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 would be happy with shops being shut on Remembrance Sunday at least until after the 11am two minutes silence. And having a public holiday to remember all those have who died in war.

As for those who object to actions of the British forces at various times in recent history or earlier, it is not just the military who die in war.

What is there to discuss?

Either you think it's good to be respectful towards those who are observing the two minute silence by not deliberately making noise during it, or you don't.

I thought the wars were fought so people could have freedom from fascism, you know the type of thing where we HAVE to observe a 2 minute silence or else. You may not agree with them not being silent but they are allowed to.

The OP suggested everyone who doesn't observe the silence should be made to stay home.

You can not observe it while also not disturbing it.

You've said some really really vile things this evening and I don't think you realise just how awful they are. Far far worse than quietly browsing the supermarket shelves.

Why do you have to stand still to be silent?

How do the standing still people know the moving around people aren’t still thinking about the war?

How do we know the standing still people aren’t just thinking about what to make for dinner or wondering whether they’d locked the front door before they went out?

How do we know the poppy wearers haven’t just put on the same poppy they’ve been wearing for the last 10 years that they keep in their drawer full of used batteries and broken pens? How often do they actually buy new poppies and contribute?

To be fair, the thread title doesn't match the OP. In her OP she's complaining about people who make a racket during the silence. You can choose not to observe the silence yourself whilst respecting those who do by not making unnecessary noise. But there are people on this thread saying that by being quiet you are observing it, which suggests they make noise deliberately just to show their contempt.

If I was out and about, I would continue my conversation if I was having one. As I’ve said before, I very rarely find myself in a situation, at that specific time, where a silence is being observed. That’s partly due to the area I live I think. Although there’s plenty of people who attend ceremonies etc, there’s more who don’t.

Suppose we all better dig out our passports and move elsewhere, eh.

Probably the most sensible post on this thread!

If I was serving in a shop I would turn my back on the customers to make it clear I was observing the silence. If anyone spoke to me I would ignore them but I certainly wouldn't get in anyone's way.

Ahh but it’s like a tree in the Forrest (if no one is there to see it fall, did it fall). What would the point of it be if others couldn’t see you performing it?

We don't all believe in the same things, we don't all agree with the same things. If you want to have complete silence for 2 minutes at a certain time, stay at home on your own.

I thought the wars were fought so people could have freedom from fascism,

I don't think WW1 was. It appeared to have been blundered into for no real reason.

As for the British Army in NI and various colonies - no, that was nothing to do with fighting fascism.

Huh?
World war 2, yes (although the rise of Nazism itself can be in part attributed to the dire state Germany was in after the far)

But WW1 was just a battle for territory between global powers. There was nothing noble about Britain joining that war and it is a huge shame we did. A huge terrible waste of young men's lives.

I applaud you and others can repeating these valid points, but these people have their fixed views. I just can’t be arsed. As Mark Twain said “never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience”!

It is sad that the people doing the "lest we forget" virtue signalling every year don't seem to know this stuff, so I don't know what they thing it is they're not forgetting for two minutes.

I think people should feel completely entitled to go about their business in a quiet and unintrusive way while others are observing the two-minute silence in a public place.
It was quite a big reach, twenty or so years ago, when some organisations started re-introducing this public-place silence, which had not been the norm for decades and decades since the world wars.
In the first years after a major conflict, it was natural to have this public commemoration , because so many hundreds of thousands of people were recently bereaved. But now it is something far less meaningful and mildly oppressive.
Having said that, it is always good to have an opportunity for a short period of mindful compassion.
I was in a body balance class on Sunday, which stopped for remembrance. I just tried to remember one of the compassionate mindfulness exercises I learnt a few years ago. I focused my compassion in turn on the victims of various conflicts - including those on both sides of conflicts that have polarised public opinion. Then I really challenged myself by extending my compassion to Trump! I tried to climb out of the comfyness of right-think, which is where the silence can rest.