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Remembrance

RebelScum

By RebelScum
in The Jim Smith Room

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RebelScum

RebelScum

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Guy's with this weekend marking the 100 year since the end of WW1 I thought I'd see what peoples views were.

I personally haven't missed a Remembrance Day Parade since 1987, in recent years it has been perhaps more poignant as I have watched friends getting on the plane home in wooden boxes. 

Is the RBL insistence that everything stops for two minutes at 11 o'clock on 11 November wrong? I think so, it's too much, often in the working week and therefore very much unworkable. Observing Remembrance Sunday should, IMO be the only act of Remembrance.

Also, after this year should we focus less on WW1? Yes, it was utter carnage (so was Waterloo - and that also kept us free), but now it is not in living memory and is consigned to our history. I think that the date of 11 November should remain significant, and therefore the second Sunday in November should be the date of Remembrance for all who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

 

Thoughts on a Friday?

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Mucker1884

Mucker1884

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"Lest we forget"... so no, we shouldn't focus less, as time goes by... imo.  

 

As for the 11/11 thing, it's all down to personal views, and personal circumstances.  Some of us won't be in a position to physically "mark the moment", but we shouldn't feel guilty about that.  For those of us that wish to, we can all "remember" in our own way, and at a time that suits.  That's pretty much what the fallen fell for!

 

As an aside... but not wishing to clutter the thread with too many links and quotes... Just be aware that for anyone, like me, who is heading for the NMA on Sunday, there's a change to previous years, with access/parking restrictions and a P&R in place for anyone without an official parking permit.

Full details here... http://www.thenma.org.uk/events-at-the-arboretum/forthcoming-events/armistice-day-remembrance-sunday/

 

It's clearly gonna be busier than normal, and with these restrictions in place, some folk are going to be put out (particularly those with mobility issues), but remember, we're going for a reason... and Sunday ain't a day for moaning! 

 

May the fallen rest in peace.  May those who return, live in peace.

xxx

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McRainy

McRainy

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I think the two minutes silence is appropriate, and I don't think we should downplay WW1 either. You say it's not in living memory, but I remember my Grandad talking about it. 

Let's not pretend it was a fight for 'freedom' though. The purpose of remembrance is to make sure that such pointless loss of life never happens again. 

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Anon

Anon

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I've never seen anything completely stop on the 11th. There's just an agreement that we all try to be quiet for a minute or two, which is reasonable and appropriate so far as I'm concerned.

WW1 is so important because it was the first time that the futility of war really entered the public conscience. A war that was technically won, but so little was gained. In fact, so much was lost by the European combatants that the continent has never truly recovered.

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Mucker1884

Mucker1884

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16 minutes ago, Lambchop said:

I think the two minutes silence is appropriate, and I don't think we should downplay WW1 either. You say it's not in living memory, but I remember my Grandad talking about it. 

Let's not pretend it was a fight for 'freedom' though. The purpose of remembrance is to make sure that such pointless loss of life never happens again. 

There is no single "purpose of remembrance", in my opinion.

Whether it be standing in bowed silence, donating time, money, or effort, wearing a poppy, or stood looking for familiar names on granite walls, the purpose is personal and individual.

My thoughts at 11am this Sunday won't solely be aimed at those lost in The Great War.

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McRainy

McRainy

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Just now, Mucker1884 said:

There is no single "purpose of remembrance", in my opinion.

Whether it be standing in bowed silence, donating time, money, or effort, wearing a poppy, or stood looking for familiar names on granite walls, the purpose is personal and individual.

Well yes. I'll rephrase; a purpose of remembrance is to ensure that we learn the lessons of history, and don't make the same mistakes again.

I'm not convinced we have learnt those lessons, so remembrance continues to be relevant for future generations. 

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Wolfie

Wolfie

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5 year old Miss Wolfie was telling me this morning about what she's learned this week about WW1 and she ended by saying how awful it must have been and that she hopes there is never another world war (she knows about WW2 as well).

On that basis alone, no, it isn't time to move focus away from WW1.

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TigerTedd

TigerTedd

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This is the first year I’ll be parading after 7 years in the reserves. I’ve always been a chef, so I’ve been the one back in the kitchen making sure lunch is ready for everyone (including the mayor) when they get back. I must admit, 11 o’clock usually comes and goes and we’ve completely missed it cos we were busy making sure things didn’t burn. 

Its a big one to be my first. You’ll see me, I’ll be the one tick tocking all the way. 

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Van der MoodHoover

Van der MoodHoover

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3 hours ago, Wolfie said:

5 year old Miss Wolfie was telling me this morning about what she's learned this week about WW1 and she ended by saying how awful it must have been and that she hopes there is never another world war (she knows about WW2 as well).

On that basis alone, no, it isn't time to move focus away from WW1.

Can learn lots from history. Wish I'd studied it a bit more formally, but i was always better at sums......?

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Anag Ram

Anag Ram

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I don't think anyone who has not faced a war experience can truly appreciate the horror.

I respect those who fought and those who continue to fight. They did and do so to help protect us and others. Sure there are political considerations but that's not what this weekend is about.

I feel very strongly about marking Remembrance having a great grandad and grandad who fought in WW1 and WW2 respectively.

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BathRam72

BathRam72

Posted
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On 09/11/2018 at 09:39, RebelScum said:

Guy's with this weekend marking the 100 year since the end of WW1 I thought I'd see what peoples views were.

I personally haven't missed a Remembrance Day Parade since 1987, in recent years it has been perhaps more poignant as I have watched friends getting on the plane home in wooden boxes. 

Is the RBL insistence that everything stops for two minutes at 11 o'clock on 11 November wrong? I think so, it's too much, often in the working week and therefore very much unworkable. Observing Remembrance Sunday should, IMO be the only act of Remembrance.

Also, after this year should we focus less on WW1? Yes, it was utter carnage (so was Waterloo - and that also kept us free), but now it is not in living memory and is consigned to our history. I think that the date of 11 November should remain significant, and therefore the second Sunday in November should be the date of Remembrance for all who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

 

Thoughts on a Friday?

I am with you on this. Lost very good friends and have transported them home on more than one occasion. Also other nationals that have given the ultimate sacrifice.

I think remembrance day should be there to reflect on all conflicts and those who have fallen.

The idea of the poppy stems back from the battlefields in France and Belgium and the 11th hour of the 11th day on November is when Armistice happened and the guns fell silent hence the direct link of remembrance day. The focus should never be lost ref WW1.  

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