Two minute silence... kinda angered me

Heineken Helen

So once a year, people sell poppies, buy poppies, wear poppies, encourage others to sell, buy & wear poppies... and for two minutes, they get a break from work, look at their fingernails and wonder what they're gonna have for dinner tonight. Job done... back to work! They'll probably discuss how sad the death of soldiers is for about an hour and then forget about it for another year. Scoff at the protesters, etc.

At 10.40, an email was passed around our office asking us to respectfully observe a 2 minute silence. No option to respectfully decline. I considered leaving the room for a few minutes to avoid this hypocrisy but figured that will only offend people who will have no reason why they're offended. So I stayed, cos I'm the only one who probably thought that way. I considered complaining to management and asking them to consider the fact that some people have a different view on war and death, etc.

For the record, the email said the two minute silence was in respect of 'all British troops who have died protecting our country'. Uhhhh... who thought it would be a good idea to send it to the Irish girl??? :?

rebornFixer

The purpose of Remembrance Day is not to glorify or celebrate war, so I am not sure where your moral outrage is coming from.

catefrances

rebornFixer wrote:

The purpose of Remembrance Day is not to glorify or celebrate war, so I am not sure where your moral outrage is coming from.

helen is irish.. dont you understand??? as an irish person she finds it insulting that shes asked to remember british troops 'whove died keeping our country free' considering her own country's history. look it up... you might learn something. it doesnt matter if its glorifying war or not.

rebornFixer

catefrances wrote:

rebornFixer wrote:

The purpose of Remembrance Day is not to glorify or celebrate war, so I am not sure where your moral outrage is coming from.

helen is irish.. dont you understand??? as an irish person she finds it insulting that shes asked to remember british troops 'whove died keeping our country free' considering her own country's history. look it up... you might learn something. it doesnt matter if its glorifying war or not.

When did telling someone to "look something up" become the stock answer to people's comments on here? I've never read a book, apparently. OK then.

catefrances

rebornFixer wrote:

catefrances wrote:

rebornFixer wrote:

The purpose of Remembrance Day is not to glorify or celebrate war, so I am not sure where your moral outrage is coming from.

helen is irish.. dont you understand??? as an irish person she finds it insulting that shes asked to remember british troops 'whove died keeping our country free' considering her own country's history. look it up... you might learn something. it doesnt matter if its glorifying war or not.

When did telling someone to "look something up" become the stock answer to people's comments on here? I've never read a book, apparently. OK then.

really? youve never read a book??? i find that hard to believe. :P

soulsinging

catefrances wrote:

rebornFixer wrote:

The purpose of Remembrance Day is not to glorify or celebrate war, so I am not sure where your moral outrage is coming from.

helen is irish.. dont you understand??? as an irish person she finds it insulting that shes asked to remember british troops 'whove died keeping our country free' considering her own country's history. look it up... you might learn something. it doesnt matter if its glorifying war or not.

isn't she living in the uk though? what did she expect? when in rome...

rebornFixer

catefrances wrote:

really? youve never read a book??? i find that hard to believe. :P

Well, come on ... You don't think I've heard of conflict in Northern Ireland? I admittedly didn't know that all Irishmen (and women) get upset when British troops are honored. You seem to have knowledge of this matter.

catefrances

rebornFixer wrote:

catefrances wrote:

really? youve never read a book??? i find that hard to believe. :P

Well, come on ... You don't think I've heard of conflict in Northern Ireland? I admittedly didn't know that all Irishmen (and women) get upset when British troops are honored. You seem to have knowledge of this matter.

im not sure what you know. :P and its not ALL irishmen and women that get upset. that would be a generalisation, wouldnt it??

and yes i know something of it... its my heritage.


i cant even feel pride in my national flag due to the presence of the union jack so prominently displayed on it.

rebornFixer

catefrances wrote:

and yes i know something of it... its my heritage.


i cant even feel pride in my national flag due to the presence of the union jack so prominently displayed on it.

Well, alright ... I am certainly not going to tell you you're wrong for hating on the limeys.

catefrances

soulsinging wrote:

catefrances wrote:

rebornFixer wrote:

The purpose of Remembrance Day is not to glorify or celebrate war, so I am not sure where your moral outrage is coming from.

helen is irish.. dont you understand??? as an irish person she finds it insulting that shes asked to remember british troops 'whove died keeping our country free' considering her own country's history. look it up... you might learn something. it doesnt matter if its glorifying war or not.

isn't she living in the uk though? what did she expect? when in rome...

well yes she is.. but that doesnt mean one has to adhere to all their bullshit, does it??? anyhoo if she felt so strongly about it then she should have left the room,as she suggested. but she didnt hence the whinge.

catefrances

rebornFixer wrote:

catefrances wrote:

and yes i know something of it... its my heritage.


i cant even feel pride in my national flag due to the presence of the union jack so prominently displayed on it.

