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?

@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?

Who is disrespecting them? People are just exercising a choice not to join in.

Some of us show our respect for wartime sacrifice through money-raising and giving up our time to help veterans, not by being a wanker in the gym.

YABU Not everyone is into the traditions around this and, as PP said, you had the choice not to go, or to leave early and do your minutes silence yourself. I don’t participate in the, often jingoistic, traditions connected to Armistice day. I do think of the war dead on this day, but in a different way. I think of all the very young kids sent ‘over the top’ to certain death, of those who developed PTSD in the trenches and then were threatened that they had to continue fighting or be shot dead by their own side. I think of the unnecessary wars British military have fought, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, the horrendous things British Soldiers did in Northern Ireland, e.g. smashing in the doors of Catholic homes and badly beating-up fathers in front of their children (and by doing so acting as the best recruiter to the IRA). The Military in any country, including Britain has a lot to answer for, including for how it treats its own.

So you remember in your way and I’ll (everyone) remember in mine.

YABU. You can stop and think about those who gave their lives at any time, it doesn’t have to be at a prescribed time. Your thoughts don’t mean any less if they’re at 11.15

^This. Performative is the word. Respect is something freely (and often privately) felt or given. Not something you do in order to be seen to do it.

I agree Op. I'm watching band of brothers right now, what they went through was horrific. I think people these days just don't care.
I was in the forces and have lost people, so I stop and think of them too.

I'm not british, and therefore will probably be dismissed, but I lived in London for years and always found it strange.

It's a bit like when you are at the pub and having a good time, then someone starts singing, and everyone is hushed to be quiet and listen. Eh no, I didn't come here to listen to you, I came here to do my own thing thanks.

People observe and remember in their own way, to decide how people should be behaving is weird and controlling.

Did you really observe OP or did you sit shivering at the side of the pool silently seething that the rest of the group wasn't seeing how observant and virtuous you were?

The person in the supermarket is ridiculous. You brought your gaggle of children to the shops to stand still for 2 minutes? You couldn't have left the house at 11.03? You HAD to be there?

And why would you assume everyone there would observe? Realistically a large percentage of the shoppers would be from other countries that don't observe? The poppy patrol would have you believe that they should assimilate and observe or go back to where they came from.

I don't need a mere two minutes set aside once a year to remember.

I was checking it lit website today and thought I’d take a look at competitors, then professional services, etc. Hardly any had bothered - these are the ones that have ‘many other’ flags, banners and days of remembrance (for nobody) at the stop of a hat.

Less than impressed.

I wouldn’t have thought that anyone going to the gym was planning to do the remembrance silence. I was once at Center in the pool when they announced the silence while the waves were going off. It was absolute carnage of parents trying to shush their kids while their kids were loudly saying “what? Why are you telling me to shut up?” and furious adults trying to look respectful while soaking wet and being buffeted by waves.

How about we look at history and learn from it in the hope that we and our children dont need to relive it.

Yes.

When WWI ended they said never again. And yet 20 years later Europe then the world were at war again - those who study it know that the first world war and the second world war were part of the same conflict. And the more you read about the aftermath of WW2, the more you realise that VE day was no such thing - it was simply when hostilities between Germany and the Allies ended. This has had repercussions ever since.

And people think two minutes silence and wearing a poppy once a year is enough to show that you understand this! Certainly remember the lives needlessly cut down, however it would mean a great deal more if people did their best to ensure this never happens again. Part of our freedom is the freedom NOT to take part in enforced rituals. This is more important than many people seem to appreciate.

@icelolly12

If you wanted two minutes silence that's upto you to organise rather than join a class at that time some people just love to complain and moan

like you, then?

It's a bit like when you are at the pub and having a good time, then someone starts singing, and everyone is hushed to be quiet and listen. Eh no, I didn't come here to listen to you, I came here to do my own thing thanks

Your whole post is utterly disrespectful

@ThePoisonousMushroom

Isn’t this why remebrance Sunday is a Sunday?

Exactly.

Remembrance Sunday is simply a convenient time to hold the Cenotaph ceremony, Remembrance Day is 11th November, 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month, as has been said it's only in relatively recent years that that has been more commonly used. At 10 45 I suddenly realised what day it was and dashed upstairs to get my ceramic poppy out, I usually forget to put it out.

@mustlovegin

It's a bit like when you are at the pub and having a good time, then someone starts singing, and everyone is hushed to be quiet and listen. Eh no, I didn't come here to listen to you, I came here to do my own thing thanks

Your whole post is utterly disrespectful

Well luckily this poster realises that no one has the right not to get offended, as Stephen Fry said.

I hate that people like you judge people who don’t go along with enforced group mourning. If you cared so much you could have forgone the gym and spent the whole morning thinking about those who lost their lives instead of worrying about everyone squeezing their thoughts into 2 minutes.

It's worth remembering that most men who lost their lives in WW1 and WW2 would never have joined the military in normal circumstances - they were either conscripted or volunteered. From my work with WW2 veterans, many of them have very dark memories of those time - they don't identify at all with the Union Jack bunting and cosplay that now make up most UK commemorations. And they are deeply, deeply cynical about the the military, even those who are proud of their service.

The venn diagram of those who think it's appalling not to do a 2 minutes silence but go on about the 'woke left' 'virtue signalling' and 'cancelling wrongthink'...is a circle.

Remembrance Sunday is simply a convenient time to hold the Cenotaph ceremony, Remembrance Day is 11th November, 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month, as has been said it's only in relatively recent years that that has been more commonly used.
At 10 45 I suddenly realised what day it was and dashed upstairs to get my ceramic poppy out, I usually forget to put it out.

No, the 11th November is Armistice Day, not "Remembrance Day".

And if you're genuinely telling us you dashed upstairs to put on a ceramic poppy....er, WHY? So that people could see you could see you hadn't forgotten to remembrance? Wasn't the point of wearing a poppy to buy a paper one to donate to the British Legion who look after former service men and women?

I remember the minutes silence being on remembrance Sunday.

We did that too. We went to the church then down to the memorial.

From my work with WW2 veterans, many of them have very dark memories of those time - they don't identify at all with the Union Jack bunting and cosplay that now make up most UK commemorations. And they are deeply, deeply cynical about the the military, even those who are proud of their service.

All of them?

Both my grandparents served in WW2 and didn’t feel that way.

I was teaching a spin class at 11am - i didn’t stop mid way through a track to sit in silence - it’s not how classes work. Not one person mentioned it at any point during the day. If you’re that bothered about it, don’t go to the bloody gym at that time.

Well luckily this poster realises that no one has the right not to get offended, as Stephen Fry said

I would guess posters like these must be reaping what they sow IRL

@mustlovegin

It's a bit like when you are at the pub and having a good time, then someone starts singing, and everyone is hushed to be quiet and listen. Eh no, I didn't come here to listen to you, I came here to do my own thing thanks

Your whole post is utterly disrespectful

I 100% disagree with your description of my post.

I guess thats what freedom is all about, isn't it?

Just remember that frothing about 2 minute silences (which based on rates of expansion, will probably be an hour in a few years) does fuck all for veterans of any war.

Just like carers can't pay the bills with claps, former and current soldiers can't pay support, counselling, homes or pensions with 2 minutes of silence.

@FangsForTheMemory

If you're the wrong side of 50, you'll remember that nobody in this country used to observe two minutes' silence except those attending Armistice Day ceremonies. It should be a personal thing.

I'm 47 and we always observed it at school.

When I was 22 we had the 11am silence in my workplace.. phones continued to ring but ignored it obviously. I was silent but may have continued to type. My colleague absolutely tore me a new ar*sehole for typing during the silence