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

[Mokel]

Every Remembrance Sunday and Nov 11th, when I worked at retail, we did a tannoy announcement with 5 min, 2 min before to inform customers that the store will be observing the 2 min silence. Then another to start it.

Every time there were customers who kept talking. Plus one time a woman in her 50s shouted “why can’t anyone serve me some fucking fags?” Everyone just looked at her. Some had the courage to say how disrespectful she was once the silence ended.

If you are unable or refuse to observe the silence at 11am today or tomorrow, please don’t be in a public place.

Quite.

• Well maybe u guys need bloody educating.
• British armed forces
• Between 5,000 and 10,000 Irish-born men and women died while serving in the British armed forces. The Irish Brigade website lists the names of over 1,000 men who died while serving in the 38th (Irish) Brigade.
• Holocaust
• Many Irish Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, including Ettie Steinberg, her husband, and their infant son. The Stolpersteine Project in Dublin unveiled six brass stumbling stones to remember the six known Irish victims of the Holocaust.
• Civilians
• 52 Irish civilians were killed by German bombs, including 28 people who died when the Germans bombed the North Strand of Dublin in 1941, and 19 people who died when a sea mine exploded in Ballymanus Strand in 1943.
• German air raids
• The Irish experienced aerial bomb attacks from German planes in 1940 and 1941, including the Belfast Blitz, which resulted in at least 1,100 deaths.

"Oh look, these shop workers are choosing to observe the two minute silence. I'll just wait two minutes before asking to be served"

It's really not that hard. It doesn't matter what your personal beliefs are. Just have some respect for those around you.

Go out/don't go out. It doesn't matter. Just don't stop anyone doing what feels important to them.

I genuinely don't know what point you're making @Littlemissgobby .

I don’t need educating thanks. I’m fully aware of Irish history and also fully aware the Catholic Irish don’t and never did support British Army personnel ( and their Black and Tan mercenaries ) on Irish soil.

excuse the derail OP

There was two posters plus stating that Irish people shouldn't have to do the two min silence because of the British army I am saying you forget that there were alot of Irish that died in ww2 and ww1

This thread. Every single year. Like clockwork.

OP, observe if you want to. It's not your business to 'correct' other people who are not observing and they are not likely to take kindly to it. People are different now.

I don't 'observe' but I'm silent and not moving because I don't want to disrupt. I do though think very much less of the conscientious observers who really are using that time to swivel their eyes around glaring at people who are not doing the same. They are not thinking of lost lives merely imposing their views on others.

I don't know which you are but I know which I am.

I didn’t say Irish people shouldn’t observe the two minute silence. I’m not a dictator. I was responding to a PP who stated no one ( not many maybe ) alive has experienced war.
I mentioned the Irish and Barbara did too!

But Remembrance Sunday isn’t just about WW1 and 2. If it was, then I’m sure the reaction to it would be very different.

Right it's about all dead not just our side you do realise that don't you? This is the thing it's two mins fuck all to think of dead people or not. What is the big problem apart from selfishness

Literally no one has said that Irish people shouldn't observe the silence if they so choose. We're saying that Irish people (and those from other countries too) shouldn't be pressured to do so, given British soldiers were the aggressors not the saviours or protectors here.

Which war we wasn't the aggressors in ww2 or ww1 or kossovo Bosnia or various others. It's not clear cut like that but maybe then think of the dead off both sides

I’ve been caught out a couple of times when I didn’t realise what was happening and carried on rummaging on a shelf, only to realise what was going on and feel mortified (obviously I stopped and observed the silence)

I reflect on the fallen but don't observe the two minutes silence personally. Doesn't mean I don't care.

I’m not in Northern Ireland. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I haven't RTFT so forgive me for going over old ground.

Neither of my grandads served in the full armed forces during the war. One was in the TA and worked in an office and the other was deemed unfit so worked in a foundry for the whole six years of the Second World War. My Nan was a Land Army girl. Ine Great Grandad went to France in WW1 but he was lucky and got home in one piece.

I don't wear a poppy and yes, I try & stay in if I'm not at work during Remembrance services because where I live people really don't give a stuff about stopping. And I'm not going to be "that person" to remind them.

If I'm at work (tube station) I do the announcement but mostly people ignore it.

Too much time has gone by, tbh. Yes we've had our AF go to Iraq, Afghanistan etc in more recent times but they were far-off places. Having a war being fought on your doorstep with only a 20 mile wide channel to separate you is much more tangible, I think. Not to say the wars in the Middle East weren't worth it, but the ordinary bod on a British street wasn't directly affected. We didn't have bomb shelters, air raids, rationing and all the rest. It was something we watched on TV.

I donate to the RBL online every year. I don't need everyone to know about it. I don't need to display my sorrow with a poppy because tbh, I don't feel any.

If I am out at work or shopping or whatever I don't lecture people on what they should be doing, nor reminding them of the occasion. If they choose not to stop that's up to them. It's a personal choice.

You think Remembrance Sunday, which is specifically about commemorating military losses, is also about honouring the innocent victims of that same military. For example, the innocent men, women and children of Afghanistan and Iraq are also honoured on Remembrance Sunday?

Oh come on. I know there are people who blindly support today no matter what but at least make more of an effort.

@Littlemissgobby I don't do the silence for various reasons.By that I mean that I tend to avoid places when/where it's happening, or if I can't avoid, I'll be quiet but not perform the whole hand on heart, eyes shut etc. stuff.

When it happened at my old place , I didn't go in the room it took place , or sometimes left the building /took my break then. It was a 10 minute affair rather than 2.

My boss took deep offence with that every year and she told me once "stop being so obnoxious and show some respect,just think of your meal plan for that week or what nail polish colour you'll pick next like I do ! It's not that hard."

Yet, she'd be seen as the respectful one, the one with decency, the one upholding British values, honouring the fallen soldiers bla bla bla and not me. I'm the disrespectful dick.

It's a sham for most people, and by forcing others to join in you end up with disrespectful crap anyway. It's ok though, because you don't know about it, right?

That’s a nice thought but that’s not factually what Remembrance Day is about. Here it’s about remembering UK forces.
It is remembering those who gave their lives for the UK

Just went to a Remembrance Service in the town centre. As soon as the two minute silence started a mum allowed her three kids to shout all the way through it. Astonishing behaviour.

And don't get me started on the amount of people who chat with their mates throughout the service.

Yabu. It's not illegal to talk or go shopping.

You was fine to do what you wanted because as you said you wasn't being loud . It's if your loudness bothered the silence is what I have a problem with

Also , if it's really that important, then people should go to services, ceremonies or stay at home to properly commemorate. Not in the middle of ASDA or Primark. Otherwise, it's not that deep really, is it?

I have seen commonwealth troops to on the sane March even American so that's why I said earlier there were Irish losses to

I'm obviously not including staff in that statement, as they obviously have to be at work regardless of their personal views and feelings.