Speak for yourself, mate.
Guessing you don't live in Manchester or visit the city centre much. The bee is absolutely everywhere all over the city centre, on posts, bins, flower pots, grafitti, shop fronts like Cosy Club, Cottonopolis, A Taste of Honey, in fact the bee is so prevelant in the city centre I said to my Mrs 6 months back that it's almost becoming ubiquitous in Manchester.
I suggested the bee should be on the badge and even drew up that shite child like artwork of the badge on page one, that was 18 months ago. The bee even appeared on the badge consultation as one of the iconic symbols of Manchester to vote for to be included on the badge.
I know at least 3 people who have got Manchester bee tattoo's before the tragedy happened, I was even considering getting one myself about 6 months ago, but decided against it because I thought there was too many people getting it.
Obviously Boddingtons has used the bee for generations, I'm pretty sure Peter Saville used yellow and black as the branding for Factory and the Hacienda because it was synonymous with the Manchester bee.
My old man used to go on about the bee in the 80s saying he loved it as an iconic image of Manchester, my cousin has got cushions, posters, mugs, loads of shit with the bee on. Go to any Manchester based craft market before the tragedy and you'll see artwork, and all sorts of other shite with the bee on.
So perhaps you've not noticed the bee before, but to say "nobody cared a jot" about the bee before the tragedy and "it will soon be forgotten" is laughably out of touch with the reality of what it means to the city.