Remembrance and meaning of doorstep vigils – GP Taylor

Society as we know it has
been changed forever. Freedom and liberties have been lost, and we all have paid the price as the virus cuts through our communities.

I find it strange that at this time of year, when we give thanks for those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, that we should have so much of it taken away.

Two world wars and countless other conflicts have ensured that we living in this age have the right to practise our religions and be open about our sexuality, gender and political beliefs.

Without the incredible and ultimate sacrifice of those who laid down their lives in battle, our world would be a significantly different place.

It would be easy to imagine what our country would be like had Adolf Hitler won the war. Many things that we thankfully take for granted would not exist. Many of us alive today would never have been born – our parents would have probably been slaughtered.

The magnitude of the events is colossal and the fight against Hitler has stopped many other despots from thinking they can do as they please without sanction.

As time distances us from the events of the past, it seems to diminish what was exactly at stake, not just for Britain, but for the world. That is why it is so important for us to make our act of remembrance even though we will be in yet another lockdown.

We may not be able to meet together in large crowds or even worship in church, but that does not stop us taking time out to give thanks for all those who have died and sacrificed their lives for us.

This is made even more poignant this year as we can add to their number all the doctors, nurses, health workers and emergency service personnel who have been taken from us by the wicked disease that is Covid-19.

It brings me quickly to tears when I think of those brave people who fought on the front line in our hospitals and care homes knowing their lives were at risk. They battled against an enemy disease that we knew little about. Many of them paid with their lives and others have been left permanently battle scarred and weary.

It is for all of them that I
will be praying and dedicating my silent vigil. I will stand on the steps of my house at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month and think of the NHS, the ambulance, police, fire service, the soldiers, doctors, nurses and carers.

At the end of the silence I will clap and cheer for those who still fight on regardless of the danger and cost, as without them, many more people will die.

There has never been a time when we, as a country, need an act of solidarity to be a light in the darkness that we all have to now endure. There may be no brass bands or columns of troops parading in Whitehall, but we have to do something.

Likewise on Remembrance Sunday which is also a defiant
act against evil. It is a day when we can say that we will never allow tyranny and dictatorships to control or change our way of life. It is a declaration of freedom and liberty that was bought
with the blood of millions of people.

There are some people who are saying that these freedoms are being eroded as we face another four weeks in
lockdown. These are steps that are necessary and have to be done to avoid greater loss of life. 
They are a sacrifice for us all to 
make.

Hitler once said that he didn’t fear any nation in the world other than the British. He knew what great acts of bravery and courage we are capable of. We are a mongrel race, historically made up of people and cultures from around the world.

Since before Roman times, our land has always been a melting pot of different races coming together to make us what we are today. Even in these worrying times, we have much to be thankful for.

Our freedom and liberty is still the best in the world despite the fact that we can’t go to the pub or browse around the charity shops.

As such, I invite you all to join with me on a Remembrance Sunday doorstep vigil. Let us share the silence together and at the end of that silence, let us proclaim to the world with a thunderous cheer and hand clapping that we will never forget those who make the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy peace and hope for the future.

GP Taylor is a writer and broadcaster. He lives in Whitby.

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