Poppy wearing

[HappyAgainOneDay]

I was in town today and waited for a friend who didn't turn up because she'd forgotten for half an hour. Opposite me in a shopping Mall was a poppy table and two servicemen behind it. I began to look at people passing and was amazed at the huge number of people who were not wearing a poppy. Far more were not sporting a poppy than those who were.

I then realised that those without poppies were mostly on the younger side of the population - say, 40 and younger. Do they not realise what we are remembering? Yes, the poppies represent those who died but the general reason for the charity now is that the funds collected go to service people who've lost limbs or are otherwise disabled. The families of those who never came back are also helped. AIBU for thinking that more should wear a poppy with pride?

Yabvu for your age generalisation, I work in a primary school and today a lot of students were buying and wearing poppies. I am 30 and have paraded pretty much every year since I was old enough too. The younger generations are infact very good at remembering, which is important as we are now at the point where living memories are WW1 are lost which makes rememberance even more important.

I had a poppy on for part of today, it kept falling off tbough (stick on one). I will get a 'proper' one tomorrow which will go on my coat this weekend and my work top on Tuesday. I don't remember any more when wearing a poppy than when not though.

I also have a wristband instead of a paper poppy

I like that the paper poppy is fragile and easily lost, because that's what soldiers' lives are.

For that reason I don't like metal poppy pins or blingy poppies or wristbands.

But that's just me.

I don't wear a poppy and I don't give to any of the charities.
I'm well aware of what remembrance Sunday is all about but tbh I feel it's in the past and why do we need to keep remembering? what about all the wars before then, we don't have remembrances for them.

What does it matter whether you wear a poppy if you have contributed? I'm not accusing the OP, but I really hate the bullying that goes on at this time of year about poppy wearing, particularly in the right wing media. When they start getting over-excited about footballers wearing them on their kit, and when every costume in Strictly (no matter how minuscule) has to have one sewn on (even though manifestly these have been made from fabric and have nothing to do with the RBL) it just becomes utterly ludicrous.

Can I just add that if you have a waterproof coat, you can't put a pin through it. I wear a lanyard and a brooch, so you wouldn't actually be able to see them. Because you can't see them, doesn't mean people don't care

I'm 25. I have a poppy bracelet which is very unobtrusive - you wouldn't see it unless I was wearing short sleeves and you were very close. I wear that quite a lot of the time, but I only wear the paper poppy on Remembrance Sunday. I certainly do realise what we're remembering; during my cadet days I was part of many Remembrance Sunday parades through my local town, and also volunteered to go door to door selling them! Just because I don't have a visible paper poppy on doesn't make me an ignorant yoof

YABU to think that you can bully people into supporting your chosen charity by shaming them.
YAalsoBU for assuming that because I do not wear a poppy I am ignorant of what they symbolise and where the funds go.

jcscot has said perfectly exactly the words I have been trying to frame for ages. I am not an army wife though but my parents were in the army and all other relatives either in Army or Navy.

This is about choosing to remember the dead. Not about choosing to judge other people's choices.

I'm not currently wearing one because it's not Armistice day or Remembrance Sunday. When I do wear one, it will not be "with pride" because I'm not proud of other people dying for my country. I think that's an odd phrase and slightly jingoistic. I'll be wearing one with sadness, awe and gratitude (if that's ok with everyone).

Yabu.

Why should I have to wear a poppy to remember?!

I wear a poppy every year, however, haven't had a chance to buy one yet this year as DH's grandad passed away on Sunday and I've only been from our house to his nans house every day this week.

Depending on which of us sees somewhere selling them first, we'll get one then.

It's not really at the top of my list at the moment

None of us are wearing poppies however I have spent a small fortune on poppy bracelets for the dc.They'll wear a poppy on Sunday at services their Brownies and Scouts are in.

In London on the poppy selling day the service men and women were giving out bracelets to the youngsters not poppies.

I'm a forces child with a decorated father who was in service during the Falklands,I've taken my kids to the poppy towers and have taught them the history of all the wars.I would only wear a poppy during a remembrance service.

I have a wristband and so did my son but lost it at school

I will not wear a poppy as I disagree with killing people and let's remember that the services kill people. We are commemorating the murder of 3 or 4 million people fighting on the "other" side during WW1. There were between 1,700,000 and 2,100,000 Germans killed and between 700,000 and 900,000
British. How much happier would their wives, mothers, children etc be if no-one had volunteered to kill them?
Nowadays any service person who gets injured gets massive amounts of compensation from my taxes. If an innocent person in Afghanistan was killed by British troops the family got a pittance.

I also can't see any difference between a soldier being killed or injured at work and any other industrial accident. Why do we not have a day to raise funds for all the lorry drivers injured at work? or all the builders? Why are paid troops different?

"Why do we not have a day to raise funds for all the lorry drivers injured at work"

Because no-one runs such an event, probably. Are you volunteering to start one?

I donate every year. But, I don't wear or buy the poppy anymore, as I lose them every time clumsy idiot I am

I am very grateful to the freedom that these soldiers have given me and my family, as we wouldn't be in this country otherwise.

I don't wear a poppy and I don't give to any of the charities. I'm well aware of what remembrance Sunday is all about but tbh I feel it's in the past and why do we need to keep remembering? what about all the wars before then, we don't have remembrances for them.

The poppies are made by either disabled service personnel or the disabled family of service personnel.
The money goes towards helping those disabled whilst in our armed forces.

All wars are terrible but the two world wars are still within living memory and had a vast, devastating effect on this country.

Viking, I agree. Lorry drivers and builders are insured. Or, you'd hope so. Whereas soldiers/army personnel are not, due to the risk of the job.

Why are paid troops different?

Because they put their lives on the line every day they're deployed. Lorry drivers aren't in quite the same position.

And I don't think every injured service person gets massive amounts of compensation.

I also think your analysis of WWI is a tad simplistic.

in WW1 (not sure about WW2) soldiers were forced into combat or face a firing squad.
nowadays it is the choice of the individual whether to go into the services or not.
It's unfortunate if they are injured or become disabled during service but I fail to see why people should be looked down upon for not giving to a charity that supports injured servicemen/women. At the end of the day they knew the risks before signing up.
WW1 and WW2 are in living memory only for some.

We all wear poppies in our house and tomorrow my son who is a Sea Cadet will be selling them alongside the British Legion.

like others I donate but don't wear a poppy.

pauline what a strange post.

Op I sent to a 6th form open evening and most of the kids and all of the teachers had poppies on.

I keep loosing mine so getting a band.

I always wear one and support the RBL, help for heroes etc but you are being massively U. I detest this fashion for forcing everyone in the public eye to wear a poppy or risk vilification. Everybody should be able to choose whether to wear one or not without having their motives or morals questioned.
I wear one to commemorate all soldiers - the relative who is named on the memorial at Kew, the young local men who never came home and the soldier whose funeral I attended 18 months ago. That's my choice - others choose differently, it's our right to do so.