Two minute silence... kinda angered me

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”

nuffingman

If you don't like the customs of the country where you live then leave.

If you can't spend 2 minutes once a year thinking of the people who died in conflict then it's a sad, sad world.

Claireack

Don't know how I missed this thread.

I don't like war or fighting of any kind really. But my grandad, greatgrandad, brother, brother-in-law and countless relatives are/were in the army. My brother and brother-in-law are currently in the services, this year alone my brother was in Afganistan and my brother-in-law was in Iraq. A lot of the patients I see at work are war veterans and everything they saw is still very alive in their minds. A lot of them during WWII didn't have much choice whether to go or not, they were drafted.

To me it's just showing a little respect to keep the 2 minutes silence/wear a poppy. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, just show respect for those who do.

rebornFixer

Claireack wrote:

Don't know how I missed this thread.

I don't like war or fighting of any kind really. But my grandad, greatgrandad, brother, brother-in-law and countless relatives are/were in the army. My brother and brother-in-law are currently in the services, this year alone my brother was in Afganistan and my brother-in-law was in Iraq. A lot of the patients I see at work are war veterans and everything they saw is still very alive in their minds. A lot of them during WWII didn't have much choice whether to go or not, they were drafted.

To me it's just showing a little respect to keep the 2 minutes silence/wear a poppy. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, just show respect for those who do.

Great post.

nuffingman

Claireack wrote:

A lot of them during WWII didn't have much choice whether to go or not, they were drafted.

To me it's just showing a little respect to keep the 2 minutes silence/wear a poppy. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, just show respect for those who do.

Exactly! And they didn't have much choice during WWI either. They just died in their thousands.

vedderman71

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!

Wow, not where i expected this thread to turn...but made me think of a funny story.

i'm a vocalists in a cover band, so when out one night w/ friends they "challenged" me to go sing karaoke in a local bar. yet upon further investigation, it Was a gay bar. so once my friends told me they'd buy my drinks...it was On.

so i bravely walk up to the mic to take my turn, ready to sing...wait for it..."Betterman!" i introduced my selection by stating, "I've never sung this song knowing the Entire Audience could relate!"
my friends tried to bribe me into singing "Back Door Man" by the Doors! i passed on that one...

it ended up a very fun nite. the bar is called "Bullwinkle's" in Bloomington, IN. it used to be a Moose Lodge.
and the dance floor is complete w/ a multi-colored flashing lights "Disco" floor, circa 1977...good times!

vedderman71

Sian, d2d and chime, all excellent posts.
as i've stated on another thread, as a grandson of a WWII vet i DO appreciate it when people show some sort of respect on this annual day. whether you show respect any other day of the year, 2 minutes out of one day is not asking much, imo.

d2d, you should be applauded for what you do volunteering. i personally should do more...

i ignorantly went on rant about not caring what other countries think of U.S. military policy in the "GITMO???" thread. i apologize to the folks in here from England. having the English as an ally in the Mideast has been a blessing for our men and women stationed over seas.

but you'll really have to work hard to get me to give a rat's ass on Frenchie's opinions

decides2dream

vedderman71 wrote:

Sian, d2d and chime, all excellent posts.
as i've stated on another thread, as a grandson of a WWII vet i DO appreciate it when people show some sort of respect on this annual day. whether you show respect any other day of the year, 2 minutes out of one day is not asking much, imo.

d2d, you should be applauded for what you do volunteering. i personally should do more...

for the record.....my MOTHER should be applauded, not me. it is she who does it all...and she really does deserve praise for it, she is truly such a generous soul in thought and deed.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

basic respect and decency for a couple of minutes is way too much to ask from jaded people in today's world...

brandon10

Or how about basic respect and decency 365 days a year?

aerial

I never expected that we would agree on anything....I am really proud of you guys! Your not so bad after all!