AIBU for thinking that people shouldn't yak away on mobile phones during the two minute silence?

[BoffinMum]

So picture the scene, there I was in Tesco this morning buying a packet of rice, and they announce the two minute Remembrance Day silence over the tannoy. The whole shop stops respectfully and stands quietly with heads bowed. All that is except one silly mum yakking away loudly on her mobile phone and laughing her head off while we were all trying to concentrate on war and Afghanistan-related issues and sadnesses in general.

I got fed up, leaned around the next aisle to where she was making all the racket, and told her to shush, which she eventually did, but I am still very sad and cross she was so blooming inconsiderate in relation to something so serious and important.

What would other MNetters have done? Would this have made you cross as well? Would you have shushed her too?

Don't get me on this subject. I am disgusted with the disrespect of people when it comes to November the 11th. Yesterday, I went to school proudly wearing my poppy as did my 8 YO DS. I saw one poppy at school, just one! I had my two minutes silence at 11.00am and freely admit to crying whilst watching the 3 remaining WW1 veterans laying their wreaths. I would have told that woman in the supermarket exactly what I thought when the silence was over. I was telling my son about poppy day and why we wear them and telling him how young men of 15 lied about their age to go and fight for their country. I really struggled not to cry whilst talking to him. My mothers cousin died in WW2 at the age of 18. Why some people cannot take 2 minutes out of their lives to honour these brave young men and women, really escapes me.

Have you read the thread DaphneMoon?

Yes I have. I am replying to the OP. I am giving my opinion on the subject.

Why do you ask this greensleeves? I am pretty much saying the same as the majority of the posts on this thread! Is there something you don't like about mine?

DaphneMoon, There is some very grumpy behaviour indeed on this thread, with one or two people just poo-pooing all the posts they don't like, assuming the posters are pro-war in some way, and thinking the rest of us are being overly sanctimonious. Free speech has been confused with out and out rudeness.

I feel a bit upset at the way this supposedly benign thread has been apparently hijacked. It will be a long time before I start another thread if this is what happens.

Greensleeves, don't even dignify this with a response please. You have already made your views more than clear and you are starting to upset some of us.

BoffinMum, you don't have the right to tell other posters whether or not to post. If the argument is upsetting you, perhaps you should think about stepping away?

DaphneMoon I asked because many of the points in your post (lack of respect for example) have been addressed and debated at some length, and your comments take no account of those responses.

Also BoffinMum if you feel that there have been personal attacks made against you/any other poster, there is a little exclamation mark symbol next to each post - if you click on this and report the opffending post, MNHQ will decide whether or not it merits deletion.

Im with Greensleeves on this one (though haven't read all the posts so I suppose reserve the right not to agree with everything she might have said!)
I think: employers should permit people to observe the silence if they wish. People should be free to observe it if they so choose. HOWEVER, it is not compulsory. I find it rather disturbingly authoritarian to conclude that anyone who chooses not to engage in a public display of silence is 'disrespectful', or indeed to impute anything about what they believe from their actions unless you have actually asked them their views.

I am prepared to continue to stand up for the right to decide whether and how I think about war, and the war dead. Surely that is part of the value of living in a 'free society'.

I'm very happy for other people to observe the silence. I think on the whole that it is a good thing that we continue to have a focus for stimulating reflection on and discussion of, these issues.

Elliot - the issue was not that the OP wanted to force the other woman into observing the silence, but that the woman's behaviour, in continuing to talk on her mobile phone, was disturbing those who DID want to observe the silence. If she'd rung off for the two minutes and continued shopping quietly, I'm sure that the OP wouldn't have felt cross.

Other posters on this thread, who for their own good reasons choose not to observe the silence (as is their absolute right) have also said that they wouldn't deliberately disturb those who were observing the silence, which is what this woman was doing by continuing to talk on the phone. It might have been different if it had been an urgent call - the school to say her child was ill for example.

Yes, I was really making general points rather than answering this particular scenario.
But, since you ask, it does annoy me when public places (supermarkets etc) impose the silence on people. But on the other hand it would be hard to see how else they could allow their employees to do it. But I'd have probably carried on shopping (though probably not loudly yakking on mobile phone - unless I hadn't noticed what was going on).

Greensleeves, I'm sorry I still don't get your point. It seems that everyone else is allowed to give their opinions, whether or not it has been mentioned by other posters. However when I decide to put MY opinion down, you jump on me for it, because I mentioned things that had been said before. I was stating that I thought the OP was NBU in her post. If I wish to put my thoughts down about Poppy day. I bloody well will do just like YOU HAVE!!!!!!

and for the record, yes I do think people who don't recognise poppy day are disrespectful and that is my opinion. You have yours I have mine.

Another reason for Poppy day is to raise money for the Royal British Legion. You may not agree with what it signifies, but does this mean you did not contribute if you did not wear a poppy.

Where did I jump on you? When I asked you whether you had read the thread?

I've read back through and I can't see that I jumped on you. I asked you a question, you answered it with a question and I responded, quite mildly. At which you have posted a message swearing at me and using capital letters (online shouting) and !!!!!!

In fairness, Greensleeves, I feel your question to DaphneMoon did come over as somewhat aggressive. To me, it implied that she hadn't read the thread properly and therefore had no right to comment.

Of course, the problem with the internet is that tone of voice and expression are difficult to read in the text, so something we write in one 'tone' can come over very differently to others - not a criticism of you, btw - just a fact.

Greensleeves, I think you have jumped on several of us. I have clicked the little exclamation mark like you suggested, and asked MN to intervene, because I think it is spoiling what was quite an interesting debate with a broad range of views we were all enjoying exploring. Which surely is the point of Mumsnet.

I felt that her post did suggest that she hadn't read the thread properly, hence my question. Which was perfectly civil and didn't in any way imply that she had no right to comment!

I'll await their email then BoffinMum. In the meantime, I'm afraid you can't order me not to post.

It's ironic that I am being attacked for posting "Have you read the thread DaphneMoon", while another poster is actually demanding that I not respond to her posts!

My aim was not to attack you, Greensleeves - and attack is rather an emotionally loaded word, imo. I attempted to point out another point of view calmly and politely.

I should say also that I agree that you have as much right as anyone to reply to this thread - once a thread starts, the OP doesn't own it any more - it goes where it wants to and where the other posters take it.

Post what you like, just extend the same courtesies to others as they have extended to you.

I do agree with the ownership thing sunny, I jsut didn't want to be quasi-flamed again in relation to that single post.

I was referring to DaphneMoon and BoffinMum, not you sunnygirl, they are being unnecessarily padversarial IMO.

not U at all. I would have ssshhed them loudly plus glared meaningfully.

Not unreasonable in the slightest. Had the woman in the supermarket not agreed with the silence on principle that is her choice but it is clear she was either unaware or being ignorant in which case a ssh was warranted.
You don't have to agree with the conflict to respect the lives that were sacrificed so that we have the right to debate as we are today.