Do you think Remembrance day is a day that everyone should take part in?

[lRookiel]

Me personally I take Remembrance day seriously because it's a way to give respect, I just had a chat with one of my friends and he thinks that people are idiots for making war happen in the first place, so he's not going to honour Humanity's mistakes.

But what do you guys think?

 

[SongsOfDragons]

It is, eventually, one's own decision. Sometimes I just wish the dissenters would go away and do something else while letting those who want to pay our respects do so calmly without having to listen to their unending drivel that soon sounds like a sick jackhammer.

My paternal grandfather was a gunner in the Merchant Navy in WWII, fear him. No U-boat was safe!! We still have his medals, though I don't have what they are to hand. Dad has them.

Also, being a Brit, we have the poppy thing. So much RAR RAR RAR about 'poppy fascism', whatever that is...and people hating on them... I wear my poppy in my hair because I like it better and I don't want to poke holes in my top.

 

[HaydnHarry]

Just mention to your friend that the 'idiots' that made war happen weren't the same people that actually fought and died in it. They were normal people, without a proper say in it. This is why they were innocent, and this is why it is such a tragedy.

 

[Kinguendo]

Its a time to remember soldiers who fought for a GOOD reason, not just for any reason. Adding Iraq and Afghanistan was a foolish mistake, those wars should be remembered for the innocent people who were murdered by both sides.

But NOOOO, say anything about respecting innocent muslims and idiots shit down your throat this time of year.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Taking one day out of a year to remember something never seemed like a good idea to me. If it's important, which it is, you should bear it in mind all year.

Additionally, I don't like the way people blur the line between "respect the fallen" and "war is inherently good"

 

[dslatch]

From november 1st i pick up 3 poppies (i lose alot of them) and aint seen without one till the 12th. And the remembrance day assembley is the only school assembely i go to.

During the moment of silence is as unified as the world will ever be, because everybody is thinking and mourning the loss not of their acestors but of every person who died during the great war and every war afterward no matter what side they where fighting for.

so yes i beleive everyone should take part no excuses. Millions died for our freedom or for the safety of people they never met.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Its a time to remember soldiers who fought for a GOOD reason, not just for any reason. Adding Iraq and Afghanistan was a foolish mistake, those wars should be remembered for the innocent people who were murdered by both sides.

Doesn't work...you can't jsut exclude soldiers who died in wars you personally don't like.

And...when you sign up, I don't think there's a clause that allows you to opt out of wars you think are foolish, you sign up to fight for your country and hope you only fight when it's worthwhile.

 

[Ruwrak]

We have the 4th of may. We remember all fallen soldiers of WWII primairily, and to a certain extend the rest of the soldiers later on that gave their lives. I believe that we also have a rememberance day for the Indonesian war.. Altough I can't say it's as huge.

 

[wakenbake]

Some wars are fought in a just cause and remembering the men and women who fought and died helps us all to remember that.

Glorifying or trying to 'upgrade' a war to a Just war (i.e. Iraq/Afghanistan) is just cynical media-based manipulation for political ends.

I am always moved to think about how many times I died playing COD or MOH and think that guys did that for REAL(ish).

 

[Therumancer]

Wars are never popular, and with the way the media has been out of control with the current wars and fear by the youth of being forced to get involved... nobody ever WANTS to go to war, and especially not to be drafted, it's not surprising that things like "Rememberance Day" are hardly popular at the moment.

Truthfully, I'd make careful note about what song people are singing right now. Not that your ever likely to do anyting with the information, but it's going to be interesting to note the differance between now, and how people are going to be asking when the current state of affairs is a memory.

Sort of like how you have draft dodgers trying to act all patriotic AFTER the war is over and so on.

It's a pretty typical state of affairs that when people need something from their goverment or to draw benefits from citizenship they are all patriotic. When the goverment might need something from them, perhaps even their lives, it's a differant tune. To be honest every war is "differant" when it's going on now, wars, especially long ones, are never popular with the people. Despite the peachy picture painted in the history books, people weren't exactly thrilled with things like World War II. In the US for example people tend to portray it as "the greatest generation" rising up to do what was right, it doesn't get into all of the isolationist and peace at any price sentiment that was present then too, but also largely because the goverment invoked emergency powers, gagged opposing viewpoints in the media, and launched what was perhaps the most intensive campaign of wartime propaganda in human history. Emergency powers, media control, and actual propaganda (as opposed to the accusation of such) is what has caused pretty much every war since World War II to turn out like it has.

