Are you buying a poppy this year?

As the mother of a serving Marine Commando I just wish that people would learn to tell the difference between the people that cause the wars (polticians and world leaders) and the poor souls who end up fighting in them (the service personnel). If these brave folk didn't put their lives opn the line we wouldn't be safe. Ignorance appalls me!

I wear a knitted poppy that I made myself (I don't like the grotty plastic ones that fall apart a a moment's notice but I still donate and show off my knitted one). Last year I had fun and made loads and carried them around and when people commented on them (which they did) I would take one out of my handbag and give them one like mine and tell them that they have to go and donate.

Having come to live in this country 12 years ago and at that stage I think I was trying to fit in with anything and everything that seemed 'traditional', I now never think about buying/wearing a poppy in any other way as supporting a charity.

that should be '... but as supporting a charity'. Or something like that.

I do not agree with or want to glorify war, and very much agree with Eleothans' views too.

However the British Legion do fantastic work, much more than most people realise, and are truly worth supporting.

My son has served in Afghanistan as a front line medic, and has seen all the horrors of war. I have always worn a poppy, in memory of the older generation, of whom so many were lost, and too for my son and his fallen friends and comrades. It is my expression of support and recognition of their bravery and sacrifice. It is the least I can do.

Gracesmum, Like merlot I grew up on army bases. This was at a time when the army was much bigger and personnel moved around much more. I had had 21 'permanent' addresses by the time I was 21.

My experience, and more recently from friends and Godchildren in the forces is that most bases in any of the forces have a thriving social life within them and can give each other much support when the men are away but they are also part of the community. The children go to local schools, families shop in local shops, use local pubs and entertainment facilities. I would say army life compares very favourable with the lives of many single mothers living alone on large estates.

While young members of the lower ranks will not be able to afford to own property nowadays many service personnel own and live in their own homes off base. I am not suggesting army life is perfect, nor that it does not have its own particular problems but I do not think those problems are any worse than those of others not in the army. Just different.

Eleothan yes in a perfect world injured members of the services would be taken care of by the government of the day, but we don't live in a perfect world and until that day arrives charities like the British Legion are filling the void left by governments. As I said before I don't support war but the men and women who are sent to war.

Separate topic. Wars are caused by governments not by arms manufacturers. They are often brought into being by governments. Car manufacturers do not cause accidents, drivers do.

It is easy to be anti-war but it needs to be remembered that not fighting kills as many people as fighting. I opposed the Iraq war, not because I thought it would save lives, it wouldn't, but because I thought, rightly, it would make matters worse not better. Sadam Hussein's regime had killed and was killing many tens of thousands of Iraqi's and since his overthrow Iraqis have continued to kill other Iraqis at the much the same rate, if not more prolifically than Sadam did. All the war did was make a bad situation worse.

If we hadn't fought WW2 and had allowed the Germans to invade, us not fighting would not have stopped the German invasion, as many British people would have died, but different ones, Jews, the disabled and ill, political opponents and their families, plus of course most of the Jews who survived the Holocaust because we went to war.

Remember Martin Niemoller's poem (he was killed by the Nazis)

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out

I am not advocating war, just pointing out that sometimes the price of pacifism can be very high and perhaps the alternative is preferable.

I will wear my poppy with pride in remembrance of my grandfather, two great uncles and distant cousin who died in WW1 and the contribution my grandfather and his seven sons made in WW2 that has enabled so many people in this country and elsewhere in Europe to live peaceful prosperous lives in their own communities for 70 years. Why are so many people from other countries outside Europe so desperate to get to Europe at almost any cost?

I was wrong Martin Niemoller lived until 1984

Previously I have always bought a poppy from a nice lady who comes to the door. Irrespective of whether it's wrong to only help people in the armed forces, they do deserve help, and I always thought the British Legion do sterling work. I also give to civilian charities who help those who for varying reasons are not as fortunate and lucky as I am.

However, this year I will not being buying a poppy. If the British Legion can afford to send me a box containing two carefully designed notelets with envelopes, a very nice pen - and a poppy. Also a postage paid envelope and standing order form which I shall ignore as I don't like the feeling of being manipulated.

Did that post make sense? I'm a bit narked that the BL are wasting money sending all these freebies.

I never buy a poppy because as a lifelong pacifist I do not believe we should be fighting wars and certainly not interfering in other countries wars. Families seemed shocked and outraged when people are killed or injured as members of the armed forces. Don't join these services if you don't want to get killed is my suggestion.

I do buy a red poppy, 3 so far this year as I keep losing them. I do this in support of the Legion that does stirling charity work for ex-servicemen.

