Remembrance Day parade - OK to walk alongside?
Discussion
Bit of hot debate on a local Facebook group at the moment following the Remembrance Day parade that took place in the town yesterday - essentially it's your standard band at the front, servicemen and women past and present followed by scouts, cubs, beavers, guides, brownies and rainbows etc.
They start at the Town Hall and then wander about 200m down to the cenotaph in the park.
This year once the band and soldiers had gone by masses of people decided to walk down to the park, this meant they essentially joined the parade and blocked visibility for those of us wanting to see our kids at the back.
For me I think it's great that a 5 year old will go out in the freezing cold on a Sunday as a mark of respect to something she doesn't fully understand and then stand around while a chap in a black dress makes out it's all about God. As such I think it's respectful to let the whole parade pass and then follow it to the service.
But a number of people (of all ages) seem to think it's respectful to walk with the parade and to hell with anyone who wants to see.
I appreciate I've probably made my stance on this clear and worded it with a bias as a result but what are your thoughts? Does it matter as long as you're there?
They start at the Town Hall and then wander about 200m down to the cenotaph in the park.
This year once the band and soldiers had gone by masses of people decided to walk down to the park, this meant they essentially joined the parade and blocked visibility for those of us wanting to see our kids at the back.
For me I think it's great that a 5 year old will go out in the freezing cold on a Sunday as a mark of respect to something she doesn't fully understand and then stand around while a chap in a black dress makes out it's all about God. As such I think it's respectful to let the whole parade pass and then follow it to the service.
But a number of people (of all ages) seem to think it's respectful to walk with the parade and to hell with anyone who wants to see.
I appreciate I've probably made my stance on this clear and worded it with a bias as a result but what are your thoughts? Does it matter as long as you're there?
Edited by thetapeworm on Monday 13th November 09:30
thetapeworm said:
For me I think it's great that a 5 year old will go out in the freezing cold on a Sunday as a mark of respect to something she doesn't fully understand and then stand around while a chap in a black dress makes out it's all about God.
Entirely her idea and choice, was it?thetapeworm said:
As such I think it's respectful to let the whole parade pass and then follow it to the service.
Which is more important? That you get to see your gently bewildered sprog doing what you want them to do, or that those people who have a direct connection to the losses of the wars commemorate their lost friends and family?stuartmmcfc said:
Sounds like it may be because the organisers allowed to big a gap between the servicemen and the kids which allowed people to join in between.
At ours people joined at the tail as it went past.
I doubt offence was meant.
There was no gap between them, people clearly just wanted to get a better spot at the cenotaph so walked alongside the parade between the crowd on the path and the parade itself to beat the "rush".At ours people joined at the tail as it went past.
I doubt offence was meant.
I doubt offence was even considered.
thetapeworm said:
stuartmmcfc said:
Sounds like it may be because the organisers allowed to big a gap between the servicemen and the kids which allowed people to join in between.
At ours people joined at the tail as it went past.
I doubt offence was meant.
There was no gap between them, people clearly just wanted to get a better spot at the cenotaph so walked alongside the parade between the crowd on the path and the parade itself to beat the "rush".At ours people joined at the tail as it went past.
I doubt offence was meant.
I doubt offence was even considered.
Regardless of how much the members of the various youth organisations really understand the reason they're there, the fact is that they are there, and have given up their Sunday morning to go out in the cold in their uniforms. That should be respected by the onlookers. Who gave them the right to decide which parts of the parade should be respected and which shouldn't?
TooMany2cvs said:
Which is more important? That you get to see your gently bewildered sprog doing what you want them to do, or that those people who have a direct connection to the losses of the wars commemorate their lost friends and family?
Seriously?I would expect that those truly with a direct connection to the losses of the wars (and I don't mean a granddad you never met) would be the last people to force themselves alongside the parade. They're respect the whole parade going past.
The self-important numpties who want to be seen standing near the mayor, on the other hand? Definitely the sort of pillocks who'd think they're far too important to wait.
stuartmmcfc said:
Sounds like it may be because the organisers allowed to big a gap between the servicemen and the kids which allowed people to join in between.
At ours people joined at the tail as it went past.
I doubt offence was meant.
From an audience perspective then joining the tail was a better option I think. At ours people joined at the tail as it went past.
I doubt offence was meant.
Frustrating I'm sure Op - but I'm sure no offence intended in the whole thing.
TooMany2cvs said:
thetapeworm said:
For me I think it's great that a 5 year old will go out in the freezing cold on a Sunday as a mark of respect to something she doesn't fully understand and then stand around while a chap in a black dress makes out it's all about God.
Entirely her idea and choice, was it?thetapeworm said:
As such I think it's respectful to let the whole parade pass and then follow it to the service.
Which is more important? That you get to see your gently bewildered sprog doing what you want them to do, or that those people who have a direct connection to the losses of the wars commemorate their lost friends and family?Yes, it was entirely my daughter's choice to be part of the parade, not her idea though, the Rainbows group discussed the topic of remembrance day in advance and invited the kids to take part if they wanted. We supported her decision and took her there what with her being 5 and not being able to go out on her own yet but in no way suggested she had to do it for our viewing pleasure.
Obviously the most important thing is remembering what it's all about and not nit-picking things but you clearly don't get the point I'm trying to make, this wasn't about a throng of people with direct connections wanting to show their respect, this was people on phones, chatting about what they watched on TV and vaping huge clouds of smoke trying to get to the park before other people did so they could secure a decent vantage point to mumble the national anthem from and justify the poppy on the Facebook picture.
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