Captain Tom Moore - an over focus on one gentleman

[mids2019]

Firstly I feel a great deal of sympathy for CTM's family and grateful for his charity reading efforts and resilience.

However many have heroically died during this pandemic often doing critical keyworker roles for example clinical staff and should there be an appropriate memorial for them. Many of the healthcare casualties of this pandemic were of BAME backgrounds (statistically likely to be more effected) and should we not focus attention on some of these figures?

I also feel that the focus on the gratitude for work during the pandemic should be the NHS. I also feel it's slightly inappropriate to concentrate on CTM's military connections when in this national tragedy although the military have played a role the NHS provided the majority of the heroic effort.

@onlineshopperforever

How do you know he contracted Covid abroad? You dont.

@mids2019

And there is a range. White Capt Tom and Black Marcus Rashford.

Both have had abuse and adulation.

Dont see the issue.

People would be falling over themselves to put a statue up if he wasn’t white or ex army (neither of which did he have any choice over).

not many agreeing with your very odd way of thinking op

his skin colour does not matter!!!

There were other very elderly people who did similar fundraising as CtM but didn't catch the press as his story did. He raised a huge amount of money but that was down to the press jumping on board and the need of the nation to have something positive to keep their minds off the negative, silver lining and all that.

I think CTM is being used a bit as a symbol like the Unknown Soldier. He is of a generation who have been worst hit by Covid-19 and I think for alot of people who were unable to visit parents and grandparents in nursing homes or to go to their funerals the phenomenon is like misplaced affection/grief etc. I think the government have placed him on a pedestal to distract us and hide how they have let the 80+ year olds down.

Some of his money was spent giving NHS staff in a certain Trust their birthday off.

@pourmeawine

I agree with you.

A modest dignified memorial in his local town or hospital would be appropriate.

In addition we should look at appropriate memoria for others.

He "went viral" due to a swift PR campaign from the (well connected in PR terms) daughter.

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime

Interesting point about the embodiment of the 80+ generation and obviously this demographic has been hit hard by the virus.

I understand Captain Tom had a military career and we are all grateful for those who gave service but I think some in this country are too quick to make connections between this modern healthcare crisis and the second world war. Why is the military service important in terms of raising money for charity?

He represents all those people. That’s the point

My comparison to the unknown warrior wasn't linked to his military career. The unknown warrior embodies all of the men (and women now) who don't come home from war as a place for people to aim their grief.

I think CTM is seen as a symbol as someone who represents all of the people his age who have died, many whose families were not able to see them at the end.

I think it is very impressive due to his age. A lot of people consider the over 70s past it and he's a good example of it never being too late to achieve something great. I hope he serves to change our outlook on older people.

It is also very poignant that he died from something he raised so much money for.

Yes, his travels were a risk - the biggest to himself - but, at 100, he didn't have long left anyway

We'll, he raised £35 MILLION for the NHS. That has been a massive help recently! Perhaps his fundraising efforts have paid for the vaccines at your local centre. He's helped out the government in raising that money (because they couldn't find that money if it was staring them in the face).

^ this and he did it all at such an advanced age too!

Not liking the bitchy comments aimed at captain tom's grieving daughter. Despicable.

I feel conflicted.

Yes he raised £35m......but what about all the people who actually donated their money to raise that £35m? Where is their recognition and thanks? CTM inspired people to donate, but that amazing amount of moment that was raised wasn’t done by him alone and that seems to have been forgotten.

As I saw on another website: If it wasn’t for the people actually making the donations then he’d just be an old man walking around his garden.

As you said, what about all the other thousands and thousands of people who have died? And like you said, many true heroes of this pandemic have lost their life.

I just feel uncomfortable about CTM being portrayed as someone more special than anyone else who died.

However, he was clearly a wonderful man and I do believe he was a beacon of light and hope for many, many people and that is pretty remarkable. His passing was very sad but he has gone with a great legacy which I’m sure his family are very proud of and it must bring them lots of comfort too.

I’ve got better things to worry about than the attention one man is getting. Making this into a race/class issue is in pretty poor taste too. I’m “BAME” myself and absolutely fed up to the back teeth of this kind of rhetoric and divisive language. I agree about representation, but not sold to the public in terms of “well white people are getting too much attention and they don’t need it, what about BAME”. If it turns ME off I imagine how it must make others feel.

Yes you could start to promote and uplift other heros if you think that's a good idea.

If people want to think about captain Moore - well There s not s lot else to do and supporting a man who raised so much money is a good thing