Does anyone not wear a poppy, and why?

If not, why not?

It was a great war the Great War
The greatest war there’s ever been
It was a war to end all wars
It didn’t but that’s how it seemed
It was a great war the Great War
With the bodies and the blood
The shell holes and the hell holes
The trenches and the mud
It was a great war the Great War
The last war where no-one dared
To question the orders
No-one knew or no-one cared

And you stand there with your poppies
As a tribute to the ones
Who gave their lives for nothing
For the fathers and the sons
Then next day you go out
And buy your kids toy guns
Well go on and why not
You’ve got to teach them while they’re young

It was a great war the Great War
The greatest war we’ve ever seen
We killed their side we killed our side
We killed anybody in between
It was a great war the Great War
Better still than Waterloo
Better yet than Agincourt
Better still than World War Two
It was a great war the Great War
The greatest chance we ever got
To die for our country
Or if not then to be shot

And you stand there in your silence
Just like we used to do
Like you were waiting for their whistle
For their orders to come through
Oh can’t you see you’re still doing
Just what they tell you to
Remember what they did to us
They could do to you

In a great war like the Great War
The greatest war we’ve ever known
We took simple fields made them hell on earth
Turned a million men to stone
But it was a great war the Great War
It was not our duty to survive
We weren’t idiots we were patriots
Come on boys keep the myth alive
It was a great war the Great War
But you lead us up the garden path
And still you lead us every year
Up to the Cenotaph

And you stand there politicians
Wiping tears from your eyes
With the hands that shake the hands
Of the dictators you supply
Well I cannot see the honour
Nor the glory nor the pride
And I will not wear your poppy
And I will not stand silent by

© Philip Jeays 1999

I’m surprised by how many people don’t wear them. Sad really.

I only managed to buy one on Saturday. It was the first and only place I came across selling them.

Me. I have major reservations about the way the campaign has shifted over the last five years.

I think it’s pretty disgusting the way there’s a huge witch hunt now over ANYTHING that is perceived to be “doing poppies the wrong way”. For example: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/10441144/Google-criticised-for-demeaning-tribute-to-Britains-war-dead.html

Last week the Poppy Appeal’s official twitter feed included pictures of smiling young children in “Future Soldier” t-shirts.

It’s completely distant from my own personal feeling of what remembrance is.

I’m not “refusing”, nor am I doing nothing personal to commemorate. I’m just choosing not to engage with the campaign itself in its current tone and form.

Here’s one take on why: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2010/11/british-war-poppy-carnage

There’s this too: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/poppy-last-time-remembrance-harry-leslie-smith

I don’t. For numerous reasons, but really because I don’t like being told when, where, how and for whom I should mourn.

Buy one and wear it, but there is an air of jingoistic patriotism creeping in which is quite unpleasant, there was the white poppy thing a few years back but Im not a pacifist as such so that don’t help. not quite at the stars and stripes lapel badge state yet though.

I actually noticed a real lack of purchase opportunities this year, got one in Tesco in the end.

I have never worn one, never really thought too much about why not, just suppose I have never felt the need nor desire to.

However other Twitter users liked the design. David MacLean (@David_MacLean) wrote that criticism was the “equivalent to criticising someone for wearing a poppy instead of a massive poppy onesie and a poppy hat.” [/*]

I’m not wearing one because I’ve got a load of different clothes on the go, it just so happens not to be on a garmet I’m wearing. Hope that is acceptable 😉

I wear one, in remembrance of all those who gave and continue to give so that we are free to make the choice not to* if our wish or desire is thus.

* or wear a white one, or whatever else others may choose to do instead. Even burning them, if that’s what you think. That’s what a free country is about.

I have never worn one, never really thought too much about why not, just suppose I have never felt the need nor desire to.

This.

Also, when do we remember the civilians needlessly killed in the recent, pointless ‘wars’?

