75ZT Community

How sad it is that a number of Diamond Jubilee Medals given to members of the armed and emergency services by the Queen have already found their way onto eBay.

Does nobody in this country of ours have any morals or respect for anything anymore?

Possibly some fakes as well?

I'm afraid morals or respect does'nt put food on the table or pay bills. I know if it was a medal on the mantlepiece or making sure my family were well clothed, fed and housed I know which one I would choose

As an example, I don't believe there are many serving British Police Officers of 5 years or more who are struggling to put food on the table . . .

....but do not think squaddies get very much

Tourerfogey wrote:As an example, I don't believe there are many serving British Police Officers of 5 years or more who are struggling to put food on the table . . .

I understand what you are saying but we have no idea of personal circumstances. I have always been single and worked for 42yrs of my 59. Over the last three years I have tried to help out financially my sister that was abandoned by her husband leaving 3 teenage daughters. Rather than scrounge of the state my sister continues to work and pay a morgage( hence little help from the goverment) At sixty I only have my house and garden that I love (no savings and pensions worth anything). I am now faced with redundancy in a years time with little chance of re-employment and so I guess the house and garden will have to go along with the 75 to fund a flat and the equity used to prop up the dole money. A couple of years ago things were rosie but in the blink the future has changed.
Perhaps this is not the case in the mentioned sale of medals but who are we to judge the actions of people that have obviously shown bravery and comitment.

Sorry for the rant.

Think this is one of the few forums where you can rant without having to apologise. I understand that in some circumstances the need to survive is obviously more important than sentiment. Having said that it does seem to me that many people go through life with the libra (£) sign in their eyes . . .

I learnt a long time ago that there is so much more to life than money - but, yes, people do need to eat.

Tourerfogey wrote:How sad it is that a number of Diamond Jubilee Medals given to members of the armed and emergency services by the Queen have already found their way onto eBay.

Does nobody in this country of ours have any morals or respect for anything anymore?

Well, with Leaders who have set perfect examples of a Moral free life and zero respect for anything I guess we cannot blame society for following suit.

It is sad, but at the end of the Day, it would appear these Medals serve only to "Publicise" the Queens Diamond Jubilee, after all, these people could have had the Medals last year could they not? All Pomp and Circumstance to push the Queens joyous occasion in our face some more.

Roll on 2013 when I don't have to tolerate this event any longer.

zojosc wrote:
I understand what you are saying but we have no idea of personal circumstances. I have always been single and worked for 42yrs of my 59. Over the last three years I have tried to help out financially my sister that was abandoned by her husband leaving 3 teenage daughters. Rather than scrounge of the state my sister continues to work and pay a morgage( hence little help from the goverment) At sixty I only have my house and garden that I love (no savings and pensions worth anything). I am now faced with redundancy in a years time with little chance of re-employment and so I guess the house and garden will have to go along with the 75 to fund a flat and the equity used to prop up the dole money. A couple of years ago things were rosie but in the blink the future has changed.
Perhaps this is not the case in the mentioned sale of medals but who are we to judge the actions of people that have obviously shown bravery and comitment.

Sorry for the rant.

That certainly isn't a rant. it's a statement of fact from experience. A true story that could and probably will happen to others on here. I wish you well for the future.

sorry for the hijack

Royalty - a very priveliged class who are totally out of touch with mere mortals.

I can remember that when a Princess who came to open a new centre at a childrens hospital the lavatories had to be repainted in case she needed to use them as she did not like the colour that they were finished in. The money that cost could have been used to repaint lavatories elsewhere that were past their best.

They live elsewhere to us.

It is easy to criticise of the owners of these medals that are offered for sale without the benefit of knowing the circumstances. They are not,however, always the original recipients but are the descendants of them, or may have even bought them elsewhere. That's tragic enough when you consider the bravery or fortitude of the original recipient. Or the lifetime of real service to others for no reward. I do not mean time servers waiting in line for a ritual gong. Or fortunate 'sportsmen' who are deemed worthy of disproportionately grand elevation merely because it seems politically advantagious to have a flag waver on show (I won't name names, they won't read this and so won't have the right of reply).

What is really tragic are the cases of war and other Gallantry medals being sold by the original awardee to pay for the everyday expenses of living in this callous society. I'm thinking of those gnarled and bony hands, those that were once freezing in some foreign nightmare hole and now freeze right here, shaking with either rage, sadness, or dementia, displaying their most treasured memories of mates and brothers they fought with. It takes all of 10 seconds on the news to trash incredible courage in front of a largely uncaring world. All because of this 'you're first, but after me' society.

I wonder how many politicians or their sons will ever have to sell their heirlooms? If you want a rant, go right ahead and do it. They can't touch you for it. Yet.