I follow it, I just don't agree with it.

Also, I'd like to just throw out there that no one is actually asking you to do anything in particular during a moment of silence. You can do whatever you want during that time. Take a one minute nap if you want. Fantasize about fucking your neighbor's dog if you so desire. Think about whatever the hell you want to think about. The world is your oyster.

You don't have to reflect personally. You only have to STFU long enough to be respectful toward those who do wish to use the moment as a time of personal reflection.

They have a million moments they can do that in. And i think the fact we pick particular events is wrong in itsefl, who gets to decided that one tragic event is more tragic than another?

What if I don't respect the person who wishes to use the moment as a time of personal reflection? Would you STFU if Hitler wanted to use a particular moment as a time of personal reflection? What if, the night before, you were eating your girlfriend out following an evening of Chinese food and accidentally threw up egg foo yong all over her vagina and she freaked out and started batting you over the head with an illuminated lamp and set your hair on fire and caused you to spend the next several hours at the hospital and so you really weren't in the mood for a moment of reflection and Hitler told you he wanted one? Would you do it, or would you tell him to STFU and to stop trying to impose his will on all those surrounding himself and to stop killing Jews and to go be silent in reverence of his own cadaverous relatives on his own bloody time and wonder why he thought it mattered whether or not you were silent in the first place when it was in fact he and only he who was commemorating the lives of his dead relatives?

You, obviously.

???????????

And you have a million moments (i'm sure) to speak freely and not care about anyone elses feelings or opinions, but your own. I don't think a moment of silence is a nomination of a particular event being more tragic than another. It is the observation of an event being tragic period, and just because you may not view that event as being tragic or less tragic than another more tragic event does not justify showing a lack of respect toward someone who was profoundly affected by that tragedy

Why doesn't it? How can having a dead relative justify coercing me into not speaking for a minute? No, it wouldn't be a lot to ask, but we're not talking about asking here, are we?

Of course it does! Your ignoring other tragic events and elevating others purely by giving them a minutes silence as your implying that they mean more.

Because it's not only out of respect of the deceased, it' also out of respect for those effected by that loss of someone.

But I suppose if you want to be dick, that's your choice.