I do, but has to be said I’m half and half with the support of the Forces and the loss of Millions of innocent folk in any conflict we’ve been involved in.
For some reason I’ve been watching a lot of WW2 Documentaries recently and followed a series of programmes on Hitler etc. and jeeeze I’ve been rather moved by the total destruction of humanity that went on..
So I wear one, but I fold it in half (thereby looking “normal” but my little attempt at my private protest/thoughts for the innocent)
🙁

Having met the 3 people that were featured in this years poppy appeal posters plus many others over the last few years and heard their stories about how the legion has helped them i happily donate every year and wear my poppy with pride.
The Legion does a lot of good work and step in when people are desperate for help.
i take what i read in the newspapers with a pinch of salt having seen the positive effect of giving money to the legion.

@warton – I think the idea is that you remember them on rememberance sunday – the proceeds from the poppy appeal areraised, used and distributed by the British Legion and hence are primarily for ex-servicemen/women however the day/minutes silence and the poppy appeal are not the same thing and remeberance is for all killed in war including civilians

Also, when do we remember the civilians needlessly killed in the recent, pointless ‘wars’?

I like to think of it as a way of honouring “the fallen” rather than service men and women in particular.

I didn’t buy one this year. I have some reservations about supporting unjust/ unnecessary wars. I have nothing but admiration for those at the front and have in the past bought poppies to support them.

I doubt anyone doubts the Legion’s good work.

It’s the Poppy Police on Twitter and in newspapers’ letters pages, and rent-a-quote MPs loudly shouting that Google’s poppy symbol wasn’t big enough, and the TV programmes that feel forced to hand out poppies to keep up appearances (yesterday’s countryfile had a beef farmer in all his dung-scooping non-finery, with a crisp poppy, filmed in what was clearly mid-summer judging by the leaves on the trees). It’s also the sense of militarism and nationalism that it’s being embued with – more “We love our armed forces” than about remembering the horrific death of millions. That’s what’s shifted in a big way in recent years, I think, and I find it really distasteful.

warton – Member

Also, when do we remember the civilians needlessly killed in the recent, pointless ‘wars’?

Um, as I understand it, Rememberance Day has always been about remembering war and all its victims, precisely so that its cost is never taken for granted.

Also, when do we remember the civilians needlessly killed in the recent, pointless ‘wars’?

Whenever you want to. Do it every day if you want.

The poppy is just a badge, the important thing is to remember. If you choose not to remember those killed in recent wars (or any), then don’t.
Nobody should feel obliged, do so only if it feels right, if you feel grateful to those who died doing the bidding of the country (and I’m not saying you should).

I’ve not worn one this year, not for any particular reason. I’ve donated money and I know that I have taken the time to remember. I don’t need to tell everyone I meet that I’ve done so.

Sometimes I do, but I also think it’s a superficial gesture for many people and – like bencooper – I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea of enforced remembrance.

Also, when do we remember the civilians needlessly killed in the recent, pointless ‘wars’?

I think we’re supposed to forget about those.

🙁

Always give money but i’ve always chosen not to wear a poppy.

enforced remembrance

FFS

The museum at Auschwitz is a bit ‘in your face’ too i suppose?

I don’t often wear one, but always remember and always donate. I’ll often donate and not take the poppy unless I’m suited and off to work or going somewhere. Seems pointless and a waste of resources unless I’m out an about.

It’s our acts and our attitudes that define us not our trinkets or appearance.

I doubt anyone doubts the Legion’s good work.

It’s the Poppy Police on Twitter and in newspapers’ letters pages, and rent-a-quote MPs loudly shouting that Google’s poppy symbol wasn’t big enough…

If that’s the way you feel, then I think your position is entirely reasonable.

I don’t think anyone should be harrassed or coerced into wearing a poppy. Indeed, if they are, then it’s a sure way to undermine the true purpose of a shared commemoration.

