'Well, returned soldiers generally are on a far more exalted plane ...'

Brilliant! Thank you for confirming what I've always suspected about the military and its pathetic, idolatrous following. You actually believe that war creates a superior human specimen, instead of pathetic cannon fodder. Well, good for you. If it weren't for the fact that so many people share this delusion, and that it has lead to so much catastrophic destruction and suffering for billions of people over many centuries, I would feel very, very sorry for you.

I found your story hilarious. You're letting too many conspiracy theories get in your way...

No one celebrates Anzac Day... It is simply a day to reflect on those Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice at the behest of the government of the day, and by extension the Australian people.

We have a military out of necessity, as we do a police, fire and ambulance service. No one in their right mind wants their house to burn down but we maintain a fire brigade and pay home insurance.

I remember back in 1999 when East Timor erupted and I was watching the television news.

There were a number of protestors, including one who I recognised as a former higher school teacher of mine and who had been an anti-Vietnam War protestor in the 1960s, demanding in fact screaming for the then conservative Prime Minister John Howard to send Australian troops to East Timor. An incredible irony !

Somehow the idea of the Anzac legend didn't seem to pose a problem to the protestor at the time, likewise the many thousands of East Timorese. Soldiers don't chose which wars they can fight in...Governments do. Anzac Day is just that... a time of reflection not of jingoism.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard in her university days was a radical feminist but that hasn't stopped her from "embracing" the Anzac Legend as evidenced by her rousing speech at Gallipoli.

Having said all of that, I strongly support your right to voice such an opinion and open up the Anzac legend to scrutiny.

Unfortunately there are those who have cynically exploited it for gain, namely desk bound journalists in pursuit of huge book sales. Perhaps that's where you should turn your focus to.

Regards

Sasha Uzunov
Independent film maker and
Former Australian soldier (2 tours of duty in East Timor 1999 and 2001)

Catriona, a fine article, but perhaps just a touch warped towards a negative view of the complex inherent connotations and symbolism of this national celebration - not without justification of course - but the positive connotations can outweigh the negative, and the soul and spirit be caused to reflect deeply on the very negatives you identify. War IS brutal, is always to be abhorred, should never be glorified, and should always be a last resort. It is unfortunately not always avoidable.

Anzac day reminds us of the inhumanity and the cruelty of war, of the inherent 'weakness' of humankind, of the evil of which humanity is capable, and of the necessity, at times, and in spite of our revulsion, to take up arms in the name of freedom, and ultimately in the name of peace. A contradiction? Possibly, but to stand aside in the face of abuse of the weak and the innocent would be a far greater evil and an intolerable stain on the conscience of a 'civilized' people.

Anzac Day is a celebration of both the living and the dead, a reflection on sacrifice and pain, and an expression of gratitude for our freedom and for those who protected it. To not reflect, to not pay homage, would be to do a great disservice to those who serve, and those who have served.

A few drinks, a few laughs, a bit of two-up, can help many to bear the pain of remembrance, and to soften their reflection on the past, and on lost 'mates'. Their 'parade' is in remembrance, not in glorification, and to them the well-wishers and the speeches are for those who rest in peace, those with whom they cannot say 'howareyemate'. When they too are gone, it will be up to the rest of us, for future generations, for the nation, not to forget the cost of freedom.

Deep in the heady rhetoric of your article, there are a couple of things I think ring true.

Firstly, my gut turned on the one occasion on Wednesday when I heard someone say "happy Anzac Day". That said, it was an isolated incident coming from a friend who rarely thinks before she speaks.

Secondly, I think there is an alarming tendency towards "celebration" of Anzac Day rather than solemn commemoration. I'm not sure how we counter this, except with a bigger (and costlier) public information campaign in the lead-up to set the right tone.

Thirdly, the wearing of flags and the jingoism expressed by ignorant people of my generation (Y) and the one that follows it, without any real thought of why they are wearing that flag or what they are trying to say, bothers me. It's great to see some national pride, but some informed and respectful pride - coupled with a knowledge of place - would be good. The day isn't about who has the biggest flag. It isn't about these youths at all. It's about the servicemen who didn't return, as well as those who did return and had their lives changed by their experiences of war.

With all that said, I think there is a very valid place for Anzac Day and for the commemoration of those who have fought - if not for our freedom, then for the freedom of those who could not fight for themselves. Perhaps we don't "owe" many of these men and women anything except some respect for the fact that they were willing to stand and possibly fall for something.

If you or anyone else wishes to protest, I think it's only fair to ask that you don't do it on a day that many honour and cherish. To do so is to gatecrash and destroy something, much as the Tent Embassy protesters ruined the experience of those being honoured for their bravery in time of emergency earlier this year. There's a time and place. This isn't it.