Professor: Why would we stand in silence at 11am on Remembrance Day?

politicslvr · November 14, 2009

What happened in my classroom at York University on November 11th was appalling. It was a Middle East politics class, and this is the conversation that took place on the morning of November 11th:

Student: "Professor, will we be observing a moment of silence at 11am today?"

Professor: "Why?"

Student: "Because it's Remembrance Day..."

Professor: "Oh. Well if you want to I guess we can. I don't observe these ceremonies."

At 11am, about 75% of the class stood and observed a minute of silence while the professor was fixated on his watch, clearly annoyed. The other 25% sat and fiddled their thumbs in disapproval.

What have we come to?

Michael Hardner · November 14, 2009

I dunno... It should be up to the school to do something, not up to the professor... I'm sure some of the profs don't even know that the day exists...

punked · November 14, 2009

What happened in my classroom at York University on November 11th was appalling. It was a Middle East politics class, and this is the conversation that took place on the morning of November 11th:

Student: "Professor, will we be observing a moment of silence at 11am today?"

Professor: "Why?"

Student: "Because it's Remembrance Day..."

Professor: "Oh. Well if you want to I guess we can. I don't observe these ceremonies."

At 11am, about 75% of the class stood and observed a minute of silence while the professor was fixated on his watch, clearly annoyed. The other 25% sat and fiddled their thumbs in disapproval.

What have we come to?

Why are you going to class on remembrance day? Which school do you go too?

politicslvr · November 14, 2009

Why are you going to class on remembrance day? Which school do you go too?

I went to class because school was not closed and I couldn't afford to miss the lectures. I attend York University, Canada's largest university in terms of student population (50,000+).

punked · November 14, 2009

I went to class because school was not closed and I couldn't afford to miss the lectures. I attend York University, Canada's largest university in terms of student population (50,000+).

I didn't mean you should skip class, I meant the University should be closed. I went to Dal and all of NS shuts down on the day and almost everyone attends a service.

politicslvr · November 14, 2009

I didn't mean you should skip class, I meant the University should be closed. I went to Dal and all of NS shuts down on the day and almost everyone attends a service.

I completely agree, the university should have been closed to allow students to attend services and reflect on the day. I think the main issue here though isn't the fact that the school remained open, but how insignificant this day is in the eyes of many Canadians. My professor did not even know it was Remembrance Day, or what Remembrance Day is all about.

punked · November 14, 2009

I completely agree, the university should have been closed to allow students to attend services and reflect on the day. I think the main issue here though isn't the fact that the school remained open, but how insignificant this day is in the eyes of many Canadians. My professor did not even know it was Remembrance Day, or what Remembrance Day is all about.

Say hi to Toronto for me ok?

Gabriel · November 14, 2009

Hi politicslvr - Thanks for the post. It's quite a story! Why don't you send an email to a few people - perhaps the dean responsible for relevant department (political science or social science, or whatever), and maybe a newspaper or two. Out of curiosity, what can you tell us about this professor: his age, ethnic/national/religious background, his political ideologies, etc?

As as aside, I went to York for a couple of years, and I remember tons of beautiful girls! I was also lucky enough to have an AMAZING professor when I took introduction to political science as an elective. I can't recall his name, though, but he was an older white man who I think was the head of his department.

Lastly, I frequented another political forum website recently and was sickened to read posts from Americans and at least one Canadian expressing open contempt for soldiers and all things military. The most offensive posts suggested that we should defile veterans on this day with eggs and foodstuffs, as in their eyes soldiers represent evil. It was infuriating that these vermin live among us in our country!

politicslvr - What are you studying at York?

politicslvr · November 14, 2009

Hi politicslvr - Thanks for the post. It's quite a story! Why don't you send an email to a few people - perhaps the dean responsible for relevant department (political science or social science, or whatever), and maybe a newspaper or two. Out of curiosity, what can you tell us about this professor: his age, ethnic/national/religious background, his political ideologies, etc?