Well, alright ... I am certainly not going to tell you you're wrong for hating on the limeys.

oh i dont hate them.. some of my favourite people have been brits(still are actually).

rebornFixer

catefrances wrote:

oh i dont hate them.. some of my favourite people have been brits(still are actually).

I will say that the Irish brew better beer. :P

catefrances

rebornFixer wrote:

catefrances wrote:

oh i dont hate them.. some of my favourite people have been brits(still are actually).

I will say that the Irish brew better beer. :P

i shall have to take your word for that... i dont drink beer.

soulsinging

catefrances wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

isn't she living in the uk though? what did she expect? when in rome...

well yes she is.. but that doesnt mean one has to adhere to all their bullshit, does it??? anyhoo if she felt so strongly about it then she should have left the room,as she suggested. but she didnt hence the whinge.

no. but if i walked into a gay club and started bitching that there were no hot straight chicks... you wouldnt exactly feel for me would you? your reaction would be more... "well what the hell did you expect moron? go someplace else if it's such a problem for you..."

justam

I'm sorry you had an uncomfortable time today Helen. :geek:

catefrances

soulsinging wrote:

catefrances wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

isn't she living in the uk though? what did she expect? when in rome...

well yes she is.. but that doesnt mean one has to adhere to all their bullshit, does it??? anyhoo if she felt so strongly about it then she should have left the room,as she suggested. but she didnt hence the whinge.

no. but if i walked into a gay club and started bitching that there were no hot straight chicks... you wouldnt exactly feel for me would you? your reaction would be more... "well what the hell did you expect moron? go someplace else if it's such a problem for you..."

oh i know it was a generic email. but you in a gay club..... now thats something i want to see. :P

soulsinging

catefrances wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

no. but if i walked into a gay club and started bitching that there were no hot straight chicks... you wouldnt exactly feel for me would you? your reaction would be more... "well what the hell did you expect moron? go someplace else if it's such a problem for you..."

oh i know it was a generic email. but you in a gay club..... now thats something i want to see. :P

it's happened before. never get so drunk that you let your gay friend pick the next bar unless you are prepared for the possibility that you might come out of a black out with a man's g-string ass bouncing in your face and wonder where your night went wrong!

catefrances

soulsinging wrote:

catefrances wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

no. but if i walked into a gay club and started bitching that there were no hot straight chicks... you wouldnt exactly feel for me would you? your reaction would be more... "well what the hell did you expect moron? go someplace else if it's such a problem for you..."

oh i know it was a generic email. but you in a gay club..... now thats something i want to see. :P

it's happened before. never get so drunk that you let your gay friend pick the next bar. you just might come out of a black out with a man's g-string ass bouncing in your face and wonder where your night went wrong!

oh you dont have to have gone to a gay bar for that to have happened to you.

soulsinging

catefrances wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

it's happened before. never get so drunk that you let your gay friend pick the next bar. you just might come out of a black out with a man's g-string ass bouncing in your face and wonder where your night went wrong!

oh you dont have to have gone to a gay bar for that to have happened to you.

perhaps not, but it's the only time it ever happened to me. he thought it was hilarious.

catefrances

soulsinging wrote:

catefrances wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

it's happened before. never get so drunk that you let your gay friend pick the next bar. you just might come out of a black out with a man's g-string ass bouncing in your face and wonder where your night went wrong!

oh you dont have to have gone to a gay bar for that to have happened to you.

perhaps not, but it's the only time it ever happened to me. he thought it was hilarious.

as do i. :P

OffHeGoes29

Wasn't there a large number of Irish volunteers who fought for GB during WWII?

catefrances

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Wasn't there a large number of Irish volunteers who fought for GB during WWII?

yes. in both world wars actually.

Commy

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Wasn't there a large number of Irish volunteers who fought for GB during WWII?

centuries of british imperialism seem to be outweighing that 5 years? of cooperation.

OffHeGoes29

Commy wrote:

OffHeGoes29 wrote:

Wasn't there a large number of Irish volunteers who fought for GB during WWII?

centuries of british imperialism seem to be outweighing that 5 years? of cooperation.

Yep, thats it.

brandon10

I think what some here are failing to realize is Helen's disdain for the bullshit. I don't think her problem was so much about Irish/English as it was about fake rememberance.

These drones put on their poppies for a day or two and observe two minutes of silence, then many of them forget about war and soldiers minutes or days later. I think she is saying as someone who is constantly reflecting on war/peace, she doesn't need to wear a poppie or have a moment of silence. At least that's how I understood it.

edit:being Irish in England just made it worse.

