UK Minute of Silence on 11 September

[ORAC]

The BBC - Thursday, 5 September, 2002, 17:20 GMT
Minute's silence to mark 11 September

A minute's silence is to be held across Britain to mark the first anniversary of the 11 September attacks on the United States, the government has announced. Centrepiece of the commemoration will be a service at St Paul's Cathedral in central London, which will begin at 1315 BST and fall silent 46 minutes later.

It will be the exact time a year earlier that the attacks began, with American Airlines Flight 11 crashing into the north tower of New York's World Trade Center.

The invited multi-faith 2,000-strong congregation will include the Prince of Wales, US ambassador William Farish, families of the British victims, senior government figures and representatives of the emergency services, charities and business.

Workers across the UK are also expected to observe the silence, with offices, factories, shops and television and radio networks falling quiet.

The BBC and ITV will screen images of remembrance services in London and New York without commentary.

The silence will also be observed at seven major airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick and Manchester.

Public announcements will be made at supermarkets and major train stations. And trading will halt in high street shops and department stores.


The government's announcement may also lead to similar arrangements in Whitehall departments, schools, courts and churches.

Hundreds of firefighters intend to observe the silence outside their stations in honour of their 343 colleagues who died in the attacks.

The City - where many firms which lost employees in the World Trade Center have offices - is also planning to mark the anniversary.

The London Stock Exchange, the London Metal Exchange, the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange and Lloyd's of London all plan to fall silent.

The most poignant tribute will be held at financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost 700 employees.

[Bubbette]

Now wouldn't it be nice if the British supported our war against Saddam Hussein?

[Blue Boy]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but Tony Blair is very much behind the Americans.

Getting yourself mixed up with the rest of Europe??

[fobotcso]

Steady Chaps. It would be lovely if we could keep one thread free of abuse, invective and anti-American flame-throwing.

Whatever our beliefs, remember that the WTC/Pentagon dead of 11 Sep 2001 (and I think often about the Airline crews and passengers too) did not deserve what happened to them.

This is their time. Honour them.

[Bubbette]

Point taken fobosco.

Blue Boy, I wasn't sure about Blair, but if you say so.

I'll drop it anyway.

[chiglet]

Please don't take this the "wrong" way.
After Sept 11, we had an "Organised" Service at MAN/EGCC which I gladly attended.
My question then, as now is why a 3 min silence?
Rememberence Day is 2 mins, that IS 2 "World Wars"
"Everything" else is 0nly One min.
So [only now] we are "conforming":rolleyes:
Any answers will be greatfully accepted
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[brockenspectre]

A friend of mine in the USA has said that there is also a move for folks who are driving to do so with their vehicle headlights on all day - this is something everyone can do!

:)

[Seriph]

Why? Obviously we all sympathise but it is only the scale of this incident that makes it different to the hundreds of other attrocities commited worldwide. Could it be that it is the first to hit the USA, non domestic that is. The grief of the famillies and relatives is no less than that of other victims of terrorism. As is usual these days we seem to be going overboard in all respects.

[PPRuNe Pop]

Seriph

Are we going over the top? Personally I don't think so.

However, the scale you refer to of 9/11 is nothing compared to the dead of two world wars. In all three cases, and many others too, we simply are 'required' to pay our respects. I have no problem whether it is one, two or three minutes of silence - just so long as we do it.

God bless them all.

[tom_higginson]

PPrune Pop is right in that we should respect the dead, all dead!.

But (I know this is going to be taken the wrong way), it does seem slightly more major just because its America. If the same thing happened in the middle east or Asia or somwere else thousands of miles from the USA I can garantee that we would not be holding any sort of minute silence.

During the bombing of Afganistan more inocent people (ie not the guys the US were trying to get) died than were killed in the World Trade Center, do we hold a 3 minutes silence for them, no.

Don't get me wrong, what happened on 9/11 was a terrible moment in history and we should pay our respects. But when the same number of people are killed in another part of the world why don't we (the west) have remberance for them aswell?

[ATCO Two]

Bubbette,

Sure the Brits will join you in your war against Iraq. You kick it off and we will join you three years later like YOU did in WW2.

