Remember, remember . . .

The date is November 11, 2006. You can read that at the top of this blog. But it is worthwhile reminding you.
Outside my house there are fireworks exploding, making pretty sparkling displays in the sky.
In the UK we have a day which we call "Fireworks night" or "Bonfire night" or "Guy Fawkes night" on November 5. This commemorates the Gunpowder Plot in the 17th century when one Guido Fawkes (known as Guy Fawkes) plotted with others to blow up the Houses of Parliament with large amounts of gunpowder. The plot was successfully thwarted by the government and effigies of Guy Fawkes are traditionally burned on a bonfire on the anniversary of this event, along with fireworks. When I was a lad family fireworks displays were held in the back garden, or groups of neighbours would get together to have fireworks parties. Obviously accidents would happen and so we were encouraged to attend more formal organised displays. But to this day many people still have their own displays. On November 5, and indeed the days around that date, fireworks can be seen and heard in the neighbourhood. Relatively harmless fun, a little annoying if it is too late a night, but - what the hell - it's only for a short period during the year.
I remind you now that the date is November 11, 2006.
November 11 has another significance for Brits and many other Europeans. That date is set aside as Remembrance Day. It is the anniversary of the day that the First World War ended - November 11, 1918. Every year we buy imitation poppies sold by the British Legion. They represent the poppy fields where so many servicemen died on the battle fields of Flanders. The money raised goes towards helping those ex-service people who suffered in wartime and need our help. At the exact time of the signing of the Armistice, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year, we hold two minutes silence in remembrance of all those who suffered and died in all the conflicts in which Britain has participated. The two world wars, the Far East, Kenya, Aden, Palestine, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, the Falklands, Kuwait, Iraq - the list is almost worldwide and endless.
They were all the sons and daughters of loving families and should be valued as members of a society which respects the sacrifice they made to keep world order.
Maybe my point is obscure. Maybe I am being obtuse - even paranoid.
The sound of fireworks - so late after the designated date for Guy Fawkes night - on the date which we might remember the guns and bombs which killed those poor soldiers, sailors and airmen fighting for the freedom of the world, to me is at least in extremely bad taste. I would even go so far as to say that the bangs, crashes and flashes almost make fun of the death and agony of those who fought, willingly or otherwise, for what has been thought was democratic freedom.
George Bush and Tony Blair have also done their bit to denigrate the real fight for true democracy by setting up a puppet government in Iraq - but that's another story.
It seems to me that there could be a case for banning the use of fireworks on November 11. I wonder how many close relatives of fallen servicemen feel the same as me?
Nuff said . . .