A moment of peace

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, some people observe two minutes of silence.

Veterans Day does not receive the public fanfare of Independence Day, Memorial Day or some other holidays, but it is still a chance for people around the globe to remember together the cost of peace and to unify around the ideal of global harmony.

The timing of this observance is important, because it was 11 a.m. Nov. 11 in England (Greenwich Mean Time) that World War I officially ended in 1918. Because England was more directly affected than the United States by the World Wars, this day might have even more significance there, as it does in the rest of Europe.

In the UK, even everyday locations like Tesco and Barclays might invite their customers and staff to fall silent for a moment at 11 a.m. In fact, the Royal British Legion estimated that as many as 85 percent of the adult population – 50 million people – observed the silence 10 years ago in 1999, according to BBC reports.

While Memorial Day is observed only in the U.S., Veterans Day (known elsewhere as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day) is commemorated in many other parts of the world. In an era when the U.S. is perhaps teetering in its formerly self-assured command of world affairs, this opportunity for communal and global reflection has become especially important.

As the U.S. military presence has proliferated in the wake of the World Wars, we now have a more diverse army of veterans – from Vietnam, Grenada, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and more. In order to maintain stability on the global scene now, however, our Pax Americana, the American peace, must become more truly a Pax Terra, with a more global orientation toward peace.

In a special sense, of course, we commemorate veterans of our own country. More broadly, though, we also share in the grief and remembrance of other nations and peoples.

As our view toward peace expands outward to include global safety, so it should also look inward to examine the Pax Indiana and the Pax Persona. We may have little say in how our government conducts foreign policy, but it is surely hypocritical to give little effort to peace in individual relationships while we pine for peace in the world.

Looking back to veterans’ efforts can perhaps reinvigorate a slacking resolve to pursue the things that make for peace in our personal sphere. This may mean refraining from some things like anger, gossip and verbal attacks and instead giving encouragement, patience and trust.

It may be hard to see the impact of small personal changes on state politics, nation building and the UN Security Council, but it might at least change our perception of our role in the world alongside our veterans.

Even if you missed the moment of silence at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, it’s not too late to take a moment of silence to remember veterans and to consider how to bring peace into your own small corner of the world.