I’ve been named and ‘shamed’

[EstuaryBird]

Admittedly it’s only on our local WhatsApp group...

Opened it this morning and there’s a message from a ‘founder’ member of the group.

“Me, hubs and the kids were out last night making lots of noise for our NHS heroes. Disappointed to see that some of this group don’t care enough to give up 2 minutes of their time!!! Maybe you forgot..(then a list of names including mine). Will be sending you a reminder next week!!”

I know she’s a twat but I’m fuming. I’m not going to dignify it with a reply because she and her little crew of followers love a public war. I’m just going to ignore her but if she thinks she’s forcing me out next week she’s got another bloody think coming.

Tbh if I wasn’t on lockdown I wouldn’t even give it 2 thoughts but I’m winding myself up about it now!

AIBU to think that clapping is not compulsory and nobody else’s business?

I’m a frontline nurse and I found the first clap lovely, and the second one embarrassing.

I live in Scotland and some boys were playing the pipes as tribute- I mean, that’s very sweet, but I can’t think of anything better designed to sprinkle COVID19 everywhere than a bagpipe!
If they want to pay tribute, they are welcome to volunteer at their local hospital or deliver food and meds to neighbours.

@myhairneedsasnip that made me LOL 🍈🍈

That is hilarious Thymelord

I am so not surprised by this. It's been bubbling up for weeks and I think we're going to see a lot more of this moral grandstanding.

This is brilliant 😂

I'm grateful to the NHS workers. I'm also grateful to those manning tills in the supermarkets, those stacking the shelves just for the locusts to descend, those driving the trucks that keep our stores filled with food. I'm grateful to those who use the telephone to check in on their neighbours and friends, just because it's the right thing to do. I'm grateful for all those businesses who are looking after their staff as well as they can. I'm grateful for everyone who's so generously sharing ideas, suggestions, fitness classes, educational stuff, all that malarky, via the internet. I'm grateful to everyone who stays at home unless they absolutely have to go out, or for a social distancing exercise blast. I'm grateful for lots of things. But I'm not going to clap. Because I'd have to clap all bloody day and I don't think my hands could take it. Plus, if I were on the receiving end, I'd feel a bit like I was being treated like a good dog being patted on the fucking head, patronising and condescending.

Ask for their data protection policy and details of the DPO so you can report a personal data breach

I'm incredulous. Nothing like that is happening here.

I'm in Paris and we clap every evening at 8pm. We're standing at windows so social distancing isn't a problem. It's mainly clapping and a few wooden spoons but nothing more. It's nice and over in a few minutes- no recriminations for anyone who doesn't take part. The UK sounds bonkers right now.

You can see how the Stasi had no problem recruiting people in E Germany to report on their neighbours. Or the Salem witch hunts.

Absolutely. Everybody rightly laughs at the virtue signallers, but this is just the logical extension of that, if taken to extremes. Trying to look like you're rising above others is only one part of maintaining the Maximum Piety Gap; the other part is to push other people down lower through shaming and intimidation.

The phrase 'useful idiots' has been appropriated by some people with many and various beliefs and motives, but it's very true here. History has proven that the velvet glove of getting millions of ordinary folk to harangue, shame and bully others who (they believe) in any way step out of line or don't love Big Brother is far more effective than the iron fist of sending armies around to enforce it for you.

What might have started as a nice thought (by those who don't have young children or pets who will be kept awake and/or terrified) has just been hijacked by bullies now.

These were the same mean girls and boys at school who invited everybody to scorn and ridicule the kid who couldn't afford the arbitrarily prescribed 'uniform' trainers or bag (or who actually dared to look at the whole range available and make their own individual selection).

Now that they're all (supposedly) adults, it's moved to another level of irony: "Demonstrate your kindness and understanding or else we'll (verbally) beat you up." You really couldn't make it up.

its getting a bit cheesy now people shaming people and itv stopping programs-bit much

@AuditAngel don't be ridiculous

OP, we don't deserve you. An amazing thread with updates and a diagram! You are doing the Lord's work. Thank you!