Do you think that starting a war is a good idea in the current climate in our industry? Would it be a good move to alieniate the whole Arab world against the West? Maybe we should wait until the United Nations issues a resolution against Iraq.

[Smokie]

PPrune Pop,

Totally agree.

tom_higginson ,

likewise, Rwanda springs to mind

[Bubbette]

Atco Two, the whole Arab world is against the West--well, at least against the US, isn't it? And what does it matter in the big picture?

[pigboat]

Sad, isn't it? This thread was started with the best of sentiments, and after twelve posts is knee deep in b**l s**t.:(

[Send Clowns]

tom_higginson

Remember the dead in Afghanistan as well as those that died in the WTC, pentagon and aircraft. I will be. They were victims of extremist terrorism as much as anyone. If we cease to care about any of these, even as we support the fight that brought their deaths, then we lose a part of our humanity.

[tom_higginson]

Send Clowns

This is totally my point, we should remember the all the dead, not just the Americans.

[Cathar]

"Workers across the UK are also expected to observe the silence, with offices, factories, shops and television and radio networks falling quiet."

The observation of silences does not fit in with my beliefs. I really resent being expected to observe them.

[Seriph]

But what's all this nonsence about showing respect? Do the dead automatically deserve respect because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? The war dead by all means, they served their country and thus us. The same goes for the emergency services of 911, they were extremely brave guys. We could get things back to normal, perhaps the best way to show 'respect' and get on with life.

[chiglet]

Seriph
For once you and I are in 100pc agreement:rolleyes:
It must be summat I et:D
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy

[Flying Lawyer]

fobotcso and pigboat
Agree 100%.
The silence is intended to show our respects for innocent people killed in the worst single atrocity this century, not a demonstration of support for Bush's policy in the Middle East or Iraq.

[TomPierce]

Cathar

Don't you think you are being rather sensitive.

Just because it is expected that the 'majority' will observe a silence, it doesn't mean you have to. It is your privelege to do whatever you want. There will be others like you too.

However, you can be sure that people will look at you rather strangely when you don't - still, you will have to put up with that.

[Danny]

One of the main reasons I posted the announcement at the top of every forum is to prevent this kind of degenerative thread. It is bad enough with the press and the media all trying to outdo each other with their gushy emotions and flashy programming without having to deal with that kind of thing on here.

Everyone will deal with the emotions that the memories stir up in their own way. If anyone feels they need to prove that they are remembering the day and the consequences then they are free to do so at any of the many public commemorations and services around the world. Everyone has the choice but I will not have these forums turned into soapboxes for individuals who have uncontrollable urges to express their strange logic by somehow linking historical events from over 50 years ago to current political posturing in a thread that was only announcing the expected etiquette for people in public places in the UK at 1400 local time.

May I respectfully suggest that everyone does what they have to do in order to satisfy their own personal rememberance and then get on with their lives. Unfortunately, I feel that the terrorists have got the media exactly where they want them, fostering the mass hysteria that some people seem to thrive on.

Remember the victims but also get on with showing the terrorists that they have not won and never will.

[28thJuly2001]

This is a peach from my wife (bless her).

"Honey, turn on the radio so I can listen to the minutes silence".

Women, Gotta love 'em.:D
Walt,,

[Agaricus bisporus]

Cathar, if your beliefs do not allow you to respect the innocent victims of the worst mass murder and of recent times then we, the responsible citizens of the world, will be excused from making the logical assumptions as to your loyalties.

Perhaps you'd be best advised not to make these opionions too public right now, or you might find yourself on the wrong side of the anger of right minded folk.

Shuddup!!!!

[fantom]

can not resist........

I thought that 9/11 was a taboo subject. cathar has interjected. why was this posting allowed?

[B767300ER]

Flying Lawyer:

Your response is much appreciated. These innocent victims of 9-11-01 were murdered by terrorists, and all that is required is a compassionate response to this awful tragedy.

Best Regards,

F/O Ed Price
B-767 Pilot
American Airlines
Los Angeles,CA,USA