Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

[beccabear67]

Re: Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

A sports commentator/former coach here made a comment in his filler segment along the lines of "you people who come over here should be wearing poppies" aimed at immigrants. They gave him a chance to apologize/rephrase, but he refused and is now terminated after over thirty years at it. Personally I'd quit watching his cartoonish act years ago changing the channel or doing something else when his little theme music started up. I expect he may've seen a couple of visible minorities of some sort sans poppies and his slanted mind went into overdrive to attack an entire group... but as the media and people keep going on about it here I've had time to think a few things of my own! If they are in fact new to the country they probably don't know about our poppy pin tradition (I'm sure there may've been many more visiting U.S. people also not wearing poppies), or, how's this for applying logic... some places poppies would be associated with the drug trade... something they may've been escaping!

Anyway, your usual tempest in a tiny teapot with people for and people against... lots of reactionary noises. If I have to choose I will be on the side of people choosing what they wear, not being shamed or forced to wear a symbol or salute flags and all of that. "If ye break faith" and all... isn't freedom from tyrants what so many paid and pay the highest price for? Even tin pot tough-guy cartoons who are paid only for their wisdom about a game.

[George 1978]

Re: Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

We have reached that time of the year again, and I suppose that this year it is more poignant because of the current coronavirus outbreak that we acknowledge, and don't forget that there was the Spanish Flu epidemic which was happening around the time that the First World War ended in 1918.

Also, living war veterans such as Captain Sir Tom Moore will no doubt feature prominently this year as well as other surviving veterans - this year we have overseen the anniversaries of the VE Day and VJ Day events, not to mention the death of Dame Vera Lynn, which adds weight and poignancy to this year's remembrance activities. I posted my annual cheque donation to the Royal British Legion a couple of weeks ago.

Like always, I will acknowledge the two minute silence.

[amethyst]

Re: Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

No service in the Albert Hall which will be strange,only Members of the Royal Family and politicians will be the only ones in Whitehall Tomorrow putting their wreaths on the cenotaph with social distance.I have put my coins in the donation box

[battyrat]

Re: Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

I think it's a good time not just to remember the war dead but other people who contributed to the war effort but died during those years of other things.

I would like to remember not just my grandfather and great great uncle who died during the first and second wars in service but also my great grandfather, a mechanic working at Eastchurch Airfield and a Great Great Auntie who worked at an ammunition factory, Both died in 1918 of Influenza whilst working for the war effort.

The great war heavily contributed to the rise of the 1918 pandemic, so in a way they can also be counted as victims of the great war.