Poppy on kids sports kits

Disrespectful to whom? The people who actually died don't know whether you are remembering them by wearing a poppy or reflecting privately, so it can't be disrespectful to them.

It's most likely just done on habit than conscious memorial. If my child was bothered, I'd offer them an alternative to wear.

kids not much older than your 10 year old died for their country

...is this using children being forced into war as a reason why children should wear a poppy to honour dead children?

Remembrance Day is important and children should be taught about it and encouraged to wear a poppy.

My children have felt poppies with the words Never Again on them.

My children were taught about their great grandfather who fought in WW1, who was part of veteran protestors who had poppies that said Never Again while fighting the government for support, and was a conscientious objector in WW2, sitting at the tops of building in London to watch for German planes and fighters, and the many other veterans and conscientious objectors in the family. They were also taught about how poppies came in after World War 1 - which had nothing to do with our freedoms - and about our family members and family friends who were forced into war (I was raised around Korean and Vietnam war conscripts).

Some years back, the British Royal Legion had a fundraising campaign with children wearing 'future soldiers' shirts, Do you understand why this might be far more likely to disturb the ghosts of the men, women, and animals who died than someone not wearing a flower?

There are many other ways to honour and remember the dead than a flower, like remember who they really were beyond the war and what the war did to them.

Imagine how different life would be today if we had lost WW2
Suggesting there is two sides impliesxtk kids that it might have been ok to appease hitler!

It seems very disrespect to place whether poppies should be worn on a single war that isn't even the one that is why poppies are used in remembrance in some countries. Poppies came in after World War 1, not World War 2 - a war that quite a few of the World War 1 veterans the poppies were originally to commemorate refused to fight.

Again, not everyone in that team will be British or have solely British heritage. It's not likely that those of Irish heritage would want to send funds to the veterans who served in NI.

But some of those veterans might well have been involved in conflicts people did not agree with or personally harmed their families. Can you really not see why some people might not want to donate?

And of course, there are people who do believe some or all of those things, as is their right.

I personally don't care if people wear a poppy or not (I choose not to) but it really does bother me when people are berated for their choice not to or accused of being terrible humans. It's really not the case.

I think it's a political symbol and has no business being on a kids sports kit

So you want to take away the option for those who want to wear it, so as to not make your child stand out for not wearing it? Okay…..

I will donate if someone from the village comes and knocks on the door, but I won't wear the poppy or take one

Your post is ignorant. Do some reading up on the murder of innocent children and adults by your so called army. You must r very proud of murdering coward's who won't stand accountable for their actions.

As someone whose grandfather was decorated for bravery at the Somme and died in WW2 I don’t need to wear a poppy to respectfully remember him and other members of my family who served and died in these two great wars.

However as an Irishwoman I also know that there are many of my compatriots who, for other reasons, cannot, will not and should not view the British Army with gratitude and respect. And I share these feelings too.

Such are the nuances of life in these islands, and the complicated relationship many of us have with history, war and remembrance.

Let us give each other grace to act in accordance with our own conscience.

I totally agree that not all wars are or have been right or just. But I don’t think wearing a poppy in any way implies otherwise. The money raised helps veterans, including disabled ones, and I don’t understand why anyone would object to that unless they believe the UK should not maintain any armed forces, should never fight in any wars / battles (including fighting in defence), and that armed forces veterans, including the disabled ones, should not be helped.

I don't think anyone thinks that, no. I think there have been many other conflicts before and since WWII and people have a right to feel that not all of those wars were right and just, and act accordingly.

That would be a very clever comment, if either part was correct. Unfortunately, neither is.

It’s not a straw man argument; I said I was asking out of interest, not imputing that point of view to anyone.

As for Godwin's Law, you’re mistaken about what it means. It is about someone or something being compared to Hitler or Nazis, which I didn’t do at all. It’s not about simply using the words in a historical context.

I haven't seen a straw man argument that pulls a Godwin in a good while.

Plenty of people don't want to wear the poppy - it's not disrespectful not to wear it. There are a few reasons - eg
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34720464

Many people of Irish descent or from the Irish nationalist tradition don't wear the poppy as it has been used to signify support for the British Army in Ireland rather than just the dead of WW1, people who have been brought up as pacifists (eg my in laws who are Quakers) don't wear the poppy - and so on. If it's about freedom, then that should include freedom not to display an emblem. The footballer James McClean has had a lot of flak including death threats for not wearing one, but he's from Derry where innocent people were murdered by the British Army on Bloody Sunday.

The fact that some members of the army have sometimes behaved badly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remember those who died, the vast majority of whom did not behave badly.

So those of us who had family members, some being children, murdered in cold blood by the soldiers should just suck it up? Eh no thank you.

It should always be a choice. Ignorance of the real legacy of the UK army is still huge.

Unbelievable that there are adults who have no idea of the grimy history of the British army's conduct, including against some of those it considers their own people. Why do you think the Union flag is referred to as "the butcher's apron" in parts of NI?

I don’t see poppies as "misty-eyed glorification" at all. Just remembering people whose lives were cut short. Yes, millions of working class men slaughtered, in many cases unnecessarily - so are you saying it’s better if we just forget about them?

And out of interest: do you think WW2 was unnecessary fighting against the Germans was really just for the benefit of "rich men"? Should the UK just have let the Nazis invade and take over, then?

Can you tell me in which war in recent years did soldiers give their lives for our freedom?

Every year someone has the amazing idea to bang on about poppies at the start of November on mumsnet. Just say no, simple. No need to consult a committee to validate your views. You have kids. You need to demonstrate your ability to stay strong in your convictions whilst leaving space for others to have theirs. Your kids will learn from that and become confident in their own time to do the same.

I wear the poppy as my way of remembering all the loss of life in all the wars. I feel I owe them that. You don't have to agree.

Exactly. I have been a civilian on the wrong end of the guns of soldiers and never, ever support a military charity of any kind
despite having family who served in both World Wars.
Theres been a lot of wars and conflicts since then and if you believe that war isn’t political, or that Britain was always the ‘good’ guy you’re fooling yourself.

Not in a million years would we give poppies to our kids to wear in their kit. It’s a free choice AND they aren’t supposed to wear anything in their kit anyway. No jewellery of any kind.

Im not saying a child should wear a poppy wether they want to or not but as someone who's grandad (Royal Navy) died in Italy in 1944 and who's father served in REME and mother who was in the ATS i personally wear my poppy with pride every year

What I'm getting is that there are people who have not thought at all deeply about the nuances of war, or thought very much at all beyond "Hitler bad, British Forces good," forgetting the myriad of other conflicts that have happened since, nor any of the many other nuances of war.