Wooton Bassett.

a1ex2001 said:
I find the whole thing a little nauseating, I have a lot of time for those that have dies in the service of this country but the 'shows' that are put on in Wootton Bassett leave me cold.
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The people there are doing nothing more than showing their respects for the fallen, and have no need or requirement to do so.

I think this is a good decision.
 
Gilly said:
The people there are doing nothing more than showing their respects for the fallen, and have no need or requirement to do so.

I think this is a good decision.
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I don't disagree with the decision particularly, it is the 'forced' out pouring of public grief and the hollier than thou attitude that seems to accompany it that turns my stomach a little. Had the member of my family who served in Iraq returned via that route I certainly wouldn't have found the 'show' particularly appealing.
 
a1ex2001 said:
I find the whole thing a little nauseating, I have a lot of time for those that have dies in the service of this country but the 'shows' that are put on in Wootton Bassett leave me cold.
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Oh and the entire town had a get together to say, "Now guys if we keep turning out every time they fly a dead soldier into Lyneham we could get Royal before the town's name. Whatcha think?"

They did it out of respect. Seems you could do with showing some. Not everyone has the opportunity or, dare I say it, inclination to want to put their life on the line but many people want to do their bit.

Shame we couldn't do it more for the returning soldiers too. They aren't politicians or statesmen but they get judged like it was their decision to go to war.
 
-BA- said:
Oh and the entire town had a get together to say, "Now guys if we keep turning out every time they fly a dead soldier into Lyneham we could get Royal before the town's name. Whatcha think?"

They did it out of respect. Seems you could do with showing some. Not everyone has the opportunity or, dare I say it, inclination to want to put their life on the line but many people want to do their bit.

Shame we couldn't do it more for the returning soldiers too. They aren't politicians or statesmen but they get judged like it was their decision to go to war.
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Read what I've said I haven't judged any soldiers, I attend rememberence day on a regular basis and am gratefull that my brother who served in Iraq and my friends who have served all over the globe have not yet had to come home this way. 'Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die' any person sent to war by this country is worthy of our respect and thanks, although I do wish we would reserve the word heros for heros as it's recent use only serves to devalue the term.

I didn't say they don't do it out of respect I just said I found the whole nature of it a little weird and I'm certainly not the only person. It may well have started out as a group of locals showing their respect, I'm sure origionally it didn't even require the council to announce it on there website people just stood quietly as the cars passed and then got on with their days. In much the same way many of us will bow our heads or take of a hat when a herse drives past. What goes on in Wooton Basset has now gone far beyond this with people comming from far and wide desperate to be associated with showing their grief. It is no longer a spontaneous display of respect by the locals for the fallen it has become a 'show' that for me now feels very contrived and forced.
 
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a1ex2001 said:
Read what I've said I haven't judged any soldiers, I attend rememberence day on a regular basis and am gratefull that my brother who served in Iraq and my friends who have served all over the globe have not yet had to come home this way.

I didn't say they don't do it out of respect I just said I found the whole nature of it a little weird and I'm certainly not the only person. It may well have started out as a group of locals showing their respect, I'm sure origionally it didn't even require the council to announce it on there website people just stood quietly as the cars passed and then got on with their days. In much the same way many of us will bow our heads or take of a hat when a herse drives past. What goes on in Wooton Basset has now gone far beyond this with people comming from far and wide desperate to be associated with showing their grief. It is no longer a spontaneous display of respect by the locals for the fallen it has become a 'show' that for me now feels very contrived and forced.
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I have to say that I see it somewhat differently. Perhaps it did start as a small band of locals but as publicity grew perhaps people in the vicinity chose to see it as their sense of duty to accompany those who had started it.

Whatever peoples' motives, I really don't think it does any harm to highlight the human cost of what the armed forces face on a daily basis.

I was compiling my post when you posted your response about a family member but I think we seem to have a general apathy to so much that goes on around us that when something like this takes place we think it is "weird".

Kinda sad really.
 
Gilly said:
Well it's moving from Royal WB now anyway.
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Indeed.

Whether people agree with what is in essence just a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in service or not, as someone who served in both recent conflicts, if I had fallen, I would like that my family would have the opportunity to see people make that effort as those who attend the Wootton Bassett cortages do.

It is not only the soldiers themselves that sacrifice, the families of those who fall deserve that overt mark of respect for their sacrifice also.

Being as the route is being changed from September, these marks of respect will no longer take place and I feel that is a shame.
 
-BA- said:
I have to say that I see it somewhat differently. Perhaps it did start as a small band of locals but as publicity grew perhaps people in the vicinity chose to see it as their sense of duty to accompany those who had started it.
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It's not just those in the vicinity that show up though people and organisation from all over show up, it has become some sort of my grief is better than your grief ensemble.


-BA- said:
Whatever peoples' motives, I really don't think it does any harm to highlight the human cost of what the armed forces face on a daily basis.
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I never said it did any harm or should be stopped I just said I found it a bit nauseating and false. I certainly won't be dispointed when they change the route.

-BA- said:
I was compiling my post when you posted your response about a family member but I think we seem to have a general apathy to so much that goes on around us that when something like this takes place we think it is "weird".

Kinda sad really.
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Kind of see where your comming from and kind of agree but don't think this is a great example it reminds me of the thousands who showed up in London when Dianna dies and it definately leaves me cold.

Morba said:
so you dont like some people turning up who shouldnt be?
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Thats not what I mean, it's not a case of people showing up who shouldn't it's a case of forced emotion and the touristy element of it being odd.
 
Technically its not a 'new' thing as such, it was done yonks ago but people have started doing it again.

Well deserved in my opinion, we don't show enough support the troops at times.
 
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