At any rate, I'm getting further and further afield, but the bottom line is that when a war is going on the people always want it to end, and will rant about how unjust it is so it will end... and that reflects on the way other war rememberances are treated. I don't think this is anything new... and it's just going to get worse the longer a war goes on.

 

[Thaluikhain]

In Australia, ANZAC day, the day of the first landings at Gallipoli is alot bigger that Remembrance day.

It's also a total disgrace, the history being distorted and mythologised by all and sundry. People are proud as punch about the ANZACs, they just tend not to remember who was involved, why and sometimes even who won the fucking campaign.

Every year, hordes of drunken morons show their respect by holding fucking rock concerts on the battlefield (they played "Staying Alive" by the Beegees one memorable year), amidst cries of "show us ya tits!", and then camp out between the tombstones.

Every Australian soldier at Gallipoli (and by extension, afterwards) is an identical heroic larrikin, fighting solely for Australia's freedom and fully aware of the risks they were taking. They were obviously far superior to any other forces then or now, and would have won if it wasn't for the treachery of the British commanders, who never had any failures that led to massive disasters elsewhere in the war.

 

[SongsOfDragons]

We have the 4th of may. We remember all fallen soldiers of WWII primairily, and to a certain extend the rest of the soldiers later on that gave their lives. I believe that we also have a rememberance day for the Indonesian war.. Altough I can't say it's as huge.

That's ANZAC day you're referring to, isn't it?

 

[Ruwrak]

We have the 4th of may. We remember all fallen soldiers of WWII primairily, and to a certain extend the rest of the soldiers later on that gave their lives. I believe that we also have a rememberance day for the Indonesian war.. Altough I can't say it's as huge.

Someone quoted me on this, I come here. No post.
Okay.

But no, it's not ANZAC unless you live in the Netherlands you probably won't know about this day. 't Was about the time the Netherlands were still fighting to maintain their colonies in Indonesia. In the end the Netherlands gave up on the colonies and gave them back their sovereignity.

Now we remember the dead and celebrate our mutual friendship (Just like with Suriname I guess.)


Edit:

We have the 4th of may. We remember all fallen soldiers of WWII primairily, and to a certain extend the rest of the soldiers later on that gave their lives. I believe that we also have a rememberance day for the Indonesian war.. Altough I can't say it's as huge.

That's ANZAC day you're referring to, isn't it?

There is the post

 

[Thaluikhain]

We have the 4th of may. We remember all fallen soldiers of WWII primairily, and to a certain extend the rest of the soldiers later on that gave their lives. I believe that we also have a rememberance day for the Indonesian war.. Altough I can't say it's as huge.

That's ANZAC day you're referring to, isn't it?

ANZAC day is April 25, and is more a WW1 thing.

 

[flamingjimmy]

I strongly dislike the nationalistic overtones that are so often present on remembrance day, however I somewhat approve of it as a pan-national day of remembrance for all those who have had their lives taken or ruined by war. The cynic in me just seems to think 'whats the point though' but it doesn't do any harm (apart from the nationalism) so I usually just go with it.

 

[Vegosiux]

The best way to honor those you believe to have given their lives so you can live yours in peace is to actually live your life, not stand around for 2 minutes once every year.

 

[Hugga_Bear]

No. I personally take time out to honour the dead (from both sides, I despise war and feel for all those who put themselves in one) but if someone doesn't want to then I don't want them pretending to.
I think it should be emphasised that it's remembering the fallen, not the wars, people seem to think it glorifies war somehow, that's definitely not the point of the exercise.

So no, I think it should be suggested but no one should be forced to join in, that just breeds resentment and makes the whole thing a charade, it should be genuine or there's no point.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I think it should be emphasised that it's remembering the fallen, not the wars, people seem to think it glorifies war somehow, that's definitely not the point of the exercise.

Er, it definitely shouldn't be the point. Unfortunately, that's not quite the same thing.

 

[biGBum333]

totally

The best way to honor those you believe to have given their lives so you can live yours in peace is to actually live your life, not stand around for 2 minutes once every year.

as if that was much to ask in the first place