Do you observe a minute's silence for the 1 million Rwandans murdered in 1993-94?

[Yorkie]

Finally, the RBL does more for ex-servivemen and women than any government has ever done. Their benevolence is something to apsire to not mock.

Well said

 

[London Irish]

Because it is using an important occasion to make a political point.

It was this bit that provokes censorship Juan. You are saying it is illegitimate for OTLW to cite events like Remembrance Sunday and 9/11 and draw attention to the inconsistent nature of state-orchestrated mourning.

On the contrary, it is always healthy to question whose deaths the government wants you to remember and whose it wants you to forget.

To say that approach dishonours the victims of WW1/WW2 or 9/11 is utterly illogical. But if you use that approach as an attack-argument, well, certainly it's an emotive way to silence those asking awkward questions, that's true enough.

There are many hypocrisies surrounding 9/11. That atrocity has been manipulated politically to cause death and destruction on a scale that dwarfs the New York death-toll. Again, to point that out doesn't dishonour 9/11 victims, many family members of that tragedy have made exactly the same argument. OTLW is entitled to agree with them without facing baseless charges that he is dishonouring or disrespecting the dead.

 

[London Irish]

Finally, the RBL does more for ex-servivemen and women than any government has ever done. Their benevolence is something to apsire to not mock.

No doubt you'll be able to point to the passage where the work of the RBL is mocked in this thread, by OTLW or anyone else.

But of course you can't, because you've made up that baseless accusation to silence someone who is making political points with which you disagree.

In fact, if you look on the second page of this thread I outlined the reasons why the RBL understandably operates in Ireland.

 

[Juan Albion]

On the contrary, it is always healthy to question whose deaths the government wants you to remember and whose it wants you to forget.

There's your first mistake. This is not a government issue. While there may be a ceremony that is organised by the government, that is only a tiny part of Remembrance Day. The vast majority of events have absolutely nothing to do with "who the government wants you to remember," it has to do with those who lost loved ones remembering them, and those who are grateful for what they did saying thank you. And as I have also said, it is a time for us all to reflect on the tragedy of all war. None of these last things comes from the government, it comes from people's hearts. As someone who arranged, designed and led two Remembrance services this year, I can tell you it wasn't as a result of anything that any government said. Both featured, as in previous years, veterans crying on my shoulder or while shaking my hand afterwards.

And yes, I would say that OTLW did disrespect the dead by the timing of his posting. I would agree that questions should be asked, but the timing of this was everything. It's a little word called 'respect.'

 

[Juan Albion]

No doubt you'll be able to point to the passage where the work of the RBL is mocked in this thread, by OTLW or anyone else.

But of course you can't, because you've made up that baseless accusation to silence someone who is making political points with which you disagree.

That's super coming from someone who writes junk like "Reading that, I was left with the impression that OTLW had charged into a remembrance day ceremony and had pissed on a few graves in an artful fashion to spell out the word peace."

Then you talk about making stuff up! Irish, you are a joker sometimes...

 

[dougdeep]

I think what I find offensive in OTLWs view is that he overlooks that this is about ALL the war dead who faught and served in other ways for their belief in our way of life. I can't judge what went through my grandfathers or fathers mind when they went to war. The former was gassed and held a prossoner of war - many of his comrades were not so lucky. My wifes grandfather was an objector and so ended up being a fireman in Portsmouth. We remember thoose brave people as much as the sepoy or gurkah of Polish airman. Note just how many poppies the RBL dropped, not the state, who do not organised rememberance day.

So OTLW feels guilty about mans inhumanity to man. Lots of people on this board doubtless do their bit to make the world a better place - sponsor children, help refugees or raise money to send cows to Africa. They value those peoples lives as well but want respect when they respect those who fell for us (regardless or race, colour, religion, disability or sexual orientation) whether in a trench, a derrigable or a fire watcher. I also doesn't mean that they can't see war as futile on an individual level. My young children will accompany me to the village memorial and, in time, hopefuly be grateful for what their forebares did for them. They will probably be upsett by many events yet to come as well.

Finally, the RBL does more for ex-servivemen and women than any government has ever done. Their benevolence is something to apsire to not mock.

Well said sir, I'm proud to be a member of the R.B.L. they do a great job.

 

[On the Left Wing]

On the contrary, it is always healthy to question whose deaths the government wants you to remember and whose it wants you to forget.

Precisely

To paraphrase part of a song written by Bob Dylan almost 40 years ago:

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

............

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

.................

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul


And there is no disrespect intended by starting this post when I did. I started the post in response to another one someone else had started in support of Remembrance Day.

I refuse to repeat what I have already posted .... may I suggest some people re-read my postings on this thread, because there is too much misinterpreation and ranting going on here!

 

[LEWES CLIFF]

OTLW you are far to clever forthe likes of us with youre wit,wisdom and general knowledge.Thank you for talking to us ,i am pleased in my life to have read the comments of someone as wonderfull as you and thank you for taking time off from cooking nut roast and reading.Once again thank you.

 

[On the Left Wing]

OTLW you are far to clever forthe likes of us with youre wit,wisdom and general knowledge.Thank you for talking to us ,i am pleased in my life to have read the comments of someone as wonderfull as you and thank you for taking time off from cooking nut roast and reading.Once again thank you.

And may I in turn thank you for your sarcasm