PREGNANT with emotion and rich in symbolism, the nation will pause next Anzac Day for one of the most significant events in our short history.
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As the bugle soars and falls, minds will turn to the blood-soaked shores of Gallipoli, a century on from the Anzac landings that have so shaped the nation’s identity.
No other day on our calendar speaks to the concrete values of Australians like Anzac Day.
No other event evokes the same emotion as the doomed Gallipoli advance.
And it’s through this prism we must view the debate that erupted yesterday around Anzac Day and an extra public holiday.
A number of state governments, including NSW, have resisted calls to declare Monday, April 27 a public holiday to compensate for next Anzac Day falling on a Saturday.
And so they should.
While our calendar is littered with public holidays that mean little to Australians – bank holidays, the Queen’s Birthday and others – Anzac Day is about unfiltered respect.
It’s our surrogate national day because it embodies the values we hold dear and because we recognise the personal sacrifice it represents.
By bleating about not being “compensated” an extra day, we are devaluing that sacrifice.
There could scarcely be a greater contrast between those men who surrendered their future to defend this country and those mindless whingers a few generations on prepared to sully their memory by demanding an extra day off.
The fact we’re even debating this is a symptom of a country that has put personal greed above respect.
The purpose of Anzac Day is to remember and commemorate the gallant soldiers who laid their future on the line to protect our freedoms.
It’s not about getting a day off work and taking for granted the liberties those soldiers fought to protect.
Lest we forget.