To ask if anyone in rl has ever actually met anyone who is 'offended by a poppy?

[Whatsername17]

My Facebook feed is full of memes declaring that people are going to 'wear their poppy with pride and they don't care who they offend'. My nan is the latest culprit and I've called her out on it. Cue lots of her friends spouting racist bollocks about people not being able to sell them blah blah. My nan spouting shit about what a good heart I have because I can't see the bad in people. I'm 34. I'm not a fucking child. And breathe!

I have a red poppy and a white poppy. I probably won't wear them much as I'm constantly changing coats and forget which one they're on.

If people get offended by one or the other I probably won't even notice.

This much more eloquently expresses my feelings on the topic than I could write. To equate the lives of the young, conscripted men lost in WW1 with those who willingly join the armed forces today, with all of the information as to the military's activities at their fingertips, is completely disingenuous. If poppies were just commemorating those who died in WW1 and the utter, utter waste of that conflict, then I would happily cover myself from head to toe.

The red poppy is meant to be for remembrance, never again etc.

But the money from its sales goes towards servicemen and women who have voluntarily chosen to join the armed forces in the many years since conscription ended.

I do not wish my charitable donations to go to these people because I think they join knowing their actions will lead to the deaths of others, which is something I cannot morally agree with. Only in war is murder seemingly justified.

I'm Irish and my Irish father was in the British Merchant Navy earlier in his career. He used a buy a poppy in memory of the seamen in the Merchant Navy who died in the WWs, although he wouldn't wear them as it would be seen as a very political statement. They were displayed on the clock on the mantelpiece (presumably partly to annoy his FIL ). He doesn't buy them any more, because of his strong feelings about the illegal wars the British government and armed forces have engaged with.

I don't begrudge anyone their right to wear a poppy and support a cause I don't believe in. I am bewildered every year to read posts on here by people who can't seem to understand why Irish people wouldn't want to wear one, or indeed other nationalities around the world. There must be millions or billions who would feel uncomfortable with something so strongly associated with the British armed forces.

I've never met anyone who's offended by one, no. I have a brooch one I bought years ago so I just give them the money now. I buy a wreath every year for my great uncle who was killed in action in WW2.

I would be furious if I was told I "had" to wear one. Many of the people who died were fighting for the freedom of others. Telling someone they "have to" is insulting to their memory imo.

My DGF fought in WW2 and was rescued on D-day. He fortunately survived the war else I would not be here now typing this.

I

I wear a red and a white together. I have had hassle about the white one.

And many of those who died committed atrocities in the name of the empire. It's also insulting to the memory of their victims to enforce poppy wearing.

Just because you wear a poppy,it doesn't make you a war monger. It means that you support our armed forces and the sacrifices that they have made so that we can live in a free country.

Yes they I wasn't intending to suggest otherwise.

Those guilt adverts are in poor taste, given the children of construction workers and farmers are statistically more likely to lose their father most years...

Actually I remember now that my gf would never wear one, he was injured at Verdun Wood and invalided home. He was refused assistance because he lied about his age.

I don’t know anyone who wears one apart from children who are expected to buy one at school. I object to the fact that every single person who appears on TV in the run-up has to wear one. It seems to have started earlier than usual this year.

I think the height of poppy fascism is when they made the Cookie Monster wear one on the One Show. IT'S A PUPPET!

The news readers were wearing them last week and it's not even November yet!

So the consensus seems to be some NI/Scottish folk don't wear them and some hippies wear white ones. These are clearly not the people referred to in the "if my poppy offends you..." posts which are aimed squarely at Muslims. Seems like nobody has ever met a Muslim who is offended by poppies, because poppies aren't offended by poppies!

I've met/know lots of people who wear white poppies. Most dislike what they perceive as the message behind the red poppy, but only one has expressed disgust or taken offence.

I've met a group of muslim people who found the poppy offensive, and more than just that group who've taken offence to being given christmas cards. However, they are a tiny, tiny minority of the muslims I've met, and even they were quick to acknowledge that many muslims were not offended by either.

@craftsy

The British have no moral high-ground over Ireland in the second world war

Apart from the British and Commonwealth troops who actually fought against Nazism. WW2 was not about defending Britain. Britain went to war to defend Poland.

Ireland was in a difficult position but WW2 was not a difficult decision. Fighting Nazism was not a marginal decision.

Many, many very brave Irishmen did fight Nazism and they were disowned and disavowed.

I repeat English behaviour in Ireland was appalling. I stand and admit where mistakes were made.

I love this response to all the 'offended by a poppy' rubbish .....

I'm in no way offended by the wearing of poppies, but what I don't like is people berating you or passing comment because you don't have one on. I have had that happen to me.
Once, I had had one on , but it had fallen off somewhere, and someone said they thought it was wrong I didn't have one on.
To be honest I've stopped wearing them at school because it invariably drops off, during the course of a day. It doesn't mean I haven't put money in the box or don't support the cause.

@Moussemoose - Britain declared war on Germany in order to prevent the expansion of a German empire which would have been a threat to Britain.

In hindsight, the fight against nazism is an obvious cause. However, at the time, Hitler's evil was not apparent. Hindsight is 20/20. Foresight is not.

@jamdonut - so what if you hadn't put money in the box or don't support the cause. That still doesn't give anyone the right to berate you for not agreeing with their views.

I've never met anyone offended by a poppy. A muslim lady at work knits Poppy's to sell for charity. Every single muslim I have met enjoys Christmas and Easter and never gets offended by any of it.

theymademejoin

This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final Note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland, a state of war would exist between us

A pp said Ireland did not enter WW2 to defend Britain. The above makes it clear the UK entered the war to defend Poland. Ireland too could have defended Poland.

On this thread the point being it's not about British nationalism. Lots of solders from many nations died. The poppy symbolises commemoration not nationalism. By saying "I'm Irish" you make it about nationalism.

People i work with are offended by them a d refuse to wear them ever. Its annoying as i wear one and ожthey like to rant when i do. Its tiresome but it does happen. I just ignore it.

The Royal British Legion works with the War Graves Commission.

ALL the fallen are remembered. Whatever nationality.

Commemoration not nationalism.

I don’t like how the symbol of the red poppy has come to represent being pro the armed forces. Recently we haven’t been fighting the glorious fight, it has been wars with dodgy dossiers. I wear a white poppy to commemorate the fallen, whether they are soldiers or victims of war, but not to applaud the military decisions of our government.