Poppy

[RedTomato]

I used to only wear white poppies, as I felt the red poppy glorified war. For me, the white poppy symbolises being against the whole concept of war.

http://www.whitepoppy.org.uk/

Today, I'm a bit more open minded. As we (the uk) are currently fighting two stupid and pointless wars that pretty much nobody at all supports, it's pretty obvious that whatever colour poppy you wear, you're still anti-war.

I bought a red poppy on weds at Paddington station, donated £1, but by friday it'd fallen off my jacket. Hmm. Same thing happens every year, red or white.

Anyone know how to keep a poppy from falling off?

There was a mildly amusing piece on the BBC news site yesterday about british staff in Afghanistan wearing poppies, and confusing the locals, who associate it with a certain globally exported local product.

 

[cleanup]

Paper and plastic now, I'm afraid.

They're still green-on-red or black-on-red felt in Canada.

I go to U of T and it's true that a minority of students wear them. I wear one, though. I try to remember. I usually take it off of my jacket when I get in so I always have to remember to grab it before heading out. I feel uneasy not wearing one during this time of year. I'll def. wear one tomorrow.

[Edit] Ah, that's why. I wasn't living in Canada when they changed from green centres to black ones.

 

[scotthayes]

I used to only wear white poppies, as I felt the red poppy glorified war. For me, the white poppy symbolises being against the whole concept of war.

http://www.whitepoppy.org.uk/

Today, I'm a bit more open minded. As we (the uk) are currently fighting two stupid and pointless wars that pretty much nobody at all supports, it's pretty obvious that whatever colour poppy you wear, you're still anti-war.

I bought a red poppy on weds at Paddington station, donated £1, but by friday it'd fallen off my jacket. Hmm. Same thing happens every year, red or white.

Anyone know how to keep a poppy from falling off?

There was a mildly amusing piece on the BBC news site yesterday about british staff in Afghanistan wearing poppies, and confusing the locals, who associate it with a certain globally exported local product.

I've just read through the whitepoppy site, thanks for the link, and I've got to say it really p***ed me off.

I wear my poppy to show I care for all the people who have served and fought in a war. Not just World War 1 or World War 2, and not just those who died.

 

[RedTomato]

Poppy issues.

from http://www.whitepoppy.org.uk/

But the [red] poppy has had its problems. Some people who have chosen not to wear it have faced anger and abuse. It's also got involved with politics. In Northern Ireland, for example, it became regarded as a Protestant Loyalist symbol because of its connection with British patriotism. And a growing number of people have been concerned about the poppy's association with military power and the justification of war.

Some people have wondered why, with a state welfare system, the services of the British Legion (slogan: 'Honour the dead, care for the living') are still needed; some say it's disgraceful that they were ever needed at all - though the many suffering people who have depended on help from the British Legion are profoundly grateful. (Governments have been grateful too: 'Governments cannot do everything. They cannot introduce the sympathetic touch of a voluntary organisation'!)

But the question lingers: if the dead are said to have 'sacrificed' their lives, then why weren't the living, who came out of the same danger, being suitably honoured and cared for by the state that sent them into it? The language of Remembrance, in the light of that, looks more like propaganda than passion.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_poppy:

Some consider the pacifist symbolism of the white poppy to be tainted due to its association to those in the leadership of the Peace Pledge Union who favoured a policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany and support for fascism in Britain during the 1930s and early 1940s . Lord Tavistock, founder of the anti-semitic and pro-Nazi British People's Party), won elections onto the National Council of the Peace Pledge Union up until 1943 and many other prominent members of the PPU were also members of the British People's Party. These included BPP leader John Beckett who had also previously been an ally of Oswald Mosley in the British Union of Fascists, St. John Philby and Ben Greene.

The white poppy is also regarded as a divisive political gesture by those for whom the red poppy is a symbol of collective national remembrance. As the white poppy is worn at the same time as services of remembrance and collections for veterans' charities take place, it may also be regarded as disrespectful to the memory those who fought and died in war, or an act of opposition to the causes served by those charities. In addition, those who wear red poppies may resent the implication that they are in favour of war.

Those who promote the wearing of white poppies argue that the red poppy also conveys a specific political standpoint, and point to the divisive nature of the red poppy in Northern Ireland, where it is worn mainly by the Unionist community. They choose the white poppy over the red often because they wish to disassociate themselves from the militaristic aspects of Remembrance Day, rather than the commemoration itself.

Some individuals choose to wear both white and red poppies.

Hmmm. I'll have a pink and black stripey poppy then. Oh, don't these colours also carry their own associations

 

[r1ch4rd]

I've just read through the whitepoppy site, thanks for the link, and I've got to say it really p***ed me off.

I wear my poppy to show I care for all the people who have served and fought in a war. Not just World War 1 or World War 2, and not just those who died.

I'm not sure that I am convinced by the white poppies either. If the money went to the same place I might be more for it.

The red poppy isn't about remembering the dead, it's about supporting the veterans who are still alive. It's all well and good saying the government should support them and we shouldn't be fighting in the first place, but the government don't and it's too late to worry about the latter. If you're not going to give them any money nobody is.

 

[OllyW]

I've just read through the whitepoppy site, thanks for the link, and I've got to say it really p***ed me off.

I wear my poppy to show I care for all the people who have served and fought in a war. Not just World War 1 or World War 2, and not just those who died.

I fully agree. The fact that they are using the pathetic bigotry that still blights Northern Ireland as a justification for white poppies doesn't help their cause at all.

The poppy is about remembering the soldiers and nothing to do with the politics of war.

 

[Abstract]

Always have, always will. I'm 29.

I completely forgot that Canadians celebrate Remembrance Day on November 11th, at 11:11 AM. I have forgotten to celebrate over the past few years.

On the other hand, I'm in a different country, and I really don't think people wear poppies here, nor do they mourn the death of soldiers on the same day as Canadians do.

It's not much of a good excuse, I suppose. I don't commemorate with the Australians on their day, either.