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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to complain that DD had an Empire Day theme at Rainbows?

449 replies

DancesWithTimMinchin · 24/05/2016 21:54

DH is from a former colony. We don't think celebrating our history of colonisation is appropriate or inclusive. When we complained, the people who organise the Rainbow's didn't think there was anything inappropriate about celebrating Empire Day as a theme for a history-based afternoon.

AWBU?

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 26/05/2016 16:32

"But I would wager cold hard cash that anyone who says "we googled the date and Empire Day came up, so we decided to celebrate it despite never having heard of it" is not someone equipped to make any connection between Commonwealth and Empire under their own steam."

Or somebody who should be given a position of influence over other people's children.

Mind you, neither should someone who decided, eyes wide open, that celebrating Empire Day is a lovely uncontroversial activity for 6 year olds in 2016...............

Just5minswithDacre · 26/05/2016 16:52

We're not designing Rainbow leader recruitment policy, though, are we Bertrand?

AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 16:54

maud no need to be ridiculous or insulting. I won't dignify that question with an answer, you are either being intentionally argumentative or you are an idiot. Not sure which is worse. You get the gist of my point.

BertrandRussell · 26/05/2016 16:58

Why is it ridiculous, Agent? If it's OK to celebrate the Empire, why isn't it Ok to celebrate other unsavoury bits of history?

Headofthehive55 · 26/05/2016 16:58

Unfortunately if you are a volunteer you might not be any good. It's not like you have to demonstrate your general knowledge before taking up this role. It's not like there are people, better qualified wishing to take over either.

When you are aware of something, quite often you can't see why anyone else might be less aware. However I Have certainly met many educated people with misconceptions in my area of knowledge.

I must confess I had no idea that empire day ever existed. Why would I? And before you suggest I had my head in a paper bag, I was probably reading in depth other academic subjects.

It's surprising what people don't know...I need to ask people about the date of the start of ww1 for something a lot, and I can assure you that the vast majority of the population I have asked cannot even tell me the year.

BertrandRussell · 26/05/2016 17:00

Not knowing stuff is fine. Not being prepared to find out about it is not fine.

Brownie leaders do get training-including diversity training- by the way!

drspouse · 26/05/2016 17:01

It's more about training and mentoring/supervising existing leaders though. Hence the suggestion to involve DC.
A very young, still at school 18 year old leader could Google this and (as with many teens) take Wiki results as gospel.
A much older 65 year old leader will remember this, maybe with fondness, from school.
Both need a quiet word (but a different one). If they become irrationally defensive they may need more than this.

Just5minswithDacre · 26/05/2016 17:01

I need to ask people about the date of the start of ww1 for something a lot, and I can assure you that the vast majority of the population I have asked cannot even tell me the year.

That doesn't surprise me in the least.

I'm intrigued now about why you have to ask that question a lot; My riddle for the day Smile

AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 17:05

bert it is ridiculous to ask someone if they dressed up as a nazi as a child just to be facetious!

BertrandRussell · 26/05/2016 17:13

Not a ridiculous as suggesting that being taught about the Empire in school is just the same as celebrating Empire Day with a party.....

MaudGonneMad · 26/05/2016 17:16

I'm sorry you didn't like the premise of my question, Agent, but I didn't like your statement that getting dressed up to celebrate Empire Day is the same thing as learning about the Nazis at school. Them's the breaks Smile

AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 17:18

Of course it is. I was merely saying that history should be taught to children even if it wasn't a particularly nice bit of history, but there's always 1 (or 2 in this case) who have to take it to the extremes for the sake of being argumentative.

AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 17:21

maud no need to be sorry, you are who you are. Doesn't mean I need to agree with you.

BertrandRussell · 26/05/2016 17:27

"Of course it is. I was merely saying that history should be taught to children even if it wasn't a particularly nice bit of history, but there's always 1 (or 2 in this case) who have to take it to the extremes for the sake of being argumentative."

But you said that's what was happening in this case. It isn't. So your comment, while, in the form you are now making it, is true, it is also irrelevant.

Egosumquisum · 26/05/2016 17:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 17:30

bert I said no such thing, get off my humph

derxa · 26/05/2016 17:34

even if it wasn't a particularly nice bit of history Are there any nice bits of history? I tend to agree with Hobbes' view that life is 'nasty, brutish and short'.

AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 17:35

I think there is lots of good and bad history, things that were positive and things that weren't but I still think it's important for kids to learn them

Leigh1980 · 26/05/2016 17:37

Maybe they did that as Empire Day was launched on Star Wars and thought that they'd enjoy it because of that. Who knows!

Egosumquisum · 26/05/2016 17:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BertrandRussell · 26/05/2016 17:41

"its history, it happened, nothing wrong with kids being taught about the past. We learned about WWII in school and about nazis etc it wasn't a nice bit of history but it's important for kids to know what happened. This is just the same."

roarfeckingroar · 26/05/2016 17:44

Oh do one OP

derxa · 26/05/2016 17:45

History is not all Kings, Queens and wars - despite what the Government wants people to learn At the moment though the only war which happened was WW11 and the only kings and queens were Henry, Elizabeth and Victoria.

MaudGonneMad · 26/05/2016 17:46
AgentPineapple · 26/05/2016 17:58

Yeh maud I know the feeling. Never mind indeed!