deviousgeek
The Game.
Some veterans are furious about the Queensland RSL's "tasteless" decision to release a Last Post mobile phone ringtone for Remembrance Day.
Queensland RSL chief executive Chris McHugh says thousands of people have downloaded the ringtone, available online for a $2 donation.
"It's a good way of getting to young people to remind them of the significance of Remembrance Day, to remind people what Remembrance Day is all about," Mr McHugh said.
"And if we can use the media and modern technology to do that, it's the way to do it."
Mr McHugh says he is not concerned that people may think hearing the sombre Last Post on a mobile phone is disrespectful.
"We've had a lot of interest from people saying that's what they would like at this time of the year, to remind people of what had happened in the past because their concern was that a lot of young people had forgotten," he said.
But students surveyed by PM at the University of Technology in Sydney say they will not be downloading the ringtone.
"It's pretty bad, disrespect on the diggers and it's not on," one student said.
"It seems a bit weird doing it as a ringtone because it's so sacred and it brings back all the memories of lost soldiers and things like that," another student said.
"I think it's terrible."
"Should get a hip-hop remix of it... " a third student said.
Mr McHugh says the ringtone has been on sale for just over a week and the RSL has had thousands of downloads and no complaints.
He says it is an important fundraising strategy for the RSL.
"Everyone perceives the RSL as a bunch of big clubs and that's not us," he said.
"There's 84 RSL clubs in Queensland but there's 253 sub-branches.
"The majority of the sub-branches don't have RSL clubs to provide money, so we need to raise money in little country towns and fund small country towns and regional areas that don't have large clubs."
Tasteless
But president of the New South Wales Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association, Clive Mitchell-Taylor, says the fundraising comes at too great a cost for ex-servicemen and women such as himself.
"I think it's absolutely tasteless and the RSL should know better," Mr Mitchell-Taylor said.
"In the bigger scheme of things you would think that the Last Post, given the symbology, would be one of the reserved symbols that the Government would control. Obviously that's not the case."
Mr Mitchell-Taylor says he hopes the RSL reconsiders its decision.
"I spent 44 years in the Army, and if I hear the Last Post, the hairs on my arms still stand up," he said.
"I understand that ex-service organizations have to raise funds, but I'd really like them to think this one through."
