Something Important Happens on 11/11/11 (Not Another Skyrim Thread)

[antigodoflife]

Yes. In Australia we take Remembrance Day seriously. Well, we used to. I still do, but many people in my generation no longer care. In 08 we had blasted teenagers deface some of the monuments in some sort of misguided Anti-War protest.

Well, personally I hate Remembrance Day, I think it's horrible we have to sit and stare at our feet whether we like it or not for the times Australia were treated like human shields of shit to protect... England. Not Australia. Then later America.

But defacing monuments is way too far. It's second to stabbing a war vet.

Hey, hold on a sec. When did America give you a Gallipoli? The US and the Australians fought as equals against the Japanese.

I'm talking about future wars, like the Gulf Wars 1 and 2. Thank God, John Howard was smart (oddly) and sent us to war as back up so that we were rarely in danger.

 

[dyre]

Yes. In Australia we take Remembrance Day seriously. Well, we used to. I still do, but many people in my generation no longer care. In 08 we had blasted teenagers deface some of the monuments in some sort of misguided Anti-War protest.

Well, personally I hate Remembrance Day, I think it's horrible we have to sit and stare at our feet whether we like it or not for the times Australia were treated like human shields of shit to protect... England. Not Australia. Then later America.

But defacing monuments is way too far. It's second to stabbing a war vet.

Hey, hold on a sec. When did America give you a Gallipoli? The US and the Australians fought as equals against the Japanese.

I'm talking about future wars, like the Gulf Wars 1 and 2. Thank God, John Howard was smart (oddly) and sent us to war as back up so that we were rarely in danger.

Well, that was mostly due to our "coalition building" garbage, to pretend it was a global effort, rather than us defending oil interests and regional stability. America has done a lot of bad things, but I don't really think treating the Australians as human shields of shit is one of them. That's really mostly the British, but they treat everyone like shit.

 

[Drake666]

We celebrate that day too in Canada.
I'm not from a family of soldiers (far from it), but we cannot forget those who've laid their lives for something greater then themselves.

 

[crunchpodx]

I'll be playing Skyrim lol

awww yeah

 

[GrandmaFunk]

I celebrate every Remembrance Day by taking the day off and playing through the first Call of Duty.

 

[SeanSeanston]

I want you to look at your hair color. Is it blond?

What about your eyes, are they blue?

>Implying Nazis hated all those with brown eyes and/or brown hair and didn't regard any of them as "Aryan".

I mean... do people really find it necessary to make Nazi crimes look even worse than they were? Is the truth not objectionable enough?

Sometimes they're made out to be some kind of Batman villains who went around gassing people for the crime of having brown hair (which realistically, would probably be most people in every country in the world, including most Nazis).

As an aside too, here's an interesting link I came upon a long time ago. I'll just plop it here and people can interpret it however they wish:
http://woa2.com/nazi-fail/

Doesn't have that picture of Chiang Kai-shek's adopted son as an officer candidate in the Wehrmacht either.

Here in Ireland there is usually a few small Armistice Day ceremonies to commemorate the Irishmen who died during WW1 but the majority of the folks here don't mark the day for reasons that should be obvious

Yes, this.

Though also I have something against the Royal British Legion with the whole Cannon Fodder poppy "scandal" where they acted like typical ignorant anti-game pricks who didn't know the actual situation and didn't want to know the actual situation.
Given this obvious common ground with people like the infamous writers of The Daily Mail, it's not hard for me to look at people's claims here of the poppy's implicit glorification of war and feel rather sympathetic that that may indeed be the case.

Though indeed, whenever I see the red poppy, it's always Cannon Fodder on the Amiga that I think of immediately rather than anything else.

EDIT: Actually, maybe I'll play some Cannon Fodder on the 11th? That was a good, surprisingly deep if you look at it, satire on war.

I'll just leave you all with this classic song from the same game on the screen where you watched the hill gradually cover with more and more graves as the game went on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55cbGTlgHqI

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

I buy the poppy symbols to support the War veterans, but I always forget to wear it. I don't attend the ceremonies that are held, but I do take the day to reflect and consider the horrors of warfare. It's really not about politics - it's about remembering how brutal war can be and remembering the cost of war. Whether or not you think the war was worth it or not, we should all pause and reflect on the tremendous suffering and cost that wars bring. WW1 was a true nightmare for so many soldiers, on all sides of the conflict. WW2 was even more of a nightmare. It's always important to remember that.

It should be about remembering the cost of war, not politics, but it isn't. It's about glorifying the idea of going off to fight for one's country.

That's why i wear a white poppy.

