Wearing a white poppy

So that's where the money from your red poppy goes-£9500!

Ooops missed a 0 £95000

That's very sad trisher.

Red poppy for me too. My Dad was the local standard bearer for the Royal British Legion for many years. He won the standard bearers competition twice, and went to the Service of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall. He collected some of the poppy petals that fell at the end of the service, and kept them in his wallet until they were crumbs. Each petal represents a life lost in all the armed conflicts since the Great War.
My cousin is currently in Italy visiting the grave of our Great Uncle, killed in action on the 29th October 1918.

Red poppies grew on the battleground where so many died.
That is why they are worn.
Hope I haven't got that wrong.
Why white poppies, couldnt a difference in symbol be chosen? It's as if the white ones are challenging the red ones.

There'll always be the red ones. If you've ever seen a field full of poppies displayed it's one of the most beautiful sights.
I've seen them in France near where a family member is buried from a 1917 torpedo hit on the SS Transylvania .

The original suggestion made in 1922 by the No More War Movement, largely composed of WW1 veterans was that the centre of the red poppy should bear the word Peace, when that was refused they created the white poppy. Did they not have a right to express their views?

Red poppy always.
I have visited the war graves in France and Ypres and stood at the Menin gate for the last post, no white poppies to be seen when I was there.

You may also like to know that the Peace Pledge Union's annual turnover is similar to the annual salary (£95,000+) of the British Legion's chief executive.

Typical for all big charities I think trisher. The money raised goes to pay inflated salaries before it does any good whatsoever. Which is sickening.

Meant to add. I have never seen anyone wearing or selling a white poppy. Didn't even know they existed.

My great grandfather fought and died in The Great War, my dearest grandad fought in WW11, he suffered ill health for the rest of his life.

I don't understand Ellanvannin's post.
I value deeply living in a democracy that enables us to think carefully about the views we hold and express them freely. I know, from family experience how precious that is.
Your post sounded as if you disagreed with that, but I think I must have misunderstood.

I guess the Roal British legion supports military families. It's just not their role to speak out against war. Putting "peace" in the centre of the poppy would be doing that.

Think I might wear both.

My brother wore his white poppy on his commute into London before he retired, and found that people were interested rather than hostile.

Nannarose what I meant was democracy gone mad.

Gonegirl so the survivors of WW1 who asked for that had no right to do so? Surely if the poppy was to commemorate their suffering they should be entitled to their opinion?

It's just not their role to speak out against war.
That is just not true.

It is to remember and to pray for peace.

tricher

Of course they do but not on rememberance Sunday. That’s simply to recognise the sacrifice of both men and women in the armed services and of course they too were mums dads sons and daughters.

The white poppy recognised all victims of conflict which is problematic! It could include both terrorists and their victims for example.

Support save the children or support food banks and refugee charities quietly which is what millions do.

Wearing a white poppy makes it all about you.

My grandad died from heart disease brought on by his time in the trenches. He died before I was born. His brother cut his throat the day after he died.

That generation had been 20s in WW1 and middle aged in WW2!!

I cannot imagine the levels of PTSD and mental illness around undiagnosed In that generation.

For goodness sake it’s one day to honour them. Stuff your white poppy and wear red. Stop making their hell and sacrifice all about you.

tricher

The last part of my post wasn’t meant to be personal to you by the way.

If this country (God forbid) found itself again in a situation that needed military intervention, then the British Legion would be there for the servicemen. That is their role. Not to gainsay the actions of the military.

That is their role.
You said it better than I Gonegirl
And they are there for servicemen and servicewomen's families too.

Gonegirl putting red and white flowers together used to be a no no on hospital wards years ago. I don't know if it still stands because flowers aren't allowed on wards these days. It was a symbol of blood and tears and was said to be unlucky when given to the patient.

I heard that too EllanVannin

In fact it was when flower arranging was being demonstrated that someone said never put red and white flowers together, without another colour with them.

They said it was symbolic of 'blood and bandages'.

Oh my gosh! And they look so pretty together! ?