GCollier

Personally I thought the time for reflection was valuable - it's not often that time for such focus is available with busy office/family life. If everyone spent a little more time actually thinking deeply about events which happen in this world, then it may just make it a tiny bit of a better place.

Sadly many people seem to be little more than automotans, incapable of seeing any value in reflection, but only of re-acting to stimulus provided by an increasingly shallow, materialistic and superficial society.

Gary.

G-STAR

Iain Young

Some people are, I'm not. I don't need 3 minutes of enforced silence to enable me to contemplate what is going on in the world as I am intelligent enough to be able to find time and work this out by myself. Sadly there are many people who are not, but I'm afraid 3 minutes of silence isn't going to change that.

What I object to is the way people treat you like scum if you don't want to observe the silence, when they have no insight into the reasons why you do not wish to partake.

backdoors

I just find it objectionable that we are told what to find tragic by an increasingly emotional pc ridden media. The public outpourings of grief from those who have nothing to do with the tragedy are also rather ridiculous.

paulr

We never had three minutes silence at work and tbh i'm rather glad we never.Like a few people here its just not my thing,i'm not really very good at meaningless gestures (in my opinion that is),i'd much rather do something practical to help.

If you want a great example of disaster fundraising just look at live aid.

pslewis

I would be afraid for the safety of those here who object to such shows of respect and reflection if they chose to sing through a Mass Manchester United silence before a game ............ why not stand up there and sing something like, "I don't give a toss, I don't give a toss, you are all a bunch of media led w4nkers"??

Hmmmmmmm, thought not! All talk and bullsh1t!

The time is a 'suggested' time for reflection, the fact that 99% of the human race wish to show some repect does NOT make them Media Led Hyped members of the human race.

I find Astraboys photograph of a giant blow-up wave and his claim that he sent it to the children in the disaster area childish, distasteful and an illustration of a sick mind (I asked in another thread about how humans could be so sick to each other, I reckon I have just been answered)

Pete

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Completely pointless for most right thinking people who reliase whats going on
in the world, it may however make a few of the me me me brigade think about something else other than themselves.

Might as well bark at the moon, would do the victims about as much good, 50 quid however is a bit more useful, would like to know what the trult rich are doing, Bill Gates has coughed a few quid (I think I heard that), where's Elton Job and Robbie (rich beyond my wildest dreams) Williams, I know some do it quietly but perhaps a few more celebs should be more vocal about any giving they actually do.

Makes me think however, if aids, bombs, floods, earthquakes starvation etc etc didnt kill millions each year, it would soon get pretty crowded on this planet, as a species we are too successful at breeding, something needs to keep numbers down, and it does, its just not a very fair system, if you are poor your f*cked, however if your rich your only predators are old age, assasination and Helicopters, I say this as there is never more than a few months go by without some rich bloke splatting his Chopper into a Hillside, power lines or similar.

I might sound a bit cruel but seeing people who have lost kids like described earlier is so heart rending, I felt myself welling up in work. Wont go into detail but last year I was in a situation wherby I thought I had lost all my family in a car crash and it left me a little different that, took me weeks to get my head straight and that was just a misunderstanding that turned out to be nothing, so having it actually happen, theres nothing else anybody could do to me that would be worse.

pslewis

If the rich said that they had donated £5000 (say) or £500k (say) then they would be seen as showing off!!

If they remain quiet then they know and those who receive the help know - thats what giving should be about .....

Pete

astraboy

Fair enough, your perogotive. But at least you're coming to the conclusion yourself rather than being told to by Sky news. Maybe an old dog can learn new tricks
I suppose I'll have to keep the multiple PMs I received from board members telling me how funny they found it and how they were going to send it out to friends via email to myself though.
astraboy.

astraboy

Oh and I notice you didn't disagree with my comment about how you are a victim of media manipulation either.
*runs away*

pslewis

Feel free to post their names ......... doesn't make it right or decent

I must accept that you are just a kiddie who has only just stopped wetting his bed and therefore know nothing about life ........... that can be your only excuse!

Pete

imlach

Like some on here, I have spent my own time thinking about the disaster. Some others at work also suggested they have thought about it a lot at other times, and didn't feel the need to observe it strictly, although they all respected others views.

The thing that niggles is the ever increasing number of minutes we are being asked to remain silent. Yes, this is a HUGE loss of life, but World War I and World War II had FAR more loss, yet only get a minute of our time every year.
I'd far rather it was standardised at 1 minute for all.

One further thing. We seem to have "minute's silence" more & more frequently at football matches, other sporting events, etc now. Is the ever increasing frequency not devaluing the whole concept????

