France « Seyi Sandra David

(Allied forces in a landing craft, 6th June 1944)

It’s 75 years tomorrow when allied forces landed in the vast beaches of Normandy, France. Several European nations came together after Germany occupied France. These brave soldiers waged a decisive battle against Adolf Hitler and his German forces entrenched in occupied France, and their bravery finally fostered peace in Europe, and the rest of the world.

Whether we have been able to achieve enduring world-wide peace is still up for discussion at a later date, but the Allied forces put an end to the gory adventures of Adolf Hitler, and many of us live in relative peace today. The fight for freedom was encapsulated in a moving speech by William Churchill on May 18 1944, he said:

‘’We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory despite all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be.’’

The United Kingdom, under the leadership of William Churchill, joined the rest of Allied forces to fight against a force so brutal it is intent on the total annihilation of several nations of the world. The Allied forces worked towards the goal of defeating the enemy on 6th June 1944.

They are our heroes.

The world is not totally at peace, but what we have today is a luxury we can only dream of if Adolf Hitler’s dream to rule the whole world was realised.

Let us rejoice today, and hopefully, the coming days will see a more peaceful world free from slavery, racism, poverty, murders, hatred, and petty human emotions that inhibit living peaceful lives.

NP: I haven’t been able to update my website due to health issues, work commitments, and postgraduate studies. I have respite for a few months and would endeavour to post more articles and would also visit many blogs as much as I can.

Much love, always. 🙂

(Photo Credit: Andrea Krappweis)

I really want to make this a short post, but I guess I’ll just flow with the current. I’ve read and watched with a growing amount of apprehension at the recent UN decision to lift the arms embargo in Syria… I know – some of you might scoff or even snigger, what’s Syria got to do with me? But please, just read on.

Syria is comfortably in the Middle East, faraway from your suburban street with well laid lawns and ripening flowers in their blooms. You watched your kids get on the school bus, (or you take them) like I do every blessed morning but Syria can really come to our doorstep to hunt us.

Remember world war 2? Most of you don’t, I wasn’t even born then. Okay, let me bring things closer, what about Afghanistan? Osama Bin Laden? Yeah, at least that should jolt your memory. What about the Soviet Union and their infamous treaty with Hitler? And Hitler is not one to keep to little flimsy deals, he didn’t and he still invaded the Soviets, millions lost their lives. Well, Soviet Union has not learnt its (her? he?) lessons! The Soviets are still supporting Assad’s bloody campaign, with Iran!

What am I driving at, you may wonder. People are dying daily in Syria, blood is literally flowing on the streets unhindered, and to make matters worse, UN has lifted the arms embargo, and Britain and France would be sending arms to rebels. I even saw John McCain ( he lost the Presidential race against President Obama) in the papers grinning with some of the rebels.

Some people believed CIA had a lot do with Osama Bin Laden, check this article here; http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/24198

I don’t care because the guy is dead, but if the report is true, won’t the same thing happen in Syria? If the rebels eventually overthrow Bashar Assad, won’t the rebels turn against the West, like Osama did and then we’ll be talking about another wave of terrorism? The Middle East is considered a volatile region, war is not pretty, thousands are dying daily, sending arms to a fragmented country on the brink of collapse is just going to make things bad.

There’s little or nothing I can do but write, after all, some said ‘the pen is mightier than the sword,’ (or the nukes) as the case may be. I’m not sitting on the fence, I’ve said my piece. I just pray and hope that one day, we’ll see an end to all wars, suffering, hunger, hatred, bitterness…

Do you notice the gathering clouds in that picture? It’s a huge contrast to the power lines and beautiful landscape. I hope Syria would not blight our lives, I pray they (international community) would find a solution to end the blood shed soon, but not arming the rebels. It’s not a comfortable thought! Fighting violence with violence can only result in more casualties!

I hope this beautiful world of ours will not drench herself in the blood of the innocent.

Much love friends, and thanks for reading this post!