Are we remembering war the right way?

Remembrance Day is a date that stands out in my mind. In my formative years in Australia, it was always a big day in the cultural life of the country. 

For Australians the Great War of 1914-1918 is a watershed in the wider historical conversation we have as a nation. It could be argued that with the blood of these many young Australians we became in our minds, truly one nation. 

And because of this, I’d be very interested to discuss whether Remembrance Day should solely be about paying tribute to those who’ve died, or whether it should also warn us against ever going back to war.

On air: Anything wrong with this dress?

Here’s a video of Brazilian student being escorted off her uni campus (she’s since been re-instated). (If you’re so inclined, CNN has an interview which gives some alternative angles.) It’s been top of most viewed and read lists in South America for a week, and is now spreading further online.

And here are some of the issues it’s raising for you…

Did the punishment fit the crime?

This video is one account of John Allen Muhammad execution. Scroll down this page for a slightly more explicit witness report. Related videos on YouTube are being watched a great deal. Because you approve, you’re outraged, or just interested?

Remembrance & Veterans’ Day: Glorifying War?

Here on the second floor of BBC TV Centre, the floor-to-ceiling windows to my right look out over busy West London. At 11am today – the 11th day of the 11th month – the red London buses on Wood Lane below will all pull over.  Many people normally in a rush will stop in their tracks in the street. A couple of miles away, the Queen will lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

They’ll all stand silent for 2 minutes and remember the war dead – 91 years after the First World War officially ended.

But the one British man still alive who was actually there doesn’t want to remember.