No 2 minutes silence at gym. AIBU

[Mushypeasandchipstogo]

I went to my gym today for a class in the swimming pool. I had totally expected the class to finish just before 11am so that those who wanted to could observe the two minutes silence. By 10.55am it was apparent that this was not going to happen so I just took myself out of the pool and sat in the changing room by myself.
So as to not drip feed, I am from a Forces Family and the wrong side of 50! I found this totally disrespectful of the instructor. He could have, at the very least, mentioned that he had intended to not stop before the class. AIBU to be upset by this?

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict, and who aren't prepared to reflect for two minutes as a respectful gesture of remembrance.

@corblimeygov

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict, and who aren't prepared to reflect for two minutes as a respectful gesture of remembrance.

you have no grounds to judge others unless perfect yourself

I hate enforced silences and I never do them. It doesn't mean I don't care but I find it awkward. I have always gone somewhere else if I know one is coming up so I don't have to do it.

I was raised a Quaker where we had to sit in silence every Sunday - maybe that's why. I would sit there and try and think godly thoughts but would end up thinking about what was for lunch and how annoying my sister was etc.

@Aimee1987

I dont know what platax is bit I shall assume this is an answer to my question. I am not at all ignorant about either world war. I have quite an interest in both. Back to my original question how did the soldiers who were masscared in world war 1 give you your freedom or life? Also even if they did what is the practical use of being silent for 2 minutes? Like many have said of both the decendents of these soldiers ( of which I am one) and of those who have family that have served that the 2 minutes silence is about as usefull as clapping for the NHS. Having said that I have no problem with someone choosing to observe the silence or wear a poppy but equally everyone else has the right to not. Also once again that book is about world war 2

The two minute silence isn't meant to be practical. It isn't even meant to be helpful. It about respect. It's about taking time to remember those poor souls who were forced to go to war, whether or not the beloved in it or agreed with it. It's to acknowledge the hell they went through, the bravery they showed and the atrocities that they witnessed.

It's not about why we went to war or how we won. It's about every single man and woman who has died fighting for their country.

@corblimeygov

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict, and who aren't prepared to reflect for two minutes as a respectful gesture of remembrance.

Me too @corblimeygov

Thankfully, in the real world, I think they're in the minority.

@corblimeygov

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict, and who aren't prepared to reflect for two minutes as a respectful gesture of remembrance.

Not performing a two minute silence does not mean those people do not value those who have lost their lives in conflict.

Equally, those people who do perform it may well have no idea why they are doing it.

Performance is irrelevant. You do you and try not to judge others who may have other ways of doing this.

Indeed the kind of person who happens to be in a gym class or in Sainsbury's during the silence sounds like the type who likes to be seen doing this stuff. No smug brownie points for being silent at home and no opportunity to judge others eh?

Well said smorgasborb.

@mustlovegin

Think so much of this is due to virtue signalling

Do you feel the same way about Pride month or Black History month. They are whole month celebrations, but some think it's ok to disrespect the majority who decide to observe 2 minutes of silence remembering those who have lost their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom. Appalling

Why is it that some causes appear to be fair game for a few but others are sacred?

Ooh here we go, I wondered how long before stuff lime this would crawl out of the woodwork .

I agree with others regarded forced 2 minute silences. I hate it, its so performative and disingenuous. I used to think 2 minutes silence to reflect on lives lost was a nice a simple way to remember terrible events. As soon as you take the choice away it becomes pointless for me.

3 and 4 year old doing it and this being seen as a positive is bizarre. They are simply being trained. They have no concept of the permenence of death or the horror of war. Its utterly meaningless.

Equally I am baffled at the growing trend of "decorating" for Rememberence Day. Are these tatty huge poppies stuck to lampposts supposed to be meaningful? These shops that do displays like its Halloween? It's just rubbish the same as Christmas decs. Cheaply made tat that will be thrown away.

I'm not even sure what we are supposed to be remembering anymore. The general theme still seems to be focused on WW1 and 2. Presumably because nobody has strong opinions on WW1 anymore and WW2 is the one were we were definitely the good guys. A lot of those men and women have been dead longer than living memory. Which isn't to say their lives weren't important but we don't remember the Napleonic wars do we? At what point do we move on? Currently it just seems to be getting more emphasis not less.

What about the poor young lads who got sent over to be killed and maimed in the desert based on lies and greed? Well its hard putting them front and centre isn't it? Nobody wants awkward discussions about the fact that the people responsible for sending those lads were they should never have been are still walking round unaccountable and making millions with their influence. No, we can't talk about the morality of war, that would challenge the recent (because as many if this thread has pointed out it is recent) narrative that all soldiers are hero's and any questions you have about the morality of war and the horror of what we tell these (often working class) lads to do are belittling their heroism and thus socially unacceptable. The narrative has to be simple, join the forces and you are a hero. Nobody will question this except for hippies and traitors. Now come on boys, sign up today!

