Will you be wearing a poppy?

[thingsthatmakeyougohmmmmmmmm]

To support the work that the Royal British Legion do.

Nobody around here seems to be wearing one.

Yes . Both my grandads fought in WW1 and my father and his brother in WW2 . A friend is a Falklands Vet . Lest we forget.

Out of curiosity, how old are you? Just roughly.

I’m not the poster you’re addressing, @Worriedmum159 but I’m 59 and my grandad signed up for WW1 at 17, in 1914.
He was old when my mum was born in 1939. She was a surprise baby, 18 years younger than her oldest sibling.

Yes.

l went to look at a house for sale. The next door neighbour had 2 union jacks in his garden. I didn’t bother looking at the house.

Its that sort of person that’s pushing the narrative further and further to the right,

”That sort of person” are often ex soldiers. Like my Dad, who flies a union flag and a St George’s Flag, also his regimental flag on certain days of the year. He’s a hugely popular, good, kind, brave and decent man who before he became ill, would do anything to help and protect his family and neighbours.

Without wishing to be insulting I think it is just as much you and others like you who move through life observing the flying of a flag with such judgmental, sneery harshness ,who are creating such division and hostility in our society. Im sure if they even knew who you were the people in that neighbourhood would be mightily relieved that you didn’t bother to look at, potentially purchase that house.

My father fought in WW2 (older relatives fought in WW1) and my mother had quite an unusual role for a woman as part of the war effort. My father was in one of the first Allied units to arrive at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and what he saw haunted him for the rest of his life. It effectively broke him. I do buy a red poppy, I suppose I've always thought I was supporting those who saved us from the Nazis but I guess they are all dead now.

Lest we forget.

That just feels like a lot of crap nowadays.

If you really mean ‘Never forget’, then it should be part of our everyday political decisions.
Not something we think about once in the year which makes us feel good ‘because you know I’m wearing a poppy each year’ whilst we forget about veterans and tte crap way they are treated tte rest if the year. Not something we all talk about and judge other people (because many people do) whilst, as a country, we carry on doing or supporting the very thing we are supposed to ‘Never forget’.
And yes I’m talking about the ME, Afghanistan and tte likes.

I hate the hypocrisy of saying one thing, presenting as a ‘good person’ whilst giving our ok to treat civilians like they don’t matter.

Animal Aid sell the purple paw print that had replaced the purple poppy. They also usually sell fabric/knitted ones for pet collars.

Thankyou for sharing your letters; it is sad to read them and think about how hard it was for the families left behind. We had a similar experience when we went through my father in laws belongings after he died last year. We came across a photo of a young man from WW1; he was a medic and died in France. We had heard stories but had never seen a picture of him so it was moving to see him for the first time and see the family resemblance. We also felt immense pride that we had a Doctor in the family which was unusual as our relatives had little education and worked in factories at the time.

That was for @Remembering1944

https://murphysarmypurplepoppycampaignonlinestore.company.site/

And I'm 59 in a fortnight. I am the poster who's grandads fought in WW1 . I think Because we grew up surrounded by old soldiers makes a difference.

Nope.

Ismu - I don't think you can say that a few randomers posting on a local Facebook page are indicative that the poppy has been taken over by the far right. And what exactly are these people saying on Facebook?

Interested to know why you asked that.

Maybe people don’t realise it’s perfectly feasible to know people first hand who fought ( or in my case, could have fought ) in both world wars

My grandads both born in 1896 so they were old enough to fight in WW1… I knew them as they didn’t die till I was late teens early 20s
My dad was born in 1928 and my FIL a little earlier…. Again both of an age to fight in WW2
I am late 50s.

The British Legion itself recognises wearing a poppy as a choice

We take the view that the poppy represents the sacrifices and contributions our Armed Forces community have made in the defence of freedom and so the decision to wear it must be a matter of personal choice.

It hasn’t been. It means what it always meant. It’s just that adhering to tradition or valuing the past is one of the many viewpoints that has now been reframed as “Far Right”. It is considered shameful to be a UK citizen or to appreciate any of our history as a nation, by a specific political minority who had critical theories shoved down their throats at uni and now adhere slavishly to them, while constantly berating and labelling as Far Right anyone who disagrees. MN is very biased in that way, so people come on here and read those views, absorb them and then begin parroting them all over MN/social media themselves. I personally think there’s more than a dash of snobbery involved too.

In the real world, most people pass a stall in the station/supermarket/local high street and seeing it reminds them to buy a poppy and wear it till Remembrance weekend or it falls off those impractical pins they come with! They’re not “Far Right” and it’s foolish and shows undeveloped critical thinking skills to claim so.

Interested to know why you asked that.

I suspect it’s because they thought the poster was fibbing and were hoping to make them look silly on MN.

The far right and the poppy

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/philip-mayne/poppy-remembrance-day-britain-first_b_8490286.html

Tbh I wouldn't want you as a neighbour either 😉

You’re projecting.

So by my estimation, it will only be another 30 or so years before there’s no direct link to WW1. No one who’s had a conversation with someone who was there.

I used to. My Pakistani Grandad fought in the war. I stopped wearing one after I was asked why I wore one, since I’m not white.

Tbh I wouldn't want you as a neighbour either 😉

I'm a wonderful neighbour, just back from sweeping my elderly neighbours path and she sent me a meme saying thank you, because she can't get outside. A meme which I taught her to send on her phone because she didn't know about them till I showed her. You're missing out 😁 🇬🇧

I think you have misunderstood the "Far Right" point of view.

Nobody, absolutely nobody thinks soneone who wears the poppy is "Far Right"
I dont wear a poppy, but I respect anyone who does. And I don't think they are "Far Right".

The point people are making is, the poppy has been hijacked by "Far Right" groups.
saraclara has posted a link to explain this.
Far Right groups are using the poppy to spread hate and disinformation.

They are changing the meaning of the poppy and what it should represent.

Also, Right leaning tabloid papers are using the poppy as a stick to beat people with.
If you go on TV not wearing a poppy, these tabloids will publish a headline telling everyone how you didn't wear a poppy and what a terrible person you are.
Inevitably, this then leads to you getting endless threats from some members of the public, calling you a "traitor", "cunt", "bitch" etc.
It's horrible

Some of us, have decided to not wear poppies because of this.

My view: when a symbol (even when the symbol is for something good), is being used by sime people to hurt, shame, hate and threaten others, then I dont want to be part of it.

You may feel differently, and that's OK. I respect your decision to wear a poppy and I support your choice.