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.

I always wear one but this year, I've changed my job and now work in a very multicultural area, where emotions are running high currently . I'm now not entirely sure what the "right" thing to do is. I understand what the Poppy represents, but not everyone does and I don't want to inflame anyone. Hopefully that's an unfounded concern, but I'm not so sure.

Absolutely. There will be a massive range of reasons for people who choose not to but descending to calling another, previously serving member who clearly has her reasons ‘pathetic’ is really not cricket.

What is the best thing we can do to support veterans?

@Worriedmum159 that’s fantastic work that you do and thank you and your family for your service . Most people will not be aware of your own personal experience with RBL and simply be trying to support service men and women and animals by wearing and donating. It sounded upthread as though you were berating another poster because that’s ALL they did. I think that’s why they gave you that response. I can only say my intentions are good and I am very grateful for people like you as I would never want to do that work. That’s why I wear a poppy. But also happy to donate to other causes such as yours.

Yes I will. Probably because I am always reminded by the sellers at the tube station.

What is the ”far right” or “jingoistic” connection people are referring to? I think wearing the poppy if you choose to is a low key and respectful way to remember - not at all far right.

Most likely not. I’ll donate, though, as I think it’s a good cause. Unfortunately wearing a poppy has become a political/virtual signalling/whatever you like to call it display in a way that makes me uneasy.

Mildly surprised that you don't mention SSAFA who do a lot of that sort of stuff (being the one with the national network of caseworkers)

And that you think H4H so that (they do capital projects for veterans of specified recent conflicts)

I do think a factor is that British people are perpetually told to loathe their country and everything it stands for, so that any type of "acceptable" patriotism, like commemorating our forebears who died so that we could live, is seized upon all the more. It really upsets me that anyone in the UK could find the poppy symbol offensive.

I will be donating, but last couple of years I have found it impossible to find any poppy sellers, or even the unmanned collecting tins and poppies you used to find in banks and shops and bars and workplaces, so don't know if I will be able to find one of the new 'paper' poppies.

Absolutely not.

Nope.
For many reasons given every year re the use and meaning of tte poppies.

And this year because…
WWII gave us thenGeneva convention to avoid a repeat all the horrors we saw then. If there is something that those soldiers fought for is peace and respecting some rules during a war - which includes not targeting civilians as such.
And yet we have a government supporting another committing war crimes.

Im standing with those soldiers from the last century saying Never Again.
No way I’m going to do anything that could be used as a sign of support of what’s going on in the ME.

100%. I’m a probation officer and the RBL are currently directly helping a number of my people on probation who have served in the army (before anyone tars them as criminals, they are all lovely people who have got themselves into a mess and some have PTSD from their experiences in Afghanistan). I have called them on behalf of some of them and they’ve been really helpful and kind even though I’m not the one in need of help. My brother is also in the RAF as was my Dad and my DS wants to join. He will take part in the parade as a cadet.

Out of interest, why are you so against the poppy symbol?

I’m sure SSAFA do, as do many other charities. It’s not really my brief to name check every charity is it, particularly as it’s the RBL who do poppies which is what this thread is about. Feel free to post about other charities though. Feel even more free to target areas where service people aren’t being looked after and offer your advice.

Yes I will but not till weds.

My parents served in WWII and my grandfather in WWI

So, yes.

No and never wear a red poppy. Sometimes I will wear a white one.

@Worriedmum159 Hmm bullying? Interesting that of all the people who said they wear a poppy, the only one you chose to savagely attack was ME. And "pathetic" is not a misogynistic insult (unless you think that men can't possibly be pathetic, if course)

Yes.

I don’t think anyone finds the actually Poppy offensive in the least.

i think it’s offensive to try to claim that everybody should wear one (ie celebs on TV)
i think it’s offensive for far right groups to misuse the memories of our ancestors of the conflicts to try to push their agenda.

Yes, I will. My dad was a soldier during WW2 - He was in the army from 1936 (obviously before war broke out) and was in until 1946

You called me pathetic. That is what I was responding to.

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Please don’t engage me further.

No. I rarely do.

I wear one if attending a relevant event. And I buy one for DD her school service.

Of course. I don't understand a white one, do people think we should've just accepted the Nazis? And betrayed our alliances? Or is it to say we should have no military action ever again, no matter if our allies are invaded or new genocidal maniacs rock up and start gassing people? How about if we're invaded, can we defend ourselves? Sorry for all the questions, I've not heard of a white poppy before.

I wear and white and a red together.