On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:13:02 GMT, Eddy
wrote:

Hi Bob,

This is off-topic but as other replies appear to have been allowed I
would like to add my view.

I see that the objectives at the petition-site are "to create a new
public holiday, the National Remembrance Holiday, to commemorate The
Fallen and our Nation, with the holiday falling on the second Monday in
November each year, the day after Remembrance Sunday".

I totally agree with the objective "to commemorate The Fallen and our
Nation". However, I don't believe that we do that adequately at present
and I don't believe that creating a holiday a day AFTER Remembrance
Sunday would encourage us to do it any more decently.

I used to be a teacher at a good number of schools (primary and
secondary) and universities, until a few years ago and I was, and am
still, appalled at how most young people have little knowledge of and
regard for the extraordinary sacrifice that was made for the freedom
from Nazi domination which we all enjoy today. (Let's not forget the
Nazis dominated Europe and got as far as invading and occupying our
Channel Islands and it is a miracle we managed to beat them back!)

But, of course, it is not just young people who disregard the efforts of
those who fought. Large numbers of middle-aged people, those of us in
our 50s and 60s, who were born shortly after the war, also show scant
regard for the heroes of both world wars. For proof, simply keep an eye
on any cenotaph round the country on Remembrance Sunday! The crowds
which gather are SHAMEFULLY small. I know young people who regard those
folks standing round cenotaphs in silence on Remembrance Sunday mornings
as a load of old nutters.

So the challenge is "how to get the nation to actively observe the
commemorations of Remembrance Sunday". If the nation can manage to get
out of bed and genuinely do that for ten years on the trot, THEN I would
say a new public holiday could then be linked to Remembrance Sunday.

Whether we should have or deserve an extra day off work is a separate
matter. To me it seems the UK seems to be binging itself silly without
any need for an extra holiday.

Eddy.

I am very much in favour of Remembrance for the fallen.
However it seems to me from the commercial support for the petition
that this is being used as an excuse, a label, for just another public
holiday. It will be used as an excuse for various commercial,
consumer-oriented activities that have nothing to do with Remembrance.

Christmas and Easter are bank holidays because they are religious
festivals, but only a minority use them to go to church. The majority
use them as an opportunity for parties. If we have a Remembrance day
off work, I believe the majority will also use that for parties. Is
that what we want?