I am anti-war and pro- peace negotiation. However I am realistic enough to know that there are some circumstances when the lesser evil is to take a military stance. Service personnel deserve public support if we expect them to be there , at the front line on our behalf. Even when I have not supported the decisions for the military action the individual military personnel still need help and support post action or when injured etc. Of course this ought to be part of the package they sign up to but if this is not happening support needs to be there from somewhere.

I also support http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/ because to me it is the other side of the coin. I do not want young men and women to have to fight on my behalf and risk or lose their lives. therefore I have to support an organisation that is trying to promote avoidance of conflict.

Sorry www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/

Also meant to say I do not like the 'glorification' of war at memorial services. In war there are often no real winners but dreadful losses on both sides...no glory in that.

Remembering those who died is a different thing.

Yes, absolutely!! The act of wearing my poppy shows respect to those who fell or were injured and supports the families and those still serving. I feel naked without one.
My parents lived through and served in WWII, my grandparents and their siblings through WWI as well and we have several nieces and nephews still serving in the Forces, my husband was in the Army and the TA when he was young, Thank God he never had to fire a shot in anger.
I hold in my memory two individuals who died on active service in WWII who were mourned by my parents, both were victims of friendly fire actually and it is important whilst remembering that war is the failure of politicians.

So if another country sent in an army to invade your town and kill the inhabitants, you would say "welcome, go ahead", hicaz46 ?

And, more importantly and more relevantly to the buying and wearing of poppies, if one of your neighbours tried to stop them and was seriously injured, would you let them bleed and die on your doorstep rather than give them help? Or even an invading soldier who needed immediate first aid?

How cold and hard.

I always buy a poppy, having served in the Army, I met a lot of good friends. Luckily I wasn't in any hot spots.The poppy to me is in memory of the ones who have fallen in all the conflicts. I shall wear mine with pride.

I fail to see how remembrance services glorify war? They are public acts of remembrance, gratitude and sorrow.

I think events like the Edinburgh Military Tattoo glorify war because they are showcases of military expertise.

You might as well say that an ordinary funeral service glorifies cancer, or heart attacks, or speeding motorists. Any glorification is done outside the memorial service, which is full of sadness for the young lives lost.

Elegran many pacifists served in the war, taking on dangerous duties but refused to kill. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

My grandfather suffered badly in the trenches in WW1,and as a resullt went to an early grave aged 56, my father was killed in the 'Hitler' war before I was born, as was my G.Aunt's only son and my Stepfather was a POW in the Far East. None of them wanted to fight or kill anyone, BUT when the defence our nation was paramount they ALL put their lives on the line. I feel enormouse pride both for them and for ALL our armed forces, some rotten apples maybe, but the vast majority are ALL heroes, so for me, not to wear a poppy with pride would be inconceivable. War is HELL, but where would be be if there was no-one prepared to defend us?

I wear a poppy for remembrance, not glory, not pride. And I call to mind Wilfred Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est...' A savage riposte to those people (and one lady poet in particular), comfortably at home in Britain, who spouted platitudes about what a glorious thing it was to die for one's country.

Zephrine I was not condemning pacifists for their views. But no-one is a greater pacifist than a wife or mother whose husband or son is at the pointy end, or someone who has been conscripted into service

What I object to is the assumption that anyone who has been injured or killed doing the bidding of his country has no right to care and comfort, or assistance when he returns to civilian life. Even convicted ex-criminals who have committed violent or financially destructive offences against their fellow men have helpto settle back into a legitimate community again.

Boycotting services which remember the death of these personnel and collections to help fund help for them doers not aid the cause of pacifism. It punishes the front line without affecting those who start wars without trying all possible alternatives.

I buy and wear my poppy to Remember Isn't that the whole point? I feel slight embarrassment if I change coats and go out without a poppy.
I'm glad it helps the BL to do their sterling work too, with those injured or affected by conflict.

I do take your points Elegran - I think what I find so hard is the politicians who send young people to war metaphorically vying for the best camera angle on the news items of the remembrance events. It makes me shudder.

I do buy a poppy and make my contribution, but agree with others that those who send young people to war should be prepared to provide the after-care and support - it all comes from us in the end one way or another, but it should be part of the package and not dependent on a charity.

I think my views are coloured by my father's strong and oft-repeated views that he had no wish whatsoever to remember any of it and could not begin to understand why people would wish to do so.

I live in southern Ireland and I get my son to send me a poppy. I wear it in thanks to all those of all nations who have given their lives in the fight for peace.

Next year, the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WW1, I shall be growing poppies on the front garden and some on the hedgerow.

I have been challenged by one person (on another forum) who asked how many Irish were killed in the first world war The answer is 30,000 died. Quite a lot from such a small island