For immediate release:
December 11, 2006  

Some observations on the Christmas Truce of 1914

“Just you think that while you were eating your turkey…I was out talking and shaking hands with the very men I had been trying to kill a few hours before!” –British soldier, WWI

The First World War began August 1914, and by October, opposing forces were digging trenches across northeastern France.

But remarkably, by Christmas 1914, the positive aspects of humanity prevailed, in spite of the advent of the most deadly conflict the world had ever seen. Allied and German soldiers emerged from their respective trenches, shook hands, and even played soccer.

In one of the most extraordinary episodes of modern warfare – the Christmas Truce of 1914 – opposing soldiers saw their enemies not as monsters and villains, but as fellow human beings, with families.

This Christmas, we can reflect on the experiences of those WWI Veterans who discovered the human faces of their bitter opponents. Over our holidays, perhaps a Christmas truce is in order – people can be viewed based on their humanity, rather than divisions that have sprung up over recent time.

At Caledonia/Six Nations, the past ten months have strained a relationship that has taken centuries to build. Without denying that real issues need to be sorted out, let’s remember the Christmas Truce of 1914. Regardless of vantage points, all sides can peer across the various barricades and see the human being on the other side. All are human, with family, whether we wear camouflage, a jacket and tie, or an OPP uniform.

In farm country throughout Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant, we have hundreds of families struggling to make ends meet – whether it be cash crop, or beef, or hort, or tobacco. With respect to tobacco, factions polarize around smoking and non-smoking, legal and illegal tobacco, and how best to secure a dignified exit from tobacco farming. Instead, see a mother and father working the land, trying their best to provide for their family. Let’s heal the rifts and work toward solutions, recognizing that the well-being of our community is on the line.

At Queen’s Park, the Ontario Legislature is entering its Christmas recess. I’ve often said that nobody would speak to somebody on the street with the same hostility we see in the Ontario Legislature. Too often, we get caught up in the rivalry between Conservatives and Liberals, denying our opponents the basic privilege of humanity. It’s important to contrast the different values and perspectives we each bring to the debate, but we should remember to view people for who they are, not for how they differ from ourselves.

It’s customary for all MPPs to send each other a Christmas card – often with a personal greeting – regardless of political affiliation. It’s not a soccer game in No-Man’s-Land, but it’s a start.

In spite of the rush, the Christmas holidays represent everything good about humanity – the spirit of giving, the desire for peace, and an aspiration to improve over the coming year.

Imagine how that young British soldier must have felt when he put down his Lee Enfield and saw somebody’s son or father climbing out of the trench on the other side of No-Man’s-Land. If he had the courage to treat his opponents with dignity during the Christmas Truce, we owe it to him to do the same.