Thank Goodness Yesterday's "Day Of Reflection" Is Over.

[dave50]

Why do we need reminding of a year of misery? Not interested.

[jim360]

I don't think there's a specific memorial to that one, pastafreak, but that is perhaps because the 1918 flu deaths were, to an extent, lost in the noise of the First World War.

[emmie]

Where are the memorials to the 1918 flu pandemic?
Brian Zecchinelli installed this monument to 1918 flu pandemic victims in Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vt. Zecchinelli's grandfather died when the flu swept through Vermont in the fall of 1918. Of the few examples that exist, many were only recently unveiled: a 2018 graveyard bench in Vermont and a 2019 garden plaque in New Zealand's capital.

[emmie]

not so Jim.

[naomi24]

Jim, //The other significant day of remembrance has never been confined to a single event, or to something that is wholly in the past. Why should this one be? //

That other significant event doesn't 'commemorate' those who might die in wars to come. Ridiculous.

Commemorate: //recall and show respect for (someone or something).//

[jim360]

Thanks for the correction emmie; I think it further serves to underline my point, though: there's nothing inherently unusual about installing a monument to those who died in a pandemic, whether or not that pandemic is ongoing.

[emmie]

anywhere between 30-50 million died from that Spanish Flu apparently.

[woofgang]

I think its quite reasonable to have a national day of reflection so that people can be involved if they want to. I didn't want to be involved, so in my house it went unmarked and unnoticed. I also think a national memorial is acceptable but not yet.

[Old_Geezer]

Agree with the OP.

Mind you it's been pretty bad https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DeadliestPandemicsbyPopulation-DatastreamSupplemental-1-1.jpg

[jim360]

"That other significant event doesn't 'commemorate' those who might die in wars to come."

I've always understood Remembrance Day as being in honour of those who lay down their lives for the service of their country and the world. I don't see how it matters whether they have already done so or not: the sacrifice is no less worthy of respect just because hasn't actually happened yet, although we surely hope that it doesn't need to. Maybe you choose to remember only those deaths past, rather than those yet to come. That strikes me as a personal choice, rather than the only correct interpretation rendering all others invalid.

[ichkeria]

I think doing this on the anniversary of the start of the lockdown was odd.
That isn’t when the thing started. It’s just when the PM made a serious speech.
Anyway, not my thing but it works for a lot of others so fair enough

[Old_Geezer]

Surely Remembrance Day is more about remembering than anticipating.

[Mozz71]

Are you of the same mindset when we hold a minute's silence for armistice day Dave?

[jim360]

Estimates of the death toll of the 1918-19 flu pandemic vary wildly, from as high as 100 million down to around 17 million. Depends on who counts, but we'll clearly never know for sure what the total was.

[woofgang]

Emmie, Remembrance Sunday is about war dead.

[Mozz71]

Whoops. Should've read through the posts before reacting to the OP.

[jim360]

// Surely Remembrance Day is more about remembering than anticipating. //

Perhaps, but even if so, the Remembrance is capable of expanding its initial scope. The Cenotaph was built specifically to honour those who died in World War One, but since then the event has expanded to remember all wars since. I don't see why the fact that the pandemic is ongoing is relevant in deciding whether or not a memorial is appropriate.

[emmie]

which is what i said woof. I know what the memorials say.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Not Interested. Just as I'm not interested in how jack and jill managed their relationship during the Covid, how Mary Mary needs £10k a week to keep her flock safe due to Covid restrictions or Punch & Judy's mental health through the crisis, ad nauseum. All the real news has gone from British TV and been replaced with wallowing and' personal stories on how we coped'. Enough already!

[bednobs]

wasn't it a fundraising thing for Marie curie? although that in itself is odd to me, as marie curie will only work with people with 1 or 2 illnesses (or they used to)

[woofgang]

Except that when the Unknown Warrior was interred, representatives who had a son missing belived killed were invited to be at the service. If there is to be a day of national mourning or similar with bereaved representatives in attendance maybe it would be proper to wait until the actual pandemic is over? In any case such things are not organised overnight (site, design of memorial, organisation of the day and so on) also of course it will need to be safe and legal to have one or more very large events....I mean yes you can do somethings with social distance and remotely but not this.