To think school shouldn’t insist that everyone wears a poppy and donates £1

[moonlightholly]

It’s supposedly in a deprived area too - there are constant reminders