the people can say “It is important to take this step”. It is obvious to me that, should this proposal ever get to the vote stage, the Bloc Quebecois would be very much in favour of it.
It seems to me that it is important for us to pause for two minutes, and that this must be on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour.
As I have already said, it is certainly likely that some will be doing so earlier than others, because we are not all in the same time zone. The importance, however, relates to the symbolism of that pause, and to the fact that we are reflecting for two minutes on war and all the aftermaths of war.
War is always terrible and leads to terrible events. When war breaks out, it is often the people who suffer. The man in the street generally does not want war, but the leaders are the ones who declare war. When they do, people are needed to defend our values.
Let us look at past wars, the first and second world wars, as well as the Korean war. At that time and in that part of the world, there were people who saw things very differently from us, as far as democracy, justice and freedom are concerned. This forced free and democratic peoples to engage side by side in defending these fundamental values.
Some people sacrificed their lives, while others sacrificed their health. Many came back from war with mental or physical wounds. It is important that we think about this, and that we reflect together.
There is more than one way to reflect. It is certain that we are not always obliged to observe silence in order to reflect, but silence encourages a turning in upon ourselves, an awareness, a calling up of many memories for us all.
On Remembrance Day, when I am observing the two minutes of silence or when I pause before the cenotaph as I lay a wreath, I myself think of my father, who took part in the liberation of Holland. He was a member of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal and bore the scars of the war. They may not have been physical scars, but they were certainly mental and psychological ones. He was a man who found it very hard to talk about what had taken place on the battlefields.
There are probably many people like myself, people of my generation, who need to stop what they are doing for a few minutes and give quiet thanks to all these people who went off to defend our values.
When I am observing the two minutes of silence or laying a wreath on Remembrance Day, I also automatically think of the folks at the Iberville branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, to which I belong. Even though they did not fight in the war, people of my generation may become legion members provided that their father fought for their country. Since my father did just that, I was therefore pleased to join the Iberville branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and I often meet with the members there. These are people who have been through a lot. It is in talking with these veterans over a beer or a bite to eat that one understands how much they have sacrificed.
Not only did they lose fellow members of the legion, not only did they lose friends, but they also carry psychological wounds. These wounds are always there for the veterans of the major theatres of operation. It is touching to see these veterans shed a tear as they go back over these memories. It is also touching to watch them point to their scars and tell what caused them, a shell or a bullet. What is less obvious, however, are the psychological scars. It is touching to see men of this age cry as they remember what were some very difficult times for them.
It is therefore important that we be able to stop and reflect from time to time. By the way, I wish to pay tribute to the president of the Iberville Canadian Legion, Mrs. Côté. This was an idea I had this morning as I was thinking about what I would say.
While preparing my speech this morning, I thought that Mrs. Côté would be quite pleased if I mentioned her name in the House of Commons. Now that that is done, I will be happy to send a copy of my speech to the Canadian Legion to show them that my relationship with them is not just symbolic, but also practical.
It is important to remember the dead and the wounded, and not only those who were physically wounded, but also those who suffered psychological traumas. It is also important to recall, during these two minutes, those who continue this fight.
As I mentioned earlier, one never wishes for war. It is important to do everything in our power to avoid war. However, when war does break out, people must stand up to defend our values. Today, we must think about all those soldiers who are in Afghanistan, and of others who have a very important job to do, keeping the peace. Currently, there are some 2,000 persons, many of whom are part of the Royal 22nd Regiment, in Bosnia. A great number of people contribute to our military efforts, whether it be in combat or in peacekeeping. A moment of reflection is therefore very important.
I am one of those who believes that it is hard to stop a streetcar when it is in the middle of a trip; it will not be stopped. However, I think that it is not difficult to stop a bus or a cab, or even to ask a cab driver to stop and observe two minutes' silence. It is important, and I believe that we owe it to those who gave their lives.
It would also be an excellent movement, if it were symbolically recognized by the House of Commons, to encourage not only members of my generation and previous generations, but also those that will follow, young people, to remember the stories of those who fought for them, and those who continue to fight for them, at this very moment, for our system of values, which includes justice, freedom and democracy.
I hope that my colleague, the member for Calgary Southeast will propose this. Either way, he can count on the support of the Bloc Quebecois. As I mentioned earlier, this is a symbolic question, and he will have the support of the Bloc Quebecois if he moves this motion.