World War One Centenary.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338728/World-War-One-centenary-Candlelit-vigil-100-years-lamps-went-outbreak-WWI.html

Is it worth the £50million cost to commemorate a war that started 100 years ago?

/// In a major speech in November setting out his ambitions for the centenary, David Cameron revealed two pupils and a teacher from every state secondary school will be given the chance to visit the great battlefields, such as the Somme, Verdun and Fromelles, and take part in remembrance ceremonies on the Western Front. ///

How will the pupils be selected, will it be on a certain achievement basis, showing no attention to ethnicity?

I ask this because in equality photos such as this one, pupils of Far Eastern origin always seem to be missing from such photo shoots, how can that be fair?

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/10/article-2338728-1574CB3D000005DC-981_634x400.jpg

[Peter Pedant]

.

I ask this because in equality photos such as this one, pupils of Far Eastern origin always seem to be missing from such photo shoots, how can that be fair?


well they shouldnt be of course, because Japan was on the Allied sside in the Great War .

Indiian troops were in the trenches - Battle of Givenchy

[FredPuli43]

Why and how is it obvious that "they" have gone down "that path", aog? What races do you see in the picture? Is it two white, three black, or one white , two black, two Indians, or what? If that photo is in the original Imperial Museum, in Lambeth , a random selection would produce any combination. There aren't many Chinese in the area.

[FredPuli43]

And, out of interest, aog, would you prefer to have a photo of all white children, on the basis that nearly every combatant soldier, sailor and airman in the Great War was white? If not, why not?

[Zeuhl]

The Indian Army during World War I contributed a number of divisions and independent brigades to the European, Mediterranean and the Middle East theatres of war; one million Indian troops would serve overseas

Not sure how many Chinese or Japanese served in France

[THECORBYLOON]

Ah, so you're not wanting different nationalities, you're wanting folk who look different then? No point having French and Germans eh because you can't tell they're French or German but it's okay to have a third generation Aberdonian for example as long as they look Oriental?

[FredPuli43]

The premiss, corbyloon, is that photos of schoolchildren with the Prime Minister are carefully arranged so that all races (except from the far east; shome mistake surely? Ed) are visibly and clearly represented in a group of 5 children, all from the same school, isn't it ?. The school is apparently from Lambeth or the immediate area, not that any school in inner London would be much different. A moment's thought would show that a random selection would produce that result. A moment's thought is not always applied on this site, the more so if the writer is swayed by their own beliefs. The kind of person who is shocked by schools having large numbers of non-white British might, curiously, be unable to see that no choosing is necessary.

[THECORBYLOON]

I am surprised there was no complaint about the white ethnic Britons being under represented in the photo.

[Spoonboy]

As it is seems Cameron wants to spearhead the commemoration, no doubt the old boy "money" network will come into play somewhere the ordinary schoolperson will stand no chance - or, they will if desert sands suddenly froze over and camels came home on ice skates.

[emmie]

yes it is.

[anotheoldgit]

/// I am surprised there was no complaint about the white ethnic Britons being under represented in the photo. ///

What just like there was because there wasn't any black actors in Midsomer Murders?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12741847

[THECORBYLOON]

The series' producer said he did not want to have ethnic minorities in it and was suspended as a result. Do you thing he was correct in his views?

[THECORBYLOON]

"Do you think...? that should read.

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// The series' producer said he did not want to have ethnic minorities in it and was suspended as a result. Do you thing he was correct in his views? ///

For the reasons he gave, yes.

[THECORBYLOON]

What is it concerning you most about the centenary, the cost, the elapsed period of time or the fact you are worried that too much emphasis may be placed upon the ethnicity of those chosen to visit the battlefields?

[emmie]

you do realise that this will be spread out over 4 years, starting in 2014, so what would have been the duration of the war.

[emmie]

perhaps you don't realise just how many Empire soldiers died in the WW1,
they should all be remembered..