As as aside, I went to York for a couple of years, and I remember tons of beautiful girls! I was also lucky enough to have an AMAZING professor when I took introduction to political science as an elective. I can't recall his name, though, but he was an older white man who I think was the head of his department.

Lastly, I frequented another political forum website recently and was sickened to read posts from Americans and at least one Canadian expressing open contempt for soldiers and all things military. The most offensive posts suggested that we should defile veterans on this day with eggs and foodstuffs, as in their eyes soldiers represent evil. It was infuriating that these vermin live among us in our country!

politicslvr - What are you studying at York?

Thanks for the response Gabriel. Do you really think the newspaper would pick up on this story? I thought about emailing a few of them but didn't want to get myself in any sort of trouble with the school or something like that. The professor is in his 60s and was born and raised in Iran. He is a Muslim, and tries his best to be objective and non-biased when discussing issues in the Middle East, but often his anti-Israel ideologies are displayed. I am currently studying business at the Schulich School of Business and am taking this course as an elective.

Gabriel · November 14, 2009

Thanks for the response Gabriel. Do you really think the newspaper would pick up on this story? I thought about emailing a few of them but didn't want to get myself in any sort of trouble with the school or something like that. The professor is in his 60s and was born and raised in Iran. He is a Muslim, and tries his best to be objective and non-biased when discussing issues in the Middle East, but often his anti-Israel ideologies are displayed. I am currently studying business at the Schulich School of Business and am taking this course as an elective.

Good for you, that's a great business school. Hopefully you're taking something technical like accounting! It's obviously up to you to decide how you want to deal with this, if you want to deal with at all. Personally, I think this professor needs to be held accountable for this absurdity. It is simple UNACCEPTABLE for people to be so disrespectful of these core Canadian values.

I will also concede that I suspected he WAS and an Arab/Muslim given his anti-Remembrance Day perspective and that he was a professor in Middle Eastern studies. You confirmed my speculation. York is a very left-wing school, with lots of anti-Israel demonstrations and supporters of terrorists (Hamas, Hezbollah). I'm sure you've already noticed this. It'[s cool for kids who don't know anything about anything to side with the underdog, apparently.

g_bambino · November 14, 2009

At 11am, about 75% of the class stood and observed a minute of silence while the professor was fixated on his watch, clearly annoyed. The other 25% sat and fiddled their thumbs in disapproval.
What have we come to?

It always gets me that at my work, every 11 November, 11am rolls around and goes without anyone taking any notice. I sit at my desk in silence for two minutes. I do recall being on the TTC at 11am one 11 November a couple of years ago and the trains stopped and there was an announcement of what was taking place, for which I give kudos to the transit system I otherwise hate. But, a number of people in the car just continued to play with their iPod or talk with each other.

A letter writer to the Toronto Star let it be known that this year drivers asked to stop on Queen's Park Crescent for the two minute moment of silence disrupted the official ceremony by honking their horns with impatience. Contrast that with places like London, where traffic in the streets stops voluntarily.

Gabriel · November 14, 2009

It always gets me that at my work, every 11 November, 11am rolls around and goes without anyone taking any notice. I sit at my desk in silence for two minutes. I do recall being on the TTC at 11am one 11 November a couple of years ago and the trains stopped and there was an announcement of what was taking place, for which I give kudos to the transit system I otherwise hate. But, a number of people in the car just continued to play with their iPod or talk with each other.

A letter writer to the Toronto Star let it be known that this year drivers asked to stop on Queen's Park Crescent for the two minute moment of silence disrupted the official ceremony by honking their horns with impatience. Contrast that with places like London, where traffic in the streets stops voluntarily.

Hi g_bambino, check this out:

EDIT -

Edited November 14, 2009 by Gabriel

Keepitsimple · November 14, 2009

We've started to fix the problem with the new citizenship booklet. Now we need some, if not all of our provinces to put more content into Canadian history. Knowledge and respect.

g_bambino · November 14, 2009

check this out:

Interesting that it's not a moment of silence, per say, given the siren; but the people are clearly silent. Maybe what's needed here is some sort of similar marker; though how they do it in London without one, I don't know.

