To not buy a poppy

[Hippymum89]

Why is it more important to remember the death of a soldier who died fighting for the country (or so he believed) than the death of every other person who has died?
What about all the others who have died helping others? Were their lives less important? Or the little old lady who died in hospital at the age of 97, she didn't kill any Germans, or rescue people. She lived her life, but doesn't that count?
I think poppys glorify war and therefore murder, so I will not be buying one.

"Because it's remember the victims." many of whom killed other people before they themselves were killed. I don't see why it is respectful to glaze over the truth of war. Forgetting that they also murdered is not 'remembering' is it?

I wear it for people like this

For my grandpa, who was an Air Force Engineer in Burma.

for people like this girl, fighting another fight entirely

For every man and woman who served their country but cannot afford to turn their heating on this winter... what a disgrace!

Starting to sound a bit Daily Mail now

I buy a poppy because they chose to put their lives on the line for us. Simple. Also, I buy ribbons etc for cancer charities because no one deserves to suffer. If you don't like it don't buy it just stop offending people with your ignorance!

Quite, Fanjo

But well done for invoking Godwins law

Its hardly surprising that a discussion about Poppies will lead to the name Hitler being banded about.

Not sure Godwin's law is relevant when the subject is as it is!

Op you remind me of a work colleague who once proclaimed that wearing poppies was a sham. That did not go down well in the company. Neither will this.

ethelb why don't you actually READ what Wiley said.

*Or is it offensive to state that war is tantamount to murder? Why? it's true.

So whilst Hitler started to gas women,men and children the rest of the world should have stood by? .

Lovely.*

WW1 was never mentioned. Only incredibly stupid people would think Hitler started WW1 (although he did fight in it )

For the record, I am about as anti-war as they come, but am very grateful that people gave their lives to defend the tyranny of Hitler.

And even being anti-war, I donate to the soldiers/airmen/naval staff, as it is governments that create war-not soldiers.

"I buy a poppy because they chose to put their lives on the line for us"

I see it slightly differently, in that during WW1 and WW2, they had NO choice. But I am not disagreeing with you or saying you are wrong, if that makes sense. :)

you don't have to buy or wear a poppy if you are uncomfortable with it but I don't understand why you are not understanding about and respectful of other people's choice to do so. Remembrance is not about the glorification of killing which is, of course you are right in this, the terrible reality of war - war brings killings. There is no clean war, soldiers are trained to kill, they are made to kill, they are killed in wartime for refusing to do it and choosing to desert. There is nothing wrong IMO with having a strong abhorrence of war and killing. However, I don't feel like you about this. I do feel respect for these people and I do want them to be treated with respect for what they did/had to do in the war(s). I am grateful that my parents weren't born into a Nazi dominated Britain and also that I was not born into a world like that. In the case of WWI, I feel a real sadness about the waste of young lives in the misery of the trenches for what was IMO a totally pointless and avoidable war.

Were conscripted or volunteered. Bloody autocorrect! (You'd think someone at apple would have thought, well both were and we're are common words, so maybe we should not have autocorrect intervene there. Same with ill and I'll).

I think the reason that it may be (and only may be) more important to remember military deaths is not because those lives were more valuable, but because of how and why they were lost. The fact that those lives were lost in war is worth reflecting on because, in an ideal world, there should be no need for war and no one should have to die in war. We should remember so that we can try to live in a better world. Doesn't every sane person in the world want to live in a world where there is no need for war and, therefore, no one dies because of war? At least, that's what I take from the whole thing.

(I don't buy a poppy, but it doesn't mean I don't think about what the whole thing means)

Poppies were first used for this many many years ago when people had no choice but to enlist and many lost their lives fighting for people like the op to have the freedom they have today.

Not all war is justified but thousands of young men lost their lives fighting for their country and their countries freedom. I think that deserves a little respect.

The poppy is symbolic of the massive sacrifices of WW1 (In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses row on row.) they were first made in the US and then our first poppy appeal over here was in 1921 - so the ORIGINAL poppy appeal was for the Great war alone...

but the symbolism has moved on and is used to represent the remembrance of the sacrifice that any service personnel have made for their country. How we may feel - or indeed the service personnel feel - about going off to modern day war - our government is asking them to do it to maintain the freedoms of peoples of other nations - as they (initially) did in WW1..

the poppy shows that we will remember them.

Arf at invoking Godwins law.

I wear my poppy in remembrance of the men who went over the top of those godawful trenches. Some of whom had no choice in being there and knew they would almost definitely die.

The fact that you have a choice and the opportunity to have an opinion on this comes from the fact that young men, and now women as well, were and are prepared to got and put their lives on the line every day to fight for that freedom. You can dislike war - who doesn't? - but it does not mean you cannot respect them for that sacrifice.

Actually a lot of them did choose to but the ones that didn't makes me want to buy a poppy even more. They did their duty but paid for it horrendously. Their courage and strength must be applauded. Btw I am very anti war.

YABU - I hope you realise this now.

Did anyone see the documentary called 'Wounded' othe BBC a couple of years ago? It really brought it home to me that whether you agree with the wars in Iraq/Afghan, these men and women still need support.

YABU - they fought for our country and often died for it. Men are still dying.

Do you know how poorly paid servicemen are now? Do you know the kit they are given isn't up to standard and they have to buy their own? Do you know that there is a ridiculously high amount of ex servicemen who are homeless,in prison,suffering from mental health problems because of what they have seen?

If you don't want to buy one,then don't. But you should be aware of how much of a dick you sound.

I don't think it matters whether those who died were aggressors or defenders anyway (and I'm not at all sure that any war can be categories in such simple terms). The important thing is that millions of people have died in war, and that is always going to be worth remembering and reflecting on.

I never get upset by threads on MN but this really has got under my skin. Surely our freedom is one thing we can all be grateful for and agree on?

I don't give a frig if the OP buys or wears a poppy but can't get my head around the fact that some posters cannot see why a war veteran's family deserve our support

Lest we forget - it appears we already are.