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.

I genuinely wanted to know, that’s all.

No problem though.

I don’t think people who don’t want to observe the silence should stay home. I think it’s a bizarre suggestion tbh.

As others have said, if you feel that strongly then perhaps avoid public places during the silence and attend a remembrance ceremony specifically.

If you’re at work in a public place then I think you need to understand not everyone takes part in the silence and that’s each individual’s choice, wether you agree or not.

Given Remembrance Sunday commemorates all British and commonwealth armed forces who died in all wars and conflicts worldwide, I certainly wouldn’t be taking part in any silence including the soldiers responsible for Bloody Sunday, Ballymurphy massacre and innocent lives taken at the hands of the British army in other countries they have no right being in.

it is not recognized in the country I live in. However that being said, my husband and I stopped what we were doing (him the lawn and me doing some cooking prep) we stood still and paid our respect. We had our phones set. I am sure that our neighbors wondered what the hell my husband was doing in the front garden with his hand on his chest .

Arf…

there is always one…or some.

Well said. It's everyone's choice whether to observe the silence or not but that doesn't give those who don't the right to hassle those who do. Impatient half-wit is the right description!

@venus7 it tends to be when it's performative, forced social compliance or thinking about your nail colour or shopping list or whatever else.

A moment's silence, just in the kitchen or some such? Silence is not meaningless. Performative anything is meaningless, I agree.

The poppy has been fetishized, in much the same way that US society has made a religion of all things military, Soldiers are no longer soldiers they are “warriors”. They are no longer fighting wars, or keeping the peace, they are on a crusade protecting citizens from the forces of evil ….its all absolute cobblers of course but the Daily Heil and Murdoch’s propaganda outlets, love promoting this tosh.
WW2 was undoubtedly Britain’s finest hour, but I wonder how many other conflicts have been political decisions made for the most cynical of reasons, and resulted in thousands, sometimes millions of deaths and abject failure?
In 1914, 40% of males were without the vote and they were almost all from the working class, so in reality huge numbers of men who fought and died had no political representation. Women had no right to vote and only women over the age of 30 subject to a property qualification received the vote in 1918.
How many conflicts have occurred post 1945 involving British forces?
Korea, Suez, Kenya, Ireland, Falklands, Kuwait, Afghanistan Iraq, Libya….how many totalitarian regimes do we assist through access to our vast array of military & intelligence services ? How many times have we interfered in the running of other countries and assisted in the repression of other societies?
By all means keep the poppy to remember the victims of conflict, military and civilian, but cast a very cold eye on those who seek to hijack it into a badge of patriotism and loyalty. It should be a symbol which encourages reflection and humility. Life is very fragile and our freedoms are hard won.

The lady who swore about being served fags was just rude, and that would be at any time. But it is a bit of stretch to say that anyone who wont observe the 2 min silence should stay home. If it matters that much to you, then observe it somewhere where it is the main focus, and not in a shop.

I am blind to time in general, so was probably chatting away to my dog when the 2 min silence was on. And like other PP have said, it is a performative thing. I bet most of the people with their head bowed in your shop were thinking about what to watch on TV later. Actually, I bet most were judging those who were not deep in thought.

No but you would expect the loud mouth fecker to respect others who decide they want to be silent for 2 minutes!

If I'm out, I'll continue shopping. I'll do it quietly, so as not to intrude on people that observe it, but it's not something I personally observe. I've had bad looks for still pushing a trolley, taking things off the shelves, but it's not like I'm shouting.
a bit like I would sit quietly during school assembly prayers, but I wouldn't bow my head or close my eye (which got five year old me HIT by the headmaster for not being a Christian, in a non religious school, in front of everyone)
I respect in other ways. to me, that one doesn't mean anything to me. we usually buy something from the poppy sellers. I got a purple bracelet this year.
for me, my remembrance day has already passed. at Samhain, I light a candle, and I think about those that have passed before me. loved ones, pets, ancestors, and those that I never knew but whose lives and actions impacted my life now. and I really do meditate on how people who have gone before have contributed to my life and to be grateful for that.

I find public silences, except for those at memorial services, to be kind of performative. so I don't take part. but I don't interrupt those that are.

The silence is for the British Armed Forces.
Just them
Not civilians who died in war…or anything else it is just the Armed Forces

Some people, for various reasons, don’t want to reflect on the British Armed Forces….
remember they have often been the invaders, the aggressors and we live in a very multicultural society.

Peoples lived experiences and those of their relatives before are all different and I believe we should respect the rights of others to not ‘stop to reflect’ on the British Armed Forces.

How about those who do want to observe it in silence stay at home instead of being in a public place?

Like @ReignOfError said, shouting out about the f***g fags would be unacceptable to most people any time, so I think the OP is conflating 2 separate points.
If someone wants to go about their business and not mark the minute’s silence that’s their choice.

That’s an excellent idea. Rather than going to a supermarket and then complaining about people who don’t stop what they’re doing.
It would very much depend where you are.

What do you suggest people do when they want to observe the silence but have to work?

So you want a virtual shutdown of shops, hospitals, transport stations, etc for the day?

You've really not thought it through, have you??

It's not for a day, it's literally for two minutes. Odd comment.

Not really. If people shouldn't observe the silence in a supermarket then surely staff would have to take annual leave to stay at home.

What? Loads of workplaces observe the two minutes' silence. This is a non issue.

Assuming you're not operating on someone or fielding 999 calls or similar, nothing is going to happen if you stop for 2 minutes.

I agree nothing is going to happen and I think people should be able to observe the silence if they want to. However, some posters are saying if you want to observe it you shouldn't be in a public place which obviously isn't an option for many people.

Staff are either working that day or they're not.

Well that's daft. Lots of people observe the two minutes' silence in a public place. Why wouldn't they?

What's your point?

Is this not a bit like saying "You can only pray if you go to Church on Sunday between 10am and 12 noon"?

I am from a military family so I do attend the local service on Sunday and I observe the two minute silence on both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice day (if I can) but that is a personal choice for me. I would even go so far as to suggest those who choose to go shopping don't want to observe the silence and have actively gone somewhere to avoid it (for whatever reason). Being forced to observe it anyway is authoritarian. Perhaps those shop workers who wish to observe should be given the choice of either Remembrance Sunday off or Armistice Day off so they can observe their silence - or the shop open at 11.05 on the Sunday?

I doubt the deceased soldiers from WW1 & 2 would expect or believe, we are still commemorating them all these decades later.

On the other hand if we went to war now, we'd lose. Too many people with the attitude of "Nah, mate. Not my problem. It's my right to not fight/defend etc"