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Remembrance Day

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Remembrance day, outdated and too political? Or something you feel very strongly about?

Please discuss.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hmm, I'm not too sure. I think people always either go too other the top (I can understand why) or would be out to vandalize it (which is awful!)

    I know my mum thinks strongly about it as her friend's son, is training (today) to go into the army, and she see's it second hand? (maybe first?) of the effects it can have on a family. And I have no idea what I'm saying I just think if those where the two choices we could choose from, I'd probably feel strongly about it .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It mostly angers me, but not for the reason it angers a lot of other people.

    Firstly, the wearing of poppies annoys me. It's fundraising for the British Legion, a charity which, like SSAFA, I generally think do an amazing job. However I don't see why there is the need for these charities; the Government that sent these people to be injured or to die should be looking after them, not a charity. I give to them because the Government aren't doing their job, but it angers me and upsets me a lot.

    Secondly, I think the way we currently remember our fallen soldiers glorifies war. Every year we see the same ashen-faced politicians standing there, pretending to be sorrowful at the losses. Never, not once, do we have an honest appraisal about why our soldiers have died. Some have died on peacekeeping duties, and their families should stand proud at what the deceased have done. But many many more have not. They've died in Iraq, or in Afghanistan, places that they should never have been. And why were they there? So the ashen-faced politicians could make money for themselves and their corporate backers.

    Recent military burials have basically been a succession of caskets containing soldiers dying fighting a battle that doesn't need fighting in a country that they should never have been posted to.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Weirdly, I agree with you.

    I'm immensely proud of the sacrifices our troops have made. I'm also disgusted that they have had to make them for what amounts to little more than brush fire wars in god-forsaken hell holes that we have no business being in and that the government are happy to stand back and let a charity look after them when they get home.

    If the government really were proud of what our men and women are doing, they would match, pound for pound every donation the legion gets.

    My opinion is that all our troops should be brought home and our armed forces should be used for home defence and peacekeeping/police action. I think the work they do in places like Sierra Leone and Kosovo to protect the innocent is a noble cause. Iraq and Afghanistan? Nope.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Recent military burials have basically been a succession of caskets containing soldiers dying fighting a battle that doesn't need fighting in a country that they should never have been posted to.

    That's not the fault of the soldiers and that's who we are remembering. Remembrance Day needs to be something we should all be proud of.

    But you can always rely on the Yanks to be disrespectful though.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brad-pitt-war-film-bosses-2719016

    Can you imagine a UK film crew ignoring one of their forces dates over there?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm with AR on this one.

    I also think that the poppy appears to be a nice little money maker for Royal British Legion, etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CM Punk wrote: »
    That's not the fault of the soldiers and that's who we are remembering. Remembrance Day needs to be something we should all be proud of.

    I don't think we are remembering them though. Not really.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think we are remembering them though. Not really.

    I think most of us are. At my place of work it was announced we'd hold a 2 minute silence in memory of the fallen and this seems to be reflected everywhere I've seen in over the last day or so.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru

    Secondly, I think the way we currently remember our fallen soldiers glorifies war. Every year we see the same ashen-faced politicians standing there, pretending to be sorrowful at the losses. Never, not once, do we have an honest appraisal about why our soldiers have died. Some have died on peacekeeping duties, and their families should stand proud at what the deceased have done. But many many more have not. They've died in Iraq, or in Afghanistan, places that they should never have been. And why were they there? So the ashen-faced politicians could make money for themselves and their corporate backers.

    :yes: I also disagree with the way every solider is seen as a hero, yes some want to do good and protect their country... others just have no other choice but to join the army due to not doing overly well in mainstream education and turn to the army to be more of a "cannon fodder" than anything else. I think there should be more support out there for young people who don't have that many options, instead of them being scooped up by the army. If you asked the boys from my school who failed their GCSE's what they're going to do with their life, the general reply will be along the lines of "dunno, join the army" in at least half of cases. I don't think it should be like that.
    Interesting read here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/poppy-last-time-remembrance-harry-leslie-smith
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Growing up with an Older father who thought in the war, and my mums granddad dying in the war, I was always told that on rememberence day to show my respect for those people who lost their lives and to wear a poppy, Being the child and them being the adults, I persumed they knew best. I agree and disagree with both sides. I agree that we need to remember thepeople who shaped our country into how it is, but if we did this for every single thing that happened in history the world would be full of two minute silences that the only time we could speak is when we're sleeping or stuffing our faces!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CM Punk wrote: »
    I think most of us are. At my place of work it was announced we'd hold a 2 minute silence in memory of the fallen and this seems to be reflected everywhere I've seen in over the last day or so.

    Holding the silence isn't the same as remembering them, and remembering how and why they died, and remembering why we should prevent it happening again.

    Fleet Street Fox hit the nail on the head.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Holding the silence isn't the same as remembering them, and remembering how and why they died, and remembering why we should prevent it happening again.
    That depends on how it is conducted.
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