I only wish that more people voluntarily gave thought to the purpose of Remembrance Day, and felt that they could enter into the communal act of remembering.

We have a new guy working for us from the states come over this week, he asked why everyone was wearing one. Is the poppy just a UK thing?

I wear one as a simple mark of respect. I observe silences for the same reason.

But I am always wary of anything that glamorises the true horror of war (BUT definitely not suggesting that poppies nor the manner in which we pay our respects around the date, does this). IMO this is not really the day to have this discussions but suffice to say that we sanitise war too easily and miss its true horror. War is a truly horrible and often futile exercise with grotesque and unnecessary losses of life all too often for unclear aims.

We should not shield future generations from its true horror but should protect then from allowing it happening again.

Thank God for all those who made the ultimate sacrifice. May future generations be spared this.

FFS

The museum at Auschwitz is a bit ‘in your face’ too i suppose?

By enforced I mean that if it’s compulsory then it doesn’t mean anything.

Do you understand my point?

I’ve always gone to the local memorial for the silence on the Sunday, and think it’s important that we take our kids too. However, I didn’t sing along with the national anthem to with the praising of God that sadly got included alongside it.

i always donate both my money and my thoughts on remembrance sunday/11th november. i haven’t worn a poppy for a few years. no particular reason.

if you want to take part then do so. if you don’t that is absolutely your right too. i don’t think anyone should try to enforce their view on anyone else either way.

One problem I have is that it’s a moveable feast. A remembrance of those who died in WWII and WWII is fine, though I’d prefer if those on all sides and civilians were remembered, but whatever.

What I don’t like is how it’s being extended to all veterans of all subsequent wars. The world wars were special, in terms of the numbers involved, in that most were conscripts, and in the carnage. Subsequent wars have been fought by professional soldiers and have not really been wars of survival – the soldiers in Afghanistan are not fighting to save or protect the UK.

And that little girl up there, wearing a “Future Soldier” t-shirt – that’s just f***ed up.

It’s not compulsory though is it?

You don’t need a poppy to do it and you don’t need to cry crocodile tears like the politicians but if you don’t maybe take a moment to reflect (wherever and whenever that may be) on the deaths of millions people, many in the most horrible circumstances imagineable, then maybe that says more about you than the society ‘oppressing’ you into doing it

wors – Member

We have a new guy working for us from the states come over this week, he asked why everyone was wearing one. Is the poppy just a UK thing?

Nope. Canada too. If you haven’t impaled yourself on a poppy pin, or dismantled the poppy to use the red bit as comedy ‘lips’, then you didn’t grow up in Canada.

I don’t wear one. The creeping jingoistic overtones, and the apparent incomprehension of Poppy’s original meaning by especially politicians sending troops to fight in foreign wars, and the changes to the RBL funding and structures Mean to me It’s become an embarrassing fig leaf.

Is the poppy just a UK thing?

Largely yes, although I’m sure that some other parts of the Commonwealth will wear them too but at different times e.g. ANZAC day in April.

It’s not compulsory though is it?

It is if you’re a TV newsreader, apparently.

I’d far rather encourage my kid to learn for themselves and think for themselves. Just about every churchyard and cemetery has some commonwealth war graves in it. It’s relatively easy now with the internet to find out the story of any one of those young people’s deaths, and to read and learn about the battles and campaigns in which they fell. I think it puts a hugely individual perspective on it: These were real people, often very young, with a whole childhood and young adult life snuffed out in an instant.

That’s real, genuine, and (in my view) infinitely preferable to the “I AM CONSIDERABLY MORE POPPY THAN YAAOU” nonsense that goes on at the moment, which for me has considerably demeaned the whole thing.

It’s not compulsory though is it?

https://twitter.com/search?q=%22not%20wearing%20a%20poppy%22&src=typd&f=realtime

Think it’s bad just now? Just wait until all the celebrations planned for next year.

Saw a bus in Glasgow today, with a poppy sticker on the front.