White Poppy

Thanks for telling me, rose. I will have to wear just a white poppy.

I really can't understand why, when the white poppy has its own designated day, some people feel that it is acceptable to try and hijack another day to make a statement.

I absolutely agree, the white poppy has its own day which is absolutely fine, but I wouldn't dream of wearing a red one on that day, I would consider it provocative and in bad taste. If I'm honest this is exactly what I think the other way round, and feel that wearing white on what used to be known many years ago as 'red poppy day' is only done to make a political, moral high ground point. I didn't know about blood and bandages! In a macabre way that is very interesting!! I shall stick to red as I've always done, and folornly hope for better things,

I pondered about white poppies as I fell asleep last night (don't worry, it didn't keep me awake) and after wracking my memory shelves came to the conclusion that in fact I have never seen a white poppy for sale or being worn. This suggests that I had not noticed, because how could I, that it had the word 'peace' in the centre. So there's your answer, dj, although why that's important I'm not sure because even though I've never seen a white poppy worn or for sale, I have known since I was in my teens what the white poppy symbolised. Seeing a word doesn't seem terrible important in this instance; it's understanding the concept and the symbolism that's important.

I shall not be wearing any poppy on Remembrance Sunday. I do think that support for injured military personnel is a national duty.

I agree with lily's comment about white poppies being gesture politics. It's another way of saying what I said earlier about badges and labels. I don't need to endorse my views with badges and labels.

Yes, it is badges and labels, and if worn "in opposition" to those wearing a different badge on a specific day it does feel like the Montagues meeting someone wearing a Capulet badge. One day for each is fair - mourn the dead on one day and proclaim your wish for peace on another. i would include the second in the wearing of a mourning red, but if you wish to separate them, that is fine.

And, as I have said on another thread (maybe it was this one) echoes of handing white feathers to young men not in WW1 uniform, symbolising "You are not demonstrating that you are for it, so you must be against it"

Echoes too of Diana-itis - "If you are not making a big show of your emotions, you are a cold fish and don't have any"

BTW, I don't like the Kellogs advert that appears to the right of the page, showing red soft fruit drifting down into a cereal bowl, like poppy petals at the service of remembrance.

The white poppy may be for peace. Does that mean the red poppy is for war? Of course it doesn't. I get very cross at the muddled thinking that suggests that honouring the dead and caring for the living survivors is somehow war-mongering. thatbags, Elegran

FHS, no one is warmongering!! I can't for the life of me understand why anyone should even begin to think that, whatever anyone is or isn't wearing. I've never seen white poppies either, but if people want to wear them, then do it, but FGS, stop making a song and dance about it, and what's worse, don't make a political point about it. The people who gave their mostly very young lives for this country are worth reverence and respect and should never be used as a platform for political squabbling.

song and dance and political point. Yes. Exactly. Well said, niggly.

One gets tired of political points all the bloody time from some posters

Thanks for telling me, rose. I will have to wear just a white poppy

djen you could, if you wished to wear both, wear a sprig of rosemary with it, then it wouldn't be just red and white.
Rosemary for remembrance, which we wear at Gallipoli remembrance services (Anzac Day).

I may not agree with you, but I do think you should have the freedom to choose; after all, that is what they fought and died for.

A Prayer for Remembrance Day

Here’s a prayer of intercession for Remembrance Day (November 11). It comes from the Church of England website.

Prayer for Remembrance Day

Let us pray for all who suffer as a result of conflict,
and ask that God may give us peace:
for the service men and women
who have died in the violence of war,
each one remembered by and known to God;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For those who love them in death as in life,
offering the distress of our grief
and the sadness of our loss;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For all members of the armed forces
who are in danger this day,
remembering family, friends
and all who pray for their safe return;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For civilian women, children and men
whose lives are disfigured by war or terror,
calling to mind in penitence
the anger and hatreds of humanity;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For peacemakers and peacekeepers,
who seek to keep this world secure and free;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

For all who bear the burden and privilege of leadership,
political, military and religious;
asking for gifts of wisdom and resolve
in the search for reconciliation and peace;
may God give peace.
God give peace.

O God of truth and justice,
we hold before you those whose memory we cherish,
and those whose names we will never know.
Help us to lift our eyes above the torment of this broken world,
and grant us the grace to pray for those who wish us harm.

As we honour the past,
may we put our faith in your future;
for you are the source of life and hope,
now and for ever.
Amen.

I wondered about crocheting my own tricolour poppy-red for remembrance, white for future peace and purple to commemorate all animals lost in war. A petal each.

Go for it, katek. Nice idea.

Why such bother because some choose to wear a white poppy, just wear red only if that's what you choose, wear both or wear only a white. This is making a mockery out of the very thing the men died for, freedom and this includes freedom of choice. I don't care if anyone wears a poppy 365 days of the year, what a fuss, some posters feel strongly about wearing a white poppy not the business of anyone else. If a white poppy wearer said they thought red poppies wrong then go for the kill , no one has said it

White poppies do not have their own day. They have always been worn on remembrance day.
The day of peace is not the same.

Yes, rose, I have rosemary growing in my garden.

I wasn't aware that the white poppy has it's own day. By contrast, the red poppy seems to have several days, if not weeks. Additionally, it won't have escaped a lot of people's notice that it appears to be obligatory for all TV presenters and guests to wear red poppies.

I say again that when the British Legion's commemorative events are part sponsored by arms companies it makes a mockery of the whole notion of Remembrance Day.

I thought that it was accepted that the International Day of Peace was the day that the white poppy symbolised - obviously not! I do find it astonishing though, that you think that anything, Eloethan, could make a mockery of the notion of Remembrance Day.

I think one can only say manufacturers and suppliers of weapons to the nation's military forces are making a mockery of Remembrance Day if one truly thinks that nothing is worth fighting for.

If some things are worth fighting for, then there will be injuries and deaths as a result of the fighting. Helping to deal with those injuries and deaths is not mockery.

Even if one thinks nothing is worth fighting for and nothing is worth having military forces with weapons for (i.e. one doesn't think it's worth defending a country against savages like Nazis or Isis and the like), it still doesn't make sense to say helping injured people and the families of dead people is mockery.

It's not mockery from their point of view. It's dealing with the inevitable because of the plain fact that human beings fight each other. Always have.

According to Max Roser's worldindata.org though, our species is in fact fighting less now than ever before. I don't think there will ever be total world peace but we can carry on trying.

And we can carry on helping people who get injured doing what they feel is their duty.

The OP says that in remembering the First World War, politicians are using people's compassion to justify further wars.

I don't think that they can seriously think that - how naive! And why do they quote just WW1?

Unless, of course, it comes out in the Chilcott Report that that was another of TB's excuses, if so, I will eat my words.

Criticising the RBL for using arms groups to sponsor events to raise money for their charity. Hmm, that's a complicated one. One could argue that it is unethical, then again one could argue that without weapons to use in defence of our freedom what kind of country would we be living in now?

I accept we have to make arms to defend but selling them ? Someone at an arms fare recently was shocked to see we sell instruments of torture such as leg irons and do so openly even though we are against torture and view it a crime

Wonderful post, thatbags.
Lovely prayer RQ.

Rosequartz, just thought you'd like to know that I saw lots of white poppies growing in the community allotments at the farm near me.
You said earlier you'd never seen them growing.

Ana - I just love your post of 20.24.09. The answer must surely be 'yes'!(Why don't we have a 'like' button?)

Re the white poppies, I always thought they meant 'let's remember those that gave their lives but, at the same time, pray for peace'. I don't see how that can be offensive to anyone. Those who died fighting most likely also wanted peace.