White Poppy

Well said, mythbirt.

I will wear a red Poppy on Rembrance Day and join in with those prayers which are part of the service - not glorifying war in any way, but remembering those who died for our freedom, those affected by wars past and present, those affected by present conflicts - and a fervent prayer for peace.

Some very interesting posts
GA's and nigglienellie's give food for thought.
I think to wear the white poppy on a separate day for world peace is a very good idea.

The red poppy is a symbol of life and hope for peace after all that dreadful slaughter, not to glorify it.

Yes, we have had unsolicited crosses sent from the RBL and it seems wrong they have to resort to really quite aggressive marketing practices which may upset someone recently bereaved.

Anyone living in the North East, a poppy installation from the Tower of London is now in place at Woodhorn museum near Ashington.
I think it's there until the end of October.

I find it quite nauseating that some of those who will wear red poppies and put wreaths at the cenotaph on Armistice Day are at the moment plotting the bombing of Syria.

The white poppy is for peace, like the dove; the red symbolises bloodshed.

Yes. The blood of those who died, of those we wish to remember. The clue is in the name, Remembrance. Wearing a red poppy is not showing support for war; it is showing gratitude to those who had no choice.

It is indeed not intended to show support for war.

I agree that like Christmas, the wearing of a poppy starts far too early and therefore can lose some of its significance. We have a lovely chap who comes round the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday and we always buy from him and wear our poppies with pride. As for doing the right thing with regard to Syria, who in gods name knows what that is. We are told that we must get rid of Assad, and we must annihilate IS, so far so good, saying it is the easy bit, how we actually achieve that through peaceful means is obviously totally impossible, as realistically neither side will give up without a fight, that is the long and the short of it. So what do we do? Send troops? Bomb,? or just leave it to implode? I really couldn't say, but someone has to and they'll need the wisdom of Solomon or more.

It may never have been intended to show support for war, and I think many of the people who wear one would not support a war, but I think the idea that it has been hi-jacked and used to promote a much more jingoistic and militaristic attitude cannot be ignored. Successive governments have used the anniversaries of wars to make it seem unpatriotic or in some way disrespectful of the dead to even raise the subject of peace.

Not just governments, trisher.

Of course it's never been intended to show support for war or jingoism, that's completely ridiculous. It's to commemorate those who lost their lives in the defence of this country, paying the ultimate sacrifice in order that others may live. Also to show gratitude and respect for those whose lives have been shattered while in defence of this country, whether at home or abroad. I don't think that one day a year out of our busy self righteous lives is too much to ask, to just stop for a couple of minutes and think of them with pride and respect.

nigglynellie as my grandmother used to say "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions". I didn't say we shouldn't remember those who died, but I do think it is more respectful, and more meaningful, if we remember them whilst recognising that the powers that be, who sent them to their deaths, (particularly in WW1) may have an ulterior motive in encouraging us to do so. Having pride and respect for the dead means remembering their beliefs and ideals as well.
Personally I would like to hear Wilfred Owen read at every memorial service just to remind us:

My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mo

You're right about the road to hell etc, and there are so many poems, have you read The Poppy Seller? It is quite a tear jerker. I just feel that surely for two minutes of one day in one year, we can wear our poppies, and commemorate the dead of all conflicts, without politics rearing its head. What's done is done, you can't put back the clock or alter the past. Whose fault it was or their motives is now academic. What you can do is hopefully learn by the past, and try to do the best you realistically can both now and in the future. A tall order indeed!!!

Sorry, but this whole thread is about wearing white poppies, and criticising those who do.
Is that not political?

Yes. The blood of those who died, of those we wish to remember. The clue is in the name, Remembrance. Wearing a red poppy is not showing support for war; it is showing gratitude to those who had no choice

A good post, thatbags and others whose posts were similar.

The Poppy Appeal this year begins on 22nd October 2015, so anyone wearing one before then is probably wearing one left from last year. That's fine, as long as they put another donation into the box this year!

To raise enough money to help ex-servicemen and their families the appeal has to start a couple of weeks before Remembrance Day, otherwise not enough money would be raised.

Does the money for the white poppies go to a World Peace Fund?
I do think the sentiments expressed in the OP puts a different interpretation on the purpose of the wearing of red poppies - it is not up to the people in charge of that organisation to do that, however laudable their ideals are.
It is setting one lot against the other, whereas the aims and ideals of both is peace.

I am not sure how the wearing of a white poppy can be compatible with the approving of terrorists' actions either.
Seems like double standards to me.

Whatever Poppy we wear, it still doesn't sort out the here and now, that is Syria, IS, Yemen, Turkey, Northern Ireland (looking distinctly tricky) and a host of problems worldwide. How we should react.and what the answers are goodness only knows, as, with the exception of NI(?) I can't see any of the aforementioned countries sitting around the table discussing peace any time soon!

Who approves of terrorists' actions?

Plenty of people durhamjen.
The people who sympathise with them, should be sure to make clear that they dont approve of them.
Else, in my opinion, their sentiment actually goes further than sympathise.

The question was to roseq, who said it in her previous post.
Corbyn hasn't said he approves of terrorists' actions, which is what is implied. He does not approve of any warmongering.

welfaretales.wordpress.com/2015/09/19/britains-oldest-pow-forced-to-live-off-charity-handouts-and-facing-eviction-by-brent-council/

So much for us caring about force's people.

I wasn't implying anything about Jeremy Corbyn. It was a genuine question, and not aimed at him particularly, but at all politicians whatever their political leanings. What or where on earth is the answer to these appalling events when you are up against such a cacophony of pig headiness at best and pure evil at worst? Do you try to interfere or do you turn your back, leave them to get on with it with all the misery and terrible suffering that entails? I simply don't know and just wondered if anyone here had any ideas?

djen that is dreadful and shouldn't happen.

How come a Labour Council like Brent is so heartless?
Labour regained control in 2010 and increased their majority at the 2014 election

Let us hope that the Royal British Legion will help, with the funds they receive from the Poppy Appeal. That is what it is for.

The question was to roseq, who said it in her previous post

As far as I am aware, I did not say it in my previous post.
Did I?

dj You keep thinking that people have posted things that they haven't. Should you be a bit worried?

I do think that trisher's post (trisher Sun 20-Sep-15 12:06:51) has truth in it - unfortunately.

I am in the process of researching songs from the first WW and also poems that might be suitable to set to music for an event in 2018. I am particularly keen to find poems about poppies that are NOT remembrance-related to set to music for the children who sing with us. If anyone knows of any, that would be very helpful.

I think it would be lovely to remember how beautiful poppies are, aside from their tole in remembrance of soldiers who died.

Some of the WW1 songs that I have been looking at are very moving and go straight for the heart - and none the worse for that. But there is one about conscientious objectors that is horrible. Here is the link to the songs: www.ww1photos.com/WW1MusicIndex.html

Was that a song contemporary with WW1? Conscientious objectors were not at all popular then, when there was a fever to join up and fight for the country and freedom.

On this thread, I don't see people criticising wearers of white poppies, but there are quite a lot of people who feel that they are being criticised for not wearing them, but wearing the red ones.

A parallel with those who were criticised during WW1 for not being in uniform?

Do I detect a touch of "You are not making a public declaration that you think the same as I do, therefore I shall assume that you are against what I stand for" ?

That seems to be a common subtext on one or two threads at the moment, Elegran!