To remind you all of this BEFORE the Poppy becomes a divisive symbol

You are right. Late recognition, though.

From AI:

Historically,
war widows and certain groups of civilian women (such as the Women's Land Army) were not permitted to join the main march past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. Their exclusion was a matter of significant controversy and campaigning for many years.

War Widows

Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the War Widows Association (WWA) was excluded from the main Cenotaph service and march. They used their exclusion to highlight their fight for better pensions and official recognition. The Royal British Legion (RBL) and the Home Office initially only allowed a limited number of war widows to march as part of the RBL's Women's Section, which the WWA largely rejected as they felt it confined them to a passive role.

• Current status: War widows/widowers (partners or first-generation family members) of those who died while serving are now eligible to participate in the march.

Civilian Women's War Efforts

Women who contributed significantly to the war effort in civilian roles, such as the Women's Land Army (WLA) and the Women's Timber Corps, were also historically excluded from the march past the Cenotaph.

• Current status: It was not until 2000 that the Women's Land Army were finally invited to march past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day in honour of their vital work. Munitions workers were also represented from 2012 onwards.

General Rules for Women

In general, participation in the main Cenotaph march has historically been restricted to ex-service personnel who served the Crown on military operations. Women who served in the armed forces have always been eligible, but those who did not serve in a formal military capacity (like many in the WLA or other civilian organisations) were often excluded until campaigning efforts led to changes in the rules and wider inclusion.

Today, the march is primarily for veterans (ex-service personnel), though some specific civilian organisations that played a historical role in supporting the armed forces are also allowed to participate.

I don't wear a poppy. I donate to Royal British Legion...my parents were members till they died. Dad was in Bomber Command and mum on WAAF. Grandfather lost a limb at Somme.
I have assembled poppies and sold them in supermarkets.
But I choose not to wear a poppy.

Did you know that there are at least 1,800 armed forces charities registered in the UK yet the mental health, addiction, homelessness and suicide rates of veterans is rising unabated.
They question should be asked, who are they actually helping?

No. We are only allowed to hate the Russians remember?

Interesting point though because the Russians always seem to get downplayed whenever Remembrance Day is mentioned.

Well most people who have a brain know it's devisive and why it is, and it has been for a very long time. People with chips like to give all the details so that people either (a) are silenced or (b) prostate themselves at the feet of the person who actually didn't do anything, just ride on the coattails of relatives. I haven't said who did what or when or how. You were rude to me first.

They're the same people (at least around my way) that cable tie flags to lamp posts and go on about protect 'are kids' and 'close are boarders'.

Well, aren’t you an absolute treasure. I guess the OP is correct, the poppy is devisive. You strike me as someone that needs a wee lie down from the weight of those chips.

I wear my poppy with pride to remember all of the fallen… I also wear a purple poppy which symbolises all animals lost in combat and conflict from the horses in WW1 to police dogs today ( it covers a lot) … we owe them all so much ❤️

Did you actually read the OP?

Well I didn't know much about it OP so I thank you for this. The only issue I would have is open criticism of people not wearing the poppy. No one should be bullied into wearing any symbol regardless of its meaning IMO

I also wear a white poppy. One of my grandfather's was a German Jew, the other fought in the Winter War against the Russians.

The big issue is the people are buying poppy stuff from Amazon with no donation to any charity.

Leave the bloody Poppy alone fgs. Already trying to take away our right to fly our national flag, and now moving on to the Poppy. Why have we let it get to this??

Quite, thank you. All these people saying 'no it isn't' have been asleep for at least the last 50 years.

Women marching in what capacity? as I understand it, female veterans and women servicing in the armed forces have always marched, War Widows joined them in 1982 and Women's land Army and the Timber Corps in 2000. The Women's War Memorial was unveiled in 2005

I'm not worried - thanks for your shitty response. What makes you think I didn't have family members who died fighting? You're not offsettting anything, you're just being obnoxious. How does me not wearing a poppy mean I don't care about deaths in war? What a brainless conclusion. Do you know which members of my family died during WW2? No you don't. Plenty. You're not superior to me because we have different opinions.

I’ve always thought of the culture shock the US Black soldiers must have experienced, coming to a country that while obviously had (has) issues with racism, there wasn’t segregation.

Both of my grandfathers fought in the trenches in the First World War. I wouldn’t be here now if they hadn’t survived.

I buy a poppy every year to help remember them and imagine what they must have gone through. Neither ever spoke of it.

I also live near the National Memorial Arboretum and visit regularly. It is an incredible place to pause and reflect. The Armed Forces Memorial never fails to make my problems pale into insignificance.

I don’t see the poppy as a symbol of war. I do agree that it becomes performative in the press.

I personally feel a huge sense of connection at the solidarity displayed by poppies. I find it comforting that so many people are committed to remembering the service that was given and is still being given by so many.

That's so sad, if it's true.
But many people do still remember it's original meaning, and purpose.
Lest We Forget.

You may be right there, but the end result was good even if the reasoning wasnt quite as altruistic as some would like to believe!

And to be honest, they kind of do have a point. who the hell did the white americans think they were thinking they could walk into our towns and villages and lay down their own rules?! In MN speak.........what a bunch of CFers!

Yeah I couldn’t find anything.
I notice the poster didn’t directly state it, but started a new sentence to give the impression it was true.
Cheeky cheeky.

Well the 27%who voted YABU so far obviously don't, or want to deny it.

The US army was segregated along racial lines until the early 1950s I believe. The British army was never segregated.

The battle of Bamber Bridge makes for a very interesting story. I'm not totally convinced that the residents supported the black soldiers as they did because they were so incensed by the racism, though. I suspect some of it was 'how dare those effing yanks tell us what to do in our own country?'

Wear a Poppy. Dont wear one.
Wear a Red one, a White, a Purple, A Black poppy... anything.

But whatever you do, maybe just a minute to remember those who died, who lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters etc, who lost their homes and those who survived. Plus those around the world who are still living with war.

And maybe, one day, we won't need poppies anymore as all wars will be a distant memory

(And respect others decisions. People will have their reasons.)