To sum up, why the need for three minutes when surely one would suffice? Or is it because we have a 'pecking order' of disasters nowadays?

I feel one minute is effective enough for those who choose to do their quite reflection in this time. As someone else said, who spends more time stressing over who's NOT observing the silence, and wondering how long the silence has to go?!

pslewis

Remember that wars and car accidents and aids and such are all man-made and as the result of mans actions

This disaster was pure nature at work - we reflect also on the power of nature to do what she wants to us ..... we think we are so clever and in control of the planet - we are not, and could be wiped out in an instant

That makes you think if nothing else does ......

Pete

dsmith

Wtf ? Why ? I dont give 2 hoots about what "a celeb" gave - its a matter entirely for them. I'm deeply cynical about why any celeb would publicise a donation - surely not to grab a few column inches in amongst the medias favourite topic of the moment......

scoobynutta555

I thought the pic was quite good. Comedy my friend can be found everywhere and especially where tragedy and death occur. Always has been, always will be.

Death occurs to everyone born, be it from a wave or from a number 10 bus. Some peoples reaction to mortality maybe to make a few jokes to make it easier to bear.


Maybe the three minutes silence was a minute per wave?

Nexuas

And if you asked each individual memeber of the crowd, outside the context of the minutes silence? Do you think they would be so passionate about it? I think not, I imagine many will be as cynical as the rest of us?

57% of statistics are made up!!! Also if it is a suggested time for reflection why am I being made to feel bad about not observing this event? Why did chanel 4 news publically shame anyone caught on film not participating in this spectacular media staged event. If the silence was so important how come hundreds of film crews had to work during this silence in such public places. Surely they should have stopped what they were doing and stood still and silent in deep reflection for the full three minutes...or did they reflect before or after this media staged event? Maybe like I have done, and I am sure have amny others, but I am able to find my own time to do this, believe it or not I am reflecting on the events as I type this, as I drive the car, as I sit on the bog. WE ARE FREE THINKING INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT NEED TO BE TOLD WHEN AND WHAT TO THINK, AND SHOULD NOT BE SHAMED OR MADE TO FEL BAD IF WE DISAGREE!!!

Just because


I personally have not clicked on the link as I do not wish to see images that mock the severity and human tradgady of this event, and if you were going to be so shocked by seeing such a thing then how come you clicked the link, it was clear from what was written that this would be a "gag" taken from the events of boxing day.

OllyK

Sure, I'd agree if it was a "man made" tradgedy, but no amount of "reflection" is going to prevent another earth quake occuring. Cash invested in early warning systems, may however, make a difference.

CC

p1sstake lewis ure oh so controversial

Dieseldog

Ahh, the fine, erudite mind of a true debater comes to the fore....

I found astraboys pic funny, it's called black humour and as scobbynutta555 says is a fact of life and a coping mechanism... But then again i'm not a po faced, self important Daily Mail reader, who goes through life deperately seeking opportunities to take umbrage at any perceived slight or offence

Geezer

Humour is always at someones expense, doesn't stop it being funny.

What I find more distasteful is your attitude Pete. You have used this tragedy to take some sort of moral high ground and sneer at the people who have chosen to to take part in some meaningless event when you know nothing of what they have contributed or how they truly feel about the disaster.

It is particulary odd when your posting throughout the rest of the year shows a completely different point of view!

Geezer

Tiggs

dont talk crap.....people stand still because people are dead.....nothing to do with "also on the power of nature"

ian huntley wasnt a big wave but the soham girls got a silence.

the blue planet showed the power of nature but no one stood silent outside the BBC documentary dept. to show their respect.

T

jonc

Does that make their deaths any less worthy?

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I'd say somebody going into a war knowing the possible consequences demands a greater amount of respect than somebody who was just unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Leslie

So many thousands lost their lives defending our freedom in the world wars, and an enormous number were killed because of the utter stupidity of the "Colonel Blimp" mentality which treated the soldiers as cannon fodder to no real tactical advantage.

Whether it is due to the obscenity which any war really is or a truly dreadful natural disaster such as the tsunamis, it is only right that we should pay respect to those who lost their lives.

Les

Iain Young

Including the 30,000 that die every day in Africa due to no fault of their own other than being starved, being born with hiv, caught up in civil war etc? If we had 3 minute silences for all of these events then nobody would ever do anything.

Where is the 3 minute silence for all the innocent civilians that were killed in the iraq wars (which we were actually responsible for)?

I just don't understand why people think one set of people dying are more worthy of respect than others. Surely the best way to respect those who have died is to try and help those who didn't so (in the case of Africa for instance) they don't have to suffer the same fate and can start rebuilding their lives.