How do you feel about poppy wearing?

I've never felt wearing a poppy glorified war - I wear mine to remember all the Servicemen and woman who have died during wars all over the world. This year I will also be thinking of soldiers (of all nationalities) in the Ukraine. They don't want to be fighting but it's been forced upon them.

My grandfather served in the first WW. He was at Ypres and the Somme.
He wouldn’t talk about it (he died before I was born) but my mum says he would only say it was hell on earth.

I wear a poppy, not to glorify war or for any jingoistic reasons, but to remember those who died or suffered due to the unnecessary horror that is war.

The last time I wore a red poppy was in 1995, the year after my father died. If I remember correctly, that was supposed to be the last time we commemorated the second world war and plans had been made to do things differently with more emphasis on the future and less looking back. But the Royal British Legion objected to being sidelined and insisted we carry on with the standard bearing processions.
What you have got to remember is that poppy day isn't a national day of commemoration as much as a fund-raising event for a charity.
I too am very ambivalent and object to people saying "we must remember" because in some respects remembering the sacrifice hasn't done us much good. If we'd learned the lessons that we should have done, we would never have gone into Iraq or Afghanistan. And we certainly wouldn't have been so ready to give up the freedoms others had died for because we were scared of catching a cold.

I am always happy to purchase and wear a poppy each year.
A reminder of all those mainly young men who died often in awful circumstances in the wars.Money for the British Legion too.

Sometimes GrannyRose51 a country has no alternative but to enter a war, in which case we can still remember the soldiers who died and their families.It does us no harm to do this and is the least we can do for them.

I seldom go out anywhere to need to wear or buy a poppy

Me neither, but I still find and buy one.

It has nothing to do with glorifying war

No matter how others see it, I shall continue as I always have
I know what I believe in and why
That's enough for me.

I always buy and wear a Poppy just as I wear my Air Ambulance badge or Marie Curie Daffodil.
It is supporting a worthwhile charity.
DS is serving in the military and may be in need of help from the RBL one day.

We have a DS in the military, I wear my poppy to commemorate those who have died for our Country along with those who still serve.

I not only feel sad, I feel really angry that lives are wasted in this way.
Yes, we remember, but nothing changes and no lessons are learned.
I have a hand knitted red poppy and will dig that out again.
I too feel an ambivalence biglouis

I would prefer to wear a white one. It's still a remembrance, but also peace.

Personally, I wear a poppy to remember all those who have died in horrific wars both past and present. In no way do I see it as glorifying war. What saddens me is that wars still go on, we haven’t learned from the sorrow and misery they inflict. I suppose while ever there are those who desire power and control over others and believe their way is the only way, then there is always going to be the potential for war.

My son served in the army and did tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. I wear my poppy in gratitude that he returned to us safe and sound, but also in recognition of the sacrifice made by those who didn't return from all conflicts and of those who did return, but bear the scars, mental and physical. I think too of all my fellow forces parents who bear the loss of their sons and daughters.

GagaJo

I would prefer to wear a white one. It's still a remembrance, but also peace.

I have always worn both.

I always wear a poppy at this time of year. Both my father and father in law served in WWII , I certainly don't wear a poppy to glorify war but to remember the sacrifices made by very brave men and women.

The British Legion does wonderful work all year round to help support ex service personnel and their families. I bought a poppy brooch several years ago, so wear that, but send a well deserved donation to the Royal British Legion every November.
Since when was Covid just a cold?
What an insulting thing to say, both to those who lost loved ones and to those who worked on the front line.

I don’t feel the need to wear a poppy to remember. Neither do I wear any other charity badge .That is just letting others know that you have contributed money. Yes, we must remember and realise that conflict is sadly ever present in some part of the world. However what I give and to whom is my own personal business.

I am a retired Army Officer,I wear a poppy to remember all those who have given their lives for us.

Many will give their lives in the future as well,the World is far from peaceful,I doubt it ever will be.

GrannyRose15’s post I find offensive,she clearly lives a blinkered life.

Aldom

The British Legion does wonderful work all year round to help support ex service personnel and their families. I bought a poppy brooch several years ago, so wear that, but send a well deserved donation to the Royal British Legion every November.
Since when was Covid just a cold?
What an insulting thing to say, both to those who lost loved ones and to those who worked on the front line.

I agree, very insulting and a thoughtless thing to say. I never wear a poppy but buy one every year because there are so many ex servicemen who need our support.

I wear a white poppy ,my late father and the uncles who made it back from WW11 never wore poppies ,ever.
In their later years they did voice disapproval of it being taken over as a political symbol.
I have been subjected to abuse for my white poppy ,made me more determined to wear it .WW11 was a necessary war ,the rest as far as I can tell were far from necessary and I include the Falklands ,Iraq and Afghanistan in those

I proudly wear a hand made poppy every year and send a donation to the Royal British Legion.
It really matters to me to remember my two great uncles. One killed on the Somme and the other far from home in Mesopotamia. Both clever hard working men whose like we needed then and now.
I always mourn the loss of so many men and think of the sad families they left behind. No glorification of war. Blood red poppies for the blood shed.

I always buy a poppy but don't wear one. I know how sad I feel about all those who have died in the services, some as young as my GS. I always feel tearful when I think of them.

I also have a hand-knitted poppy that I wear each year. Donation goes into a box when I'm passing. i started because I found the RBL poppies difficult to secure.

I remember my Granddads and Uncles who saw service in WW2 and friends who have been in the military more recently along with all those who showed such courage. Nothing to do with glorification; everything to do with a deep gratitude.
I feel there is great danger in forgetting. The annual collective remembrance offers an opportunity to pause for reflection. An annual act of hope.

Grannyrose15 Covid isn't and never has been a cold - that was a distasteful comment.

I stopped wearing a red poppy when the British Legion was supported by BAE systems who are responsible for supplying equipment which enables the Saudis to bomb Yemen.
The White poppy commemorates all who die in wars and now more civilians are killed than military personnel, so I wear a white poppy to remember the women and children who had no choice and are the real victims. It also raises money to promote peace.

I buy a Poppy to support the British Legion who do such good work for service personnel and to remember those of my own family who served in two world wars and those who are serving now. I would buy a white Poppy too but never seem to see them being sold. At no time have I ever considered it to be glorifying war, perhaps that is a more modern concept. Humanity seems to be on a never ending cycle of destruction set in motion by those who are greedy for power, glory & riches irrespective of the misery it causes.