Perhaps you should email this video to your professor; it's a little hokey in the Alan Jackson "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" kind of way, but it gets the point across well.

KeyStone · November 14, 2009

Hey politics.

I definitely think that you should submit this to one of the Sun Media papers. This is exactly the sort of story that they love to print. Don't bother with more reputable papers, as they won't be interested.

Some people feel that November 11th is a bit ridiculous, because it glorifies war. I think that in the case of WW I and WW 2, we had a clear and present danger, a real threat to survivial, and our existence. Now, however, the wars that we enter seem to be optional and don't have the moral authority of the World Wars, and there is a sense that we are simply trying to make war seem noble, when in fact, those that go to war are often teens that have few other career options that are bullied into it by recruiters.

Canada's military is obviously quite different than that of the US, but even so, the idea that someone is a hero, simply by being in the military is no longer valid. The motives for entering into war are not as pure as they once were. Many Conservatives felt upset that we were not joining the Iraq war - not because they felt it was a just war, but simply because they feared it would harm relations with the US. Trade relations is not a just reason for entering war.

lictor616 · November 14, 2009

What happened in my classroom at York University on November 11th was appalling. It was a Middle East politics class, and this is the conversation that took place on the morning of November 11th:

Student: "Professor, will we be observing a moment of silence at 11am today?"

Professor: "Why?"

Student: "Because it's Remembrance Day..."

Professor: "Oh. Well if you want to I guess we can. I don't observe these ceremonies."

At 11am, about 75% of the class stood and observed a minute of silence while the professor was fixated on his watch, clearly annoyed. The other 25% sat and fiddled their thumbs in disapproval.

What have we come to?

remebering what? our homophobic, xenophobic, racist ancestors who gave us this country? pffff meh! so politically incorrect!

Wilber · November 14, 2009

Why are you going to class on remembrance day? Which school do you go too?

Believe it or not, Remembrance Day is not a stat holiday in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba or PEI.

Topaz · November 15, 2009

Gabriel, would you mind describing yourself as far as what you believe in? If you don't that's ok, just don't want to misunderstand you.

punked · November 15, 2009

Believe it or not, Remembrance Day is not a stat holiday in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba or PEI.

I think that is wrong.

Smallc · November 15, 2009

It isn't a stat Holiday here, but almost nothing is allowed to be open between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/doc,remembrance-day,factsheet.html#q105

I wish it was all day though...it was for me. The other provinces though would do well to put as much emphasis on Canadian History in school.

Edited November 15, 2009 by Smallc

noahbody · November 15, 2009

Some people feel that November 11th is a bit ridiculous, because it glorifies war.

Some people are ignorant to the meaning of "Lest we forget" then. So many were willing to sacrifice 50 years of their life. Surely, you can sacrifice two minutes of every year to remember their sacrifice.

Many Conservatives felt upset that we were not joining the Iraq war - not because they felt it was a just war, but simply because they feared it would harm relations with the US. Trade relations is not a just reason for entering war.

Why are you singling out the Conservatives with that accusation? How many is many? Got any poll numbers to back that up?

Gabriel · November 15, 2009

Suggesting that Remembrance Day glorifies war shows how out of touch you are with reality, KeyStone. What a sickening perspective to have of a day for solemn memorial - it's as if you need to be taught how to feel during this day! You describe Remembrance Day as if its a Rambo movie. Ridiculous. I'm being completely honest - it sickens me that people like you live in this country.

Smallc · November 15, 2009

I think that the day should become a federal statutory holiday. I think that Canadians should start a writing and calling campaign to get parliament to make a it a stat holiday.

Jerry J. Fortin · November 15, 2009

Smart political move? Expensive without doubt, yet worth every penny.

Alta4ever · November 15, 2009

Some people feel that November 11th is a bit ridiculous, because it glorifies war.

It does nothing if the sort, it is a tribute, a thank you, a show of respect and day to remember all that veterans and service people have sacrificed for us, regardless of the circumstance.