Sian-of-the-dead

brandon10 wrote:

I think what some here are failing to realize is Helen's disdain for the bullshit. I don't think her problem was so much about Irish/English as it was about fake rememberance.

These drones put on their poppies for a day or two and observe two minutes of silence, then many of them forget about war and soldiers minutes or days later. I think she is saying as someone who is constantly reflecting on war/peace, she doesn't need to wear a poppie or have a moment of silence. At least that's how I understood it.

edit:being Irish in England just made it worse.

... and then there's people like myself who have been to the WWI trenches and cemetaries, know families of modern soldiers and remember our troops more often than you think. Some 'drones' who wear poppies and mark the 2 minute silence aren't faking the rememberance.

brandon10

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

brandon10 wrote:

I think what some here are failing to realize is Helen's disdain for the bullshit. I don't think her problem was so much about Irish/English as it was about fake rememberance.

These drones put on their poppies for a day or two and observe two minutes of silence, then many of them forget about war and soldiers minutes or days later. I think she is saying as someone who is constantly reflecting on war/peace, she doesn't need to wear a poppie or have a moment of silence. At least that's how I understood it.

edit:being Irish in England just made it worse.

... and then there's people like myself who have been to the WWI trenches and cemetaries, know families of modern soldiers and remember our troops more often than you think. Some 'drones' who wear poppies and mark the 2 minute silence aren't faking the rememberance.

Very true.....So you likely don't need some corporation that doesn't really give a shit telling you how to remember the fallen?

Sian-of-the-dead

brandon10 wrote:

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

brandon10 wrote:

I think what some here are failing to realize is Helen's disdain for the bullshit. I don't think her problem was so much about Irish/English as it was about fake rememberance.

These drones put on their poppies for a day or two and observe two minutes of silence, then many of them forget about war and soldiers minutes or days later. I think she is saying as someone who is constantly reflecting on war/peace, she doesn't need to wear a poppie or have a moment of silence. At least that's how I understood it.

edit:being Irish in England just made it worse.

... and then there's people like myself who have been to the WWI trenches and cemetaries, know families of modern soldiers and remember our troops more often than you think. Some 'drones' who wear poppies and mark the 2 minute silence aren't faking the rememberance.

Very true.....So you likely don't need some corporation that doesn't really give a shit telling you how to remember the fallen?

Well obviously not, but I still mark rememberance day because it's special to a lot of veterans and the money raised from the poppy appeal does a lot of good work for them, the injured from current warfare and their families.

polaris_x

remembrance day SHOULD anger people ... they should be angry at how old men in suits send young kids to places for unjust reasons ...

decides2dream

given that more than likely, the email was sent en masse...i am sure no one even thought about your personal national origins. you are currently living in england, earning a living in england, utilizing services in england so bottomline...it really is not surprising to me that you managed to get an email at work making this request. if it was so truly offensive to you, you probably should've walked out but honestly...while i see as being irish how you may feel about it, i would also think you could manage if you looked at it within context.

our firm sent out a mass email yesterday in remembrance of all our veterans. there was no request for any specific moment of silence, but simply, to remember and honor them. i work in a very international firm and many, many of our employees are not american, or first generation, etc. were any offended? i have no idea. however, again...i think most could see it in context - they are currently working/living in the united states.

so yes..it was not "personally" directed to YOU, just merely to ALL staff, of which you happen to be. if i were living in vietnam and they had such a day honoring their veterans from the vietnam war and i received an email request at work asking for a moment of silence, well yea....i'd *get* it. and so it goes...


sian - i feel the same!
my father was a WWII vet and many within my extended family served in the armed forces. my mother is very active in the VFW and regularly spends time at our local vet hospital, she knits blankets for them, etc.

chime

I know where I work there was a message saying that at 11 there would be an announcement for anyone who wanted to observe the two minute Armistace Day silence.

I think it was a badly worded e-mail at your firm and that isn't how everyone handles it.

I know at school we were always taught to think of all soldiers that had died on all sides. This year in the UK was the first we had without a living WWI veteran. I remember one of the last to pass would remind everyone to remember all those who were lost on both sides so we wouldn't repeat their mistakes so it's not necessarily about glorifying war but remembering young men and women who lost their lives far too early.

I know when I buy a poppy (or several as they seem to get lost) it's been from the same WWII veteran for the last few years who sits in the cold train station all day (I see him as I arrive for work and as I leave to go home) for two weeks every year. A lot of us do think about why we are buying poppies although we may not be vocal about it.

I'm not religous but agree with the seniment of this from yesterday's Armistice Day service in relation to the passing of the last UK WWI veterans and the end of their generation:

"May we learn the lessons they learned, and God save us from learning them in the way they had to”