TWO MINUTES SILENCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 28, 28 November 1944, Page 4

TWO MINUTES SILENCE

Sir ? —Would you ali.ow me. a few J words in reply and support of Mr/ Mayow's and A. H. Hat full's very outspoken letters on Armistice Day < observance. I congratulate these two persons for having the courage to say what the,think upon, a subject which would cause, a certain amount of ill- • feeling particularly to those people like the Mayor who feel it personally (or is it just part of their jDosition to protest?) resentful to the population at large, for disregarding what is the. proper thing to do. But do not be mistaken that Mr A. H. Hat full's or the above remarks sidestep the fact that several million paid the supreme sacrifice. On the. contrary these, remarks would show a deeper insight into the more practical side of tlv; question which I may say was what, these men and women believed they were probably to pay the supreme sacrifice for. Let us not belittle t.lvs side by satisfying ourselves by the mere observance of the two minutes silence. This is merely the satisfaction of the self for traditional reasons. Some people may consider it necessary to observe this silence for emotional reasons and this is quite in order if they feel disposed to da so. The same, applies to those who desire other alternatives and it fs aiot up to Mr Barry or anyone else to express disgust at those who •could still have very strong feelings; on the matter and refuse observance. There, is however another reason Why people have in the main disregarded the Armistice anniversary, and that is that most people react to things immediately around them. The past or the future do not. mean an awful lot and so it is with this •i ■ ' ' ' observance because the past of 191418 is overshadowed by the immediate 1939-4—? as was the Boer War overshadowed by the first Great World War. To expect people to think retrospective to any great extent during the present, catastrophe is futile unless of course you organise the people and present it fully before them, but then you are at tho disadvantage of it not being personally voluntary and with this goes a lack of sincerity. To fool ourselves into thinking otherwise is of no purpose. I ? like others am not resentful at. the two minutes itself but when--9 you -have come in personal contact with those who received disgusting treatment after serving in the 191418 conflict by those who made such empty promises also that these same persons took part in the organising of Observance Day—the means test—and Parish why ? it is revolting to ones inner sense, of decency. Is it any wonder that people are inclined to think the two minutes silence hypocritical even though they can still retain a very sincere feeling for those who sacrificed? Yours etc. J. DITCH FIELD.