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AIBU?

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Original poster

In thinking that there is no excuse for someone of age 20 not to know what day it is today?

69 replies

HRHSaintMamazon · 09/11/2008 11:28

my status on Facebook reads "michelle is thanking all those who gave their lives and those still offering to do so"

i thought it would be fairly obvious what that meant.

but i just got a message from a friend, admitedly she is young - 20.
saying "i'll give mine, but what for"

Now this is nothing against this particular person as i love her dearly and im sure she just had a fuzzy five minutes.
but it got me thinking that there is a great amount of respect missing from society nowdays.

I think it may have something to do with teh fact that the "yoof of today" aren't taught about the sacrifices made in generations past.
that they just don't understand how privileged they are and how different their lives could have been.

OP posts:
sleepyeyes · 09/11/2008 11:32

Maybe she didn't notice today's date and that's why she is confused?

PenelopePitstops · 09/11/2008 11:32

mamazon agree totally

I'm 20 and my friend recently died in Afghanistan. Today is all the more important because of this, but since aged about 12 I have gone to rememberance day services and fully understand the sacrifice paid by all.

I think everyone should be made to go and visit the trenches and the somme, to see the full scale of war, and how it still impacts a community.

I would be extremely dissapointed if any of my friends, younger or older, didn't know what day today was.

3littlefrogs · 09/11/2008 11:32

There is no excuse. DD is 10 and has been studying WW1 at school, has been reading poetry and is wearing her poppy, and has watched the memorial service this morning. She understands quite a lot about the significance of today.

sleepyeyes · 09/11/2008 11:34

I'm 23 and can assure you I was taught not only at school but at home about the sacrifices of past generations.

SoupDragon · 09/11/2008 11:34

"Maybe she didn't notice today's date" Well, remembrance day is 11/11 so 9th might not immediately trigger the memory.

PatienceRequired · 09/11/2008 11:35

My dd 5 asked the other day why everyone is wearing red flowers...since then we have been explaining the concept as best we can so she can understand it. A 20 year old should know.
Unless she walks around with her eyes closed.

SueW · 09/11/2008 11:36

One of my friends has just started a course at uni and has set up a facebook group as part of her coursework asking about Remembrance Sunday. She'll be a bit younger than your friend.

Here if you are interested. You can see responses on the wall too.

Ronaldinhio · 09/11/2008 11:37

perhaps becasue this is 9/11 not 11/11?

SueW · 09/11/2008 11:38

Could be v confusing (date) as today is 9/11. But not 9/11 iyswim

Original poster
HRHSaintMamazon · 09/11/2008 11:39

Ds is 8. he asked me why i was buying a flower (poppy) the other day.

i wasn't sure how to respond at first but since he has studied WW2 at school so he understands about war.

so i explained that we wear it to remember those that have died during the war....didn't think i needed to elaborate just yet.

we ended up having a really lovely and very mature conversation about it. I was so proud if him.
we went shopping and he insisted i bought him a poppy as soon as we saw one on sale.

if an 8 year old with Sn can get it i just dont see why adults can't

OP posts:
MingMingtheWonderPet · 09/11/2008 11:41

DS (age 7) understands about Remembrance Day, as much as he can at age 7. We are going to a Remembrance day parade later, it is a mixed faith parade and local churches and organisations are represented. It was lovely last year, and they mentioned by name all of the people on the local war memorial.
It is not unreasonable to expect young people to understand.
As an aside, I see parents allowing children to climb on the local war memorial on the way home from school, it make me very . A little respect goes a long way.

DisasterArea · 09/11/2008 11:44

can only assume he doesn't know what day it is and thinks it is just a saturday or monday. the alternative is too bad.

mamadiva · 09/11/2008 11:49

I have my poppy and all that but TBH I totally forgot about remembrance Sunday, I always think it's just the 11th

Original poster
HRHSaintMamazon · 09/11/2008 11:52

But forgetting the date is fine, but surely having seen the status line something would trigger in your head as to what i would have meant.

OP posts:
Ivvvvyygootscaaared444 · 09/11/2008 11:58

Perhaps if facebook had poppies people would remember, they had hallowen gifts and christmas parinalia - so why not poppies and the money could still go to the royal british legion form the cyber poppies sales.

Start a gruop for poppies on facebook.

KerryMum · 09/11/2008 12:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuziBhoy · 09/11/2008 12:10

im 22 and have never forgotten rememberence sunday, probably because i got the history drummed into my head in school, and there are always marches out on the streets.

should they not do all this on the actual date 11th. well i suppose sunday is "day of rest".

Flamesparrow · 09/11/2008 12:14

I am 27. I clicked on the "giving up their tomorrow" thread and it took a few posts for me to click.

I have a poppy, but like mamadiva, I tend to think 11th.

Original poster
HRHSaintMamazon · 09/11/2008 12:15

Armistace day is the 11th. remembrance sunday is alwasy the closest sunday to the 11th.

OP posts:
BONKERZ · 09/11/2008 12:26

apps.facebook.com/poppies/ YOU CAN ADD POPPIES TO FACEBOOK AND GIVE THEM TO FRIENDS

laweaselmys · 09/11/2008 12:27

I definately think of the 11th and often forget about the sunday, it usually takes me a second to work out which Sunday is the closest etc, but this is a very personal thing because the way Rememberance day is celebrated ( if that's the right word!) doesn't really resonate with me, whereas the poppies and actual Armistace day with the minute's silence etc does.

BONKERZ · 09/11/2008 12:34

I was in asda at 11am and it did take me a minute or two to realise why everyone had stood still. I must admit it has been drummed into me its on the 11/11 at 11am that we have our 2 minute silence.

SlackSally · 09/11/2008 12:39

I think there are more important things to worry about (than someone forgetting, not than the day itself).

So it slipped her mind, so what?

I very much doubt she doesn't know the meaning of the day.

Most people who've said their DC knows about it have JUST been learning about it in school or have specifically asked about it.

Perhaps she's a pacifist?

UnquietDad · 09/11/2008 12:41

Even pacifists know about the day. That's why they wear their (misguided) white poppies.

Blandmum · 09/11/2008 12:44

I would have thought that if she is a pacifist she'd be more likely to remember.

rememberance day isn't pro war.

I have lost friends in the service of the country. technically I'm a war widow, since My dh's death may have been hastened by his service as a pilot in the RAF.

For some remembering is easy, it is impossible to forget.

Glib comments like that are niether clever or funny