@lyralalala sounds like it could get interesting

I am so not aware!!!

I heard a lot of noise last night and wondered what the hell it was! Last time there was loads of clapping I did not know either until I turned on the tv. I work in the NHS!!

It is really telling that some people only do "good deeds" now if the can post it on SM: I always used to clear snow and ice off our lane in the winter but never used to post about it. Then I saw other people posing next to my snow clearing work and claiming they had done it on FB! Cfuckery of the highest level!

The ‘apology’ is in. Personally I find it pretty feeble and backhanded

Id just like to say sorry for my what I put on here this morning. I shouldt have put names and I apologise for doing it. I didnt mean to upset anybody but I just thought it would be nice if we all did the clapping together. I think its so important that we let our NHS know how much we support them but I wont send any reminders next week. So sorry and I hope we can all forget this now.

I’ve typed it word for word including typos.

Hub’s car has gone now so I guess he’s gone back to work.

The WA group has been really quiet this morning, I think they were all waiting to see which way it would go....

So, a bit of a damp squib ending, sorry! My DH has told me to let it go because he knows I can get a bit bolshy at times!

I posted this story on another thread, but on our town's facebook group, a phot was posted of a woman who "went out four times this week!!!!". After a lot of sanctimonious comments about how CLEARLY she didn't give a fuck if people died, it was revealed she was a nurse, going to work (not in uniform as apparently they have to change at work). Thread swiftly deleted.

I've also noticed in recent years, people getting very militant about wearing poppies. I think there is a huge crossover in the wannabe poppy enforcers and the "How DARE you put your nose out of the front door/If you don't clap you're a " people. They scare me a little bit, actually.

Clapping is not helpful though.
It was a nice gesture once but now it's just annoying/ upsetting NHS workers and they would rather people do something helpful.
My mum is a nurse and her and her team have been reduced to tears by the kind people doing shopping and taking medication to the people that cant get out. That's what is needed not clapping although if people dont have the time/ energy/ money to do anything else and want to clap that's up to them but absolutely no point trying to shame others into it. Bizarre. I would remove myself from the group

I don't join in the clapping. I would have done the first week if we had had any NHS workers in our cul de sac but we don't. I greatly appreciate the NHS - they have saved my life a couple of times and I used to be one so know how hard they work. I don't need to clap so all my neighbours know I appreciate the NHS. However, my dog goes completely mad when the clapping starts (one neighbour bangs a saucepan) and rushes up and down to the window barking her head off, so I suppose we do contribute in a way.

@Alloutoffucks why am I being ridiculous? It was actually a tongue-in-cheek cheek comment to think about what they are doing.

By putting someone’s name up they are disclosing personal data.

She's a twat.

I didn't go out and clap last night as in the afternoon we received the confirmation that my partner had stage 3 cancer.

I will no doubt get lots of time to praise the NHS in the coming months. Hopefully.

How horrible and stupid of these people, and poppym12 you're right. I feel I want to shout "fund the NHS, pay staff properly" when I'm out clapping but I worry it would be seen as "politicising".

Tell her you were too busy signing petitions for better pay and PPE for NHS workers but you'll make up for sending a few facebook likes to starving children in Africa to end famine and you'll even share a couple of "I bet you won't share this" pics of sad looking dogs to stop animal abuse.

I was named and shamed on our local FB group last week and when I ignored and came off the group I then had a flyer put through my door telling me to clap this week and put stuff in my window to 'show support'. When I didn't do that I had a neighbour run up my drive last night banging a pan and yelling 'SHOW SUPPORT'. hmm
I'm trying to ignore it all but really hoping this doesn't keep happening or get worse each week
You are doing the right thing by not engaging with these horrors. What is the bear thing you mentioned in your other post? I've not heard of that.

This clapping is starting to develop the same self-righteous rhetoric in some that the enforced poppy wearers have where they decide that anyone not showing gratitude in an approved way mustn't care at all.

I can't be arsed with the gratitude police.