(Warning, rant incoming, not directed at you personally)
And that is what I hate. That someone misinterpreted the point of the Red Poppy to see it as glorifying war. It's not, it never did. The Red Poppy is meant to honor the Veterans who survived, and to lament those who perished. It was NOT about how glorious the conflict was. But some ignorant asshole decides that it is too harsh and cruel, so they made up a fucking white poppy so people could say that they're helping when they aren't.

I find it absolutely disgraceful, especially considering that the Veterans do not condone the White Poppy, nor is it sold by the Canadian Legion Branches. NONE of the money raised by selling white poppies goes towards the veterans, it's pretty much a slap in the face to them that someone decided to take a day dedicated to vets and their fallen friends and turn it into a goddamn anti-war protest.

I'm sorry, this isn't directed at you personally, but I just absolutely hate the implications attached to the White Poppy.

Its not a slap in the face to veterans, and you're talking crap if you're trying to say you can speak on behalf of every vet out there and tell me they all hate the white poppy. Indeed i have family in the services who arent against it, aswell as the British legion itself saying it doesnt mind people wearing the white poppy.
The white poppy is worn to seperate rememberance from all the militaristic and other political aspects of rememberance day. Especially in Ireland and to a lesser extent here in Glasgow where the red poppy has strong Unionist symbolism. I honestly dont see the problem you have people choosing to wear an alternate symbol for rememberance.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I live near a town in France called Le Quesnoy wich was freed by New Zelander during 1st World War, every year on the 11th of November a delagation of kiwis come and do the Haka to honor the the soldiers who fought this battle. I'll try my hardest to be there on that day.

 

[Knusper]

I bought a white poppy and will be marching at a parade with my cadet section on Sunday. I have noticed that the amount of people - of all ages - wearing poppies has decreased dramatically; it used to be everyone but now not even the old lady goes from house to house selling them any more.

 

[Burn2Feel]

I'm waiting to see if those jackasses decide to start selling White Poppies as a protest against war like they did last year.

Amen to that, the poppy synbolises the awful loss of war. Putting on a white one I found to be quite insulting to those who have lost loved ones to battle, as it essentially says that they died for nothing. War is terrible, but if you are going to fight then you at least want someone to think that you did the right thing.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

Well the Irish president is being sworn into office too.

 

[DracoSuave]

I'll damn well make sure my trap will be shut and that my chest will proudly display my poppy.

My opinion is that if we have to keep reminding ourselves of our past mistakes, then we have learned nothing from them.

It's not a mistake. We're honouring those who died protecting our people and our values. It's the opposite of a mistake.

So the people they were fighting were mistaken instead?

Spoiler: Depends on what you catagorize a mistake

 

[putowtin]

Old men sending young men out to die, young men dying for a politicians lie.

A truth that I fear still hasn't been learned

Poppy day always has and always will be observed in my house

 

[mirasiel]

I have noticed that the amount of people - of all ages - wearing poppies has decreased dramatically; it used to be everyone but now not even the old lady goes from house to house selling them any more.

Probably something to do with the lack of bloody metal pins on them, I must have bought a half dozen poppies now and I keep losing them because cant actually pin them to my jacket in this crappy weather.

 

[SaberXIII]

Important? Not really, past is the past, dead people aren't going to care whether I spend 2 minutes for people I don't know, only the living will get offended on their behalf.

I second this. I'll participate in the silence, but only because my school makes me do so. There is little point in it.

 

[CODE-D]

Silent but Deathly, get it.
Of course Im not doing it, how about we riot instead about the absurdities of government. Standing around in silence is just that, nothing and nothing accomplishes nothing. Theres only one type of war that should ever be fought and thats a defensive one and since my country's only truly ever had one of those and it too was kinda pointless theres not much to remember.

 

[Hipsy_Gypsy]

It's somewhat controversial here in Northern Ireland. Many (but not necessarily) nationalists would refuse to wear a poppy and a lot of places will ask people to leave if they are wearing one, in case they cause offence.
I always remember standing up and having a minute's silence in all the years I've been in school. I'm always happy enough to do it because it's respectful and I would wear a poppy.

 

[Synyster]

From Australia here, there will definitely be a few minutes of silence and a red poppy flower for Remembrance Day for me....and Skyrim of course

 

[Camaranth]

It's a big deal to me. I never used to get it really, until I went on a trip around the north of France and part of Belgium visiting all the memorials etc, Vimy Ridge, the small German cemetery (can't remember the name right now which is terrible) all of it just touched me, something changed and I suddenly understood why this day is so Damn Important! It's not about the war, or the politics. It's about people dieing, people both sides of a conflict who are just following orders and never going home as a result. Regardless of why they joined up and if it was willingly or otherwise.

I'm actually in a lecture at 11 on friday and I will be Pissed if he doesn't stop. Either way I'll observe the two minuets probably at 11 in class or immediately afterwards.
And I'll attend a service on Sunday.