Just shut up and be silent. Remembering is enough and sticking tacky red flowers up in your window is enough, it doesn't matter if they are from the RBL or not its the performance thought that counts.

*like

It’s bloody short-sighted to sanctimoniously shout ‘lack of respect’ over this. I can think of many every day notions and behaviours that other people exhibit that ‘lack respect’ in one way or another. Patting yourself on the back while condemning others over the two minute silence, as it’s some sort of recognised indicator of worth as a person, is pretty small.
I was working during the two minute silence as it happens…with a little boy with Downs who has no concept of Remembrance Day, helping him to work on his social skills. None of us observed the silence at work. We were busy.

Yes I do think the same about pride month and black history month. They are bullshit things meant to placate rather than address real problems.

Just like rememberence day there are some genuine people who use those things to do something genuine but the overall point is performance.

Pride or Black History Month are done in a way which makes more sense and I do believe WW1/2 would benefit from a similar approach. A programme of events across a broad spectrum, where people of all ages can actively engage, learn things, think about it and link it back to what it means now, how its relevant today.

This is a far more engaging way than everyone buying a flower once a year and standing still for 2 minutes. Currently it’s about as meaningful as clapping on a door step for the NHS. There’s a lack of creative thinking. Standing silent for 2 minutes is pretty easy but isn’t very effective.

@corblimeygov

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict, and who aren't prepared to reflect for two minutes as a respectful gesture of remembrance.

Non-sequitur. It’s absolutely possible to value lives lost in conflict without standing in the gym or the supermarket for two minutes at an arbitrarily chosen time. Doing it in public does seem like a performance.

I’ve spent much longer than two minutes at a time visiting war graves, looking at war memorials, visiting the holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. But apparently none of that can count in the “proper respect” competition.

[quote rookiemere]@TheLovelinessOfDemons I feel the same about my new poppy lanyard holder and pen that I bought from the official charity van on Saturday. I didn't strictly need either item, but it's my way of supporting the charity. Nothing seems beyond criticism by some these days.[/quote]
Yes, I wear the brooch as it's more environmentally friendly than a paper poppy. I still donate every year though.

The RBL and Help for Hero’s have collected an absolute war chest of money. Why are they not thinking more creatively over how to engage people across all walks of life and ages to make it relevant now?

It’s quite lazy thinking. ‘Give us £1 once a year and be quiet for 2 minutes.’

[quote Cameleongirl]@AccidentallyOnPurpose I think the poster who mentioned supermarkets and swimming pools meant that society would look very different if people hadn't fought to preserve democracies. We might be living in the equivalent to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, when people queued for limited foodstuffs and everything you did was highly regulated and restricted - your neighbours informed on you if you dared to criticise the regime -and you could disappear!

OK, things might not be that bad, but you get the point.[/quote]
Trust me I know , since my country was basically "gifted" to the USSR in the Paris peace treaty. Yes the western world won, they were happy and free and democratic. We weren't and the effects of that are still "living memory" and I'm not even that old.

@Batshaver

M8, cars didn't stop in the street at any point in your lifetime.

Not sure who you are quoting but cars did stop It was the norm for people to just stop where they were and observe the silence, supermarket, office, pavements it didn't matter

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict, and who aren't prepared to reflect for two minutes as a respectful gesture of remembrance

Can you point me to the posts from people who don't value lives lost in conflict?

‘Not sure who you are quoting but cars did stop
It was the norm for people to just stop where they were and observe the silence, supermarket, office, pavements it didn't matter’.

That was on the Remembrance Sunday not the newer 2 minutes silence on 11 November.

@mustlovegin

They fought and died for our freedom to do what we want, including not being silent at certain times just because others say we should

Mental gymnastics at its finest

If you need to do mental gymnastics to figure that one out, that says more about you than anyone else tbh. It's pretty straightforward. Nobody who fought or gave their lives for our freedom would be happy about people saying DISGRACEFUL, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF for not stopping work at a specific time to remember them 100 years later.

Some people seem to think that the only worthy actions are the ones that can be seen.

My point being @JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil that some poor poster has been pulled up as a liar

None of the disgusted angry people have addressed the fact that people are obviously going to commemorate these events less as time goes on. That's just a fact. At some point, it happens.

I'm curious at what point they think it will be more acceptable? Or if we will go through a phase of some people being disgusted and angry about it whether it happens now, in 20 years or a century from now. I suppose it's inevitable.

I'm very saddened to read so many posts on here from people who don't value the lives lost in conflict

Stop making things up. Literally nobody on this thread has given any indication that they don't value the lives lost. Do you mean these people don't show in exactly the way you think they should at exactly the time you think they should the fact that they value the lives lost? Because that's really not the same thing.