Memorial anniversaries to tragedies - the right way to deal with them?

The anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing and the Grenfell Fire have headlined the news this year - not to mention other terrible tragedies and atrocities.

I am sickened by the loss of lives taken by terrorists and the issues of class and economic considerations that accompanied these events. But I wonder whether anniversary memorials to them is the way to go. Do they give closure - or do they perpetuate the misery of surviving relatives?

Many war veterans, for example, would never talk about their horrific experiences and drew a line under what happened. Yet maybe bottling-up these memories is unhealthy

I can understand marking the first anniversary of such events as it is an opportunity for all involved to be collectively remembered and for the emergency services to be thanked.

After the first year Im not sure there's a need for a collective rememberance.

However, thankfully I've not been affected by any such tragedy so don't really know how I'd feel.

I think it might depend on the tragedy.

In some cases where there was an awful event that destroyed lives and traumatised communities the only purpose of a memorial anniversary would be to remember. That might be worth having for the benefit of the victims and their friends and families, but may be something that is private - not opened up to the media circus so the whole country is invited to join in like a warped form of reality TV.

In other cases - Hillsborough and Grenfell for instance - there was a tragedy but also an aftermath where the authorities need to be held to account and pressure maintained to ensure changes are made and promises kept (as they haven't been with Grenfell). In those cases the tragedy belongs to everyone and there should be a national commemoration and media blitz.

I don't have a problem with it. We still remember Aberfan every year.

Jon's point ran through my mind too, it's not just about remembering but holding authorities to account. There are people today living with immense practical problems from Grenfell, I don't just mean the personal tragedies they've had. For example, people living in flats with similar cladding are stranded because their property value has dropped to about 25% of what it was year ago. They weren't even in that building but are living with the aftermath and also terrified that theirs is next because the cladding hasn't been fixed.

It's very important for us still to remember. And if you don't give a shit it couldn't be easier to ignore, just read past the headline and don't open the article.

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Originally Posted by lardy

We still remember Aberfan every year.

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This is a notable example. While the outside world remembers the Aberfan disaster, I have it on good authority from people who live there and actually lost children that a veil has been drawn over the event.....remembrance garden, notwithstanding. Perhaps someone might confirm this - or put the matter straight...

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Originally Posted by Cyclops

The anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing and the Grenfell Fire have headlined the news this year - not to mention other terrible tragedies and atrocities.

I am sickened by the loss of lives taken by terrorists and the issues of class and economic considerations that accompanied these events. But I wonder whether anniversary memorials to them is the way to go. Do they give closure - or do they perpetuate the misery of surviving relatives?

Many war veterans, for example, would never talk about their horrific experiences and drew a line under what happened. Yet maybe bottling-up these memories is unhealthy

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War veterans rarely acknowledged their role.

These days Facebook have given a platform to those that served 3 months in the North. They pat themselves on the back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cyclops

This is a notable example. While the outside world remembers the Aberfan disaster, I have it on good authority from people who live there and actually lost children that a veil has been drawn over the event.....remembrance garden, notwithstanding. Perhaps someone might confirm this - or put the matter straight...

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Is any single person in the situation where they can talk on behalf of all the others in any community though?

They do a 9/11 memorial and read out the name of every single victim every year.