If you don’t want to observe two minute silence- don’t be out

I haven't RTFT so forgive me for going over old ground.

Neither of my grandads served in the full armed forces during the war. One was in the TA and worked in an office and the other was deemed unfit so worked in a foundry for the whole six years of the Second World War. My Nan was a Land Army girl. Ine Great Grandad went to France in WW1 but he was lucky and got home in one piece.

I don't wear a poppy and yes, I try & stay in if I'm not at work during Remembrance services because where I live people really don't give a stuff about stopping. And I'm not going to be "that person" to remind them.

If I'm at work (tube station) I do the announcement but mostly people ignore it.

Too much time has gone by, tbh. Yes we've had our AF go to Iraq, Afghanistan etc in more recent times but they were far-off places. Having a war being fought on your doorstep with only a 20 mile wide channel to separate you is much more tangible, I think. Not to say the wars in the Middle East weren't worth it, but the ordinary bod on a British street wasn't directly affected. We didn't have bomb shelters, air raids, rationing and all the rest. It was something we watched on TV.

I donate to the RBL online every year. I don't need everyone to know about it. I don't need to display my sorrow with a poppy because tbh, I don't feel any.

If I am out at work or shopping or whatever I don't lecture people on what they should be doing, nor reminding them of the occasion. If they choose not to stop that's up to them. It's a personal choice.

I’m not in Northern Ireland. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I reflect on the fallen but don't observe the two minutes silence personally. Doesn't mean I don't care.

I’ve been caught out a couple of times when I didn’t realise what was happening and carried on rummaging on a shelf, only to realise what was going on and feel mortified (obviously I stopped and observed the silence)

Which war we wasn't the aggressors in ww2 or ww1 or kossovo Bosnia or various others. It's not clear cut like that but maybe then think of the dead off both sides

Literally no one has said that Irish people shouldn't observe the silence if they so choose. We're saying that Irish people (and those from other countries too) shouldn't be pressured to do so, given British soldiers were the aggressors not the saviours or protectors here.

Right it's about all dead not just our side you do realise that don't you? This is the thing it's two mins fuck all to think of dead people or not. What is the big problem apart from selfishness

But Remembrance Sunday isn’t just about WW1 and 2. If it was, then I’m sure the reaction to it would be very different.

I didn’t say Irish people shouldn’t observe the two minute silence. I’m not a dictator. I was responding to a PP who stated no one ( not many maybe ) alive has experienced war.
I mentioned the Irish and Barbara did too!

This thread. Every single year. Like clockwork.

OP, observe if you want to. It's not your business to 'correct' other people who are not observing and they are not likely to take kindly to it. People are different now.

I don't 'observe' but I'm silent and not moving because I don't want to disrupt. I do though think very much less of the conscientious observers who really are using that time to swivel their eyes around glaring at people who are not doing the same. They are not thinking of lost lives merely imposing their views on others.

I don't know which you are but I know which I am.

There was two posters plus stating that Irish people shouldn't have to do the two min silence because of the British army I am saying you forget that there were alot of Irish that died in ww2 and ww1

I don’t need educating thanks. I’m fully aware of Irish history and also fully aware the Catholic Irish don’t and never did support British Army personnel ( and their Black and Tan mercenaries ) on Irish soil.

excuse the derail OP

I genuinely don't know what point you're making @Littlemissgobby .

"Oh look, these shop workers are choosing to observe the two minute silence. I'll just wait two minutes before asking to be served"

It's really not that hard. It doesn't matter what your personal beliefs are. Just have some respect for those around you.

Go out/don't go out. It doesn't matter. Just don't stop anyone doing what feels important to them.

• Well maybe u guys need bloody educating.
• British armed forces
• Between 5,000 and 10,000 Irish-born men and women died while serving in the British armed forces. The Irish Brigade website lists the names of over 1,000 men who died while serving in the 38th (Irish) Brigade.
• Holocaust
• Many Irish Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, including Ettie Steinberg, her husband, and their infant son. The Stolpersteine Project in Dublin unveiled six brass stumbling stones to remember the six known Irish victims of the Holocaust.
• Civilians
• 52 Irish civilians were killed by German bombs, including 28 people who died when the Germans bombed the North Strand of Dublin in 1941, and 19 people who died when a sea mine exploded in Ballymanus Strand in 1943.
• German air raids
• The Irish experienced aerial bomb attacks from German planes in 1940 and 1941, including the Belfast Blitz, which resulted in at least 1,100 deaths.

Quite.

Again, big difference between defending your country and being an aggressor. Being an aggressor is not something to be honoured.

I’d have to add not just Northern Ireland but the entire island of Ireland

And you should therefore be old enough and presumably mature enough to know there are millions of people who have had their borders invaded and lives at threat because of the actions of the British Army. And many of those people who have had family and friends killed and homes destroyed in wars where the British Army was the aggressor live amongst us and are even on Mumsnet. So naturally no, not everyone is thankful for the British Army.

Being grateful for those who were forced to fight in WW1 and 2 where liberty was at stake is very diffident to those who choose to sign up to fight in more recent wars.

Its one thing if you have no control - a small child or someone with a condition. But I was once in town where everybody stopped and was quiet when some guy walked out of the bookies on his phone and walked through all the silent still people having a conversation at the top of his voice, swearing and shouting. Total dick behaviour.

YANBU.

Presumably if Putin's war expands when Trump pulls American support for Ukraine, those people who don't care about remembering the fallen will also be ok with no one putting themselves on the line next time.

526,000 or so minutes a year and asking for you to not demand to shop for 2 is unreasonable.

Nobody should be forced to do 2 min silence but if you in the bloody streets and others are then be quiet or especially if supermarket has announced it and you still chatter come on now

Yes but Irish people were also killed on the streets of the UK so it's a matter for each person to decide how they balance that. There should be no expectation around remembrance outside of respect for those taking place. You can't tell anyone's history on sight, everyone should be free to choose their route free of judgement.