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

If you were standing next to me in the street, all you would know about me is that I was not talking during the two minutes' silence, so I guess we have to assume you would try to spoil it for anyone wanting to observe it who has the misfortune to be standing next to you at the time.

Ridiculous behaviour.

It's called a "silence" but it's a lot more than that. It's about stopping what you're doing and thinking about the futility of war. lives lost or whatever. The stopping what you're doing is as important as the silence. If you're carrying on with what you're doing, you're not taking part in it, and no-one would suspect you of taking part in it. But by deliberately talking near those who are obviously taking part (because they're standing still with eyes lowered and not doing anything) you are distracting them from their thoughts, which is actively denying them their right to observe. Surely for two minutes a year you can suffer the minor detriment of being quiet for the sake of something which is so important to so many people.

I would if I was standing next to you.

So you would make noise during a two minute silence just to demonstrate to others how you feel about it?

The shop workers can only "step back" if the customers let them and don't make a fuss about wanting to be served "NOW" and not willing to wait 2 minutes.

Too many people with the attitude of "Nah, mate. Not my problem. It's my right to not fight/defend etc

Many of those would be the ones on this thread demanding that other people bow to their will. Shop workers who want to observe can step back for the two minutes. No need for dramatic flourish.

I agree with your post, it's very well-written too.

Whatever else you're doing, if you're silent while doing it you're observing the silence. That's what you're requiring people to do.

No you aren't. Put your headphones on and listen to some music if you want to demonstrate that you're not taking part without actively disrespecting people who are taking part.

You don't have to stand there thinking about war heroes if that's not your thing.

Literally all that is being asked of you is not to disturb other people who are observing it.

Everyone stays silent on a daily basis for more than two minutes at a time. There's generally no reason why you specifically need to make noise between 11:00 and 11:02 am on Remembrance Day.

How much of a twat would you have to be to start mouthing off at a shop assistant who won't serve you until 11:02, or making a loud phone call right at that moment when you can see other people around you are standing in silence?

To my original point, if people are that concerned about their two minutes silence then they’re best not to be in a public place at that specific time.

If it was for the world wars only, I’d had no issue with taking part. It’s not, so I have a major issue.

True, they are free to make these choices, they can choose not to participate but to actively screech for blessed fags is disrespectful. We're lucky to have the freedom to make choices.

But if you "keep your mouth shut" you're taking part in it! Because that's what it is.

She's explaining why staying at home if you want to observe(or staying out of public places if you don't want to observe) would mean that all those working in a public facing role would need to stay home for a day, that they can't just magically return home for two minutes.

Well, no. The reason the suggestion is unworkable is because someone who is so much of a twat that they can't possibly refrain from making noise during a two minutes' silence is obviously not going to put themselves out in other ways, for example, staying at home.

Even if you don't care about or agree with the two minutes' silence, it's really not that hard to just keep your mouth shut for two minutes while other people are observing it.

It's two minutes! You can stay quiet for two minutes without taking part. Carry on walking, ahopping, whatever and it's clear you're not taking part, it's simply politeness not to make a noise so other people can have two minutes silence.

Responding to someone saying they shouldn't be in a public place if they don't want to observe it. If they don't want to be in a public place for 2 minutes, it usually means they can't go to work that day at all! Thought it was pretty obvious point really!

Is this not a bit like saying "You can only pray if you go to Church on Sunday between 10am and 12 noon"?

I am from a military family so I do attend the local service on Sunday and I observe the two minute silence on both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice day (if I can) but that is a personal choice for me. I would even go so far as to suggest those who choose to go shopping don't want to observe the silence and have actively gone somewhere to avoid it (for whatever reason). Being forced to observe it anyway is authoritarian. Perhaps those shop workers who wish to observe should be given the choice of either Remembrance Sunday off or Armistice Day off so they can observe their silence - or the shop open at 11.05 on the Sunday?

I doubt the deceased soldiers from WW1 & 2 would expect or believe, we are still commemorating them all these decades later.

On the other hand if we went to war now, we'd lose. Too many people with the attitude of "Nah, mate. Not my problem. It's my right to not fight/defend etc"

What's your point?

Well that's daft. Lots of people observe the two minutes' silence in a public place. Why wouldn't they?

Staff are either working that day or they're not.

I agree nothing is going to happen and I think people should be able to observe the silence if they want to. However, some posters are saying if you want to observe it you shouldn't be in a public place which obviously isn't an option for many people.

What? Loads of workplaces observe the two minutes' silence. This is a non issue.

Assuming you're not operating on someone or fielding 999 calls or similar, nothing is going to happen if you stop for 2 minutes.

Not really. If people shouldn't observe the silence in a supermarket then surely staff would have to take annual leave to stay at home.

It's not for a day, it's literally for two minutes. Odd comment.

So you want a virtual shutdown of shops, hospitals, transport stations, etc for the day?

You've really not thought it through, have you??