Quote:
| Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] (Lou @ Nov. 11 2003,14:50)]We had a voluntary 2 min silence here today. |
<font color='#000080'>We have <u>involuntary<u> two minute silences where I work (govt owned building). Officially sanctioned commemorations(Princess Margarets death (widely assumed to be alcohol related), Queen mother dying at ripe old age, poppy day, sept 11th) have two minute silences announced in advance, announced over tannoy, non-participants requested to "respect silence". I imagine this is not the only workplace where this happens.
I wonder how many of the people who are reported as participating in officially sanctioned silences do so involuntarily?
Official publicity (items on the news reporting requests for silence, guesses as to how many people will participate) etc builds officially sanctioned commemorations up weeks in advance. Employees are pressurised to participate.
Strange in particular that the death of a 90+ year old woman (Queen mother) was thought more worthy of silence than the commemoration of the 6 million+ victims of the holocaust - the first Holocaust Memorial Day was on January 27th 2002. Unlike Poppy day, Queen mothers death etc there was no advance build up on the news, no encouragement or facilities for employees to observe any form of commemoration.
6 million innocent civilians vs one old and extremely rich woman. I know who I'd choose for official remembrance.