What matters to some teenagers today? This stereo, those clothes, that car, where’s the party? What about, “Should I go and fight for my country?” To many teenagers in 1914 going to war was an exciting prospect. It mattered, just like the clothes and the car matter in 2002. Would today’s young New Zealanders react in the same way if they were suddenly faced the prospect of sacrificing their lives for their country? Not likely. We should learn from the sacrifices of earlier generations. Anzac Day is not a feeble excuse for a public holiday. It is a time for teenagers to acknowledge some important lessons about what really matters.
We lose a sense of who we as a nation if we let popular modern day events obscure Anzac Day’s significance. Wins in major sports like rugby against other countries are often presented by the media as our defining moments. Many young New Zealanders seem to regard sporting success as all that matters to us as a nation. We need to see past the superficial glamorised way the media presents these victories as great national moments and their sports stars as heroes. Anzac Day
The fact that many people of all ages turn out at dawn on April 25 shows that New Zealanders still value Anzac Day and those who fought for their country. It is vital that teenagers appreciate their sacrifices in order to learn what is best for our country in the future. Lest we forget the saying “those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”
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