Poppies!

It is a day to remember the fallen who lost their lives to allow us to express those differing views. My opinion is that those who can't support this remembrance, for whatever reason, should perhaps save their contrary opinion for another thread.
I don't imagine anyone who wears a poppy feeling superior and the fact that Tommy Robinson wears a poppy is irrelevant, the vast majority of poppy wearers don't share his views.

One example Lemon gave was wearing a white poppy - do you think that should be banned or not suggested as a legitimate alternative?

Sorry * Jane10*, thank you for the reminder.

From a bbc website

“Some people feel that the red poppy glorifies war and conflict.

Instead they might choose to wear a white poppy.

The white poppy is handed out by a charity called Peace Pledge Union, which promotes peace.

They say that the white poppy commemorates people who died in conflict, but focuses on achieving peace and challenging the way we look at war.’

I don’t see why this position should be sneered at or deemed illegitimate.

The white poppy also symbolises remembrance for victims of war but makes a point that war should not be celebrated or glamorised, fair enough, but to my mind that implies that the wearer of the red poppy is doing so and this is definitely not the case. The cornflower is worn in France. Whatever flower doesn't matter as long as it symbolises remembrance. Along with an understanding and gratitude for the sacrifices made on our behalf.
Perhaps we could agree to disagree Suziewoozie so that we don't hi-jack Jane's timely reminder.

Watch out Laura I was really slated for using the word hi-jack yesterday in a thread!

I agree, get this meaningful thread back on track.

Thank you for starting this thread, Jane10

I do hope that contributions are not down significantly this year because the need is still there and the work of the RBL goes on, helping ex-servicemen and their families without whose sacrifices people could not express the views they do.

I'm glad to read most of the comments here. I had no objection to lemongrove's post. I quite understood what she was referring to.

We have a serving soldier in our family, last year we attended a military remembrance service. No way did it glorify war, in-fact it was exactly the opposite.

I and my family will continue to wear our red poppies to commemorate those who have given their lives and continue to put their lives on the line each day.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I wear a red poppy in remembrance of all those who have given their lives in conflict and in particular of my great uncle who joined up when nearly 15 having lied about his age. He fought bravely for nearly 4 years and was killed shortly before armistice was declared in 1918. The red poppy reminds me of the Flanders fields where he is buried so a white poppy would never do.

I have bought a poppy face mask and a badge (ds has joined the Navy this year) from the official poppy shop. I am also expecting 20 regular poppies to distribute among family and friends to remind them to donate online.

Poppy boxes have been distributed as normal and volunteers are working hard as usual, many of them in their 80s.

Thank you Jane 10 and Lemongrove for your posts.

So I have had a post deleted for saying ‘I refuse to get involved in tit for tat responses’ to suziewoozie......how the heck can you delete that? I do wonder about moderation on this site sometimes.
They have also deleted suziew’s post regarding me......I never asked for that to happen..

Oh well, as you were...onwards and upwards?

What I would say is that Remembrance Day belongs to all who want to remember - white poppies are just a different way of doing it and should not be regarded as illegitimate.

I have donated to BL and sent a cross with my great uncles name and dates, who died in WW1 aged 18, which will be placed in the field of remembrance at Westminster Abbey. My dad will be remembered as he served in the RN 1939-45. I won’t be wearing a poppy of any colour as I won’t be going anywhere. So I don’t know if I come i the category of miseries described earlier.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2019/11/06/white-poppies-invented-11052299/amp/
If anyone is open minded enough to read this, you might find it interesting as to the origins of the white poppies.

To fulfil lemon's expectations here is the post from a dedicated White Poppy wearer. This year the White Poppies are asking that we remember Yemen, the war in which the British government is complicit, training troops and permitting the export of equipment being used to kill innocent women and children. The White Poppy also commemorates all the civilian dead in all wars and all countries. More civilians than soldiers die in wars now. So we remember those people who suffer and die not through choice but through circumstance. War isn't something to be remembered or something of the past, it is happening now. We are fortunate not to be involved. So as you remember the dead of the past spare a thought for Yemen and those dying now.

That’s a nice gesture * Vegans* my Father was RN too.
It’s the donation that counts rather than the wearing of a poppy, although I like to do both.
I don’t go into supermarkets now, and I doubt poppy sellers will come to the door this year, so donating online is the way to go.
If I could knit a poppy I would do....the other year, in a town in Northumberland, there was a church that we walked past, they had great swathes of knitted poppies hanging in a sort of wave pattern, it looked wonderful.

Oh dear, yet another thread about Remembrance Sunday deteriorating and posts being deleted.

The Red Poppy symbolises Flanders fields, where so many young men lost their lives in a senseless slaughter. It commemorates the fallen and reminds us all that your young men and women are still sacrificing themselves.

I stopped wearing a white poppy because I felt that it could inadvertently offend veterans. I felt it made the wearers' belief systems the focus, rather than the commemoration of those who died. Surely it's accepted that war should be avoided. I do not see the red poppy as glorifying war and wonder who does. I respect those who prefer to wear a white poppy, or no poppy at all. Surely we can all manage that?

trisher I knew posters would be along with the same views because it happens on GN every year....As sure as eggs is eggs.

I cross posted there with trisher, vegans and sooziewoozie.
lemon grove the British Legion had a poppy knitting pattern on its site a couple of years ago. Bet you could still find it. Easy and enjoyable. Our group of pals knitted loads to be sold

Iam I objected quite rightly imo to lemon coming straight in to basically criticise white poppy wearers.

lemongrove

trisher I knew posters would be along with the same views because it happens on GN every year....As sure as eggs is eggs.

So what? None owns Remembrance Day or has a monopoly on how to remember the fallen. I could say that the views of the red poppy supporters are repeated every year as well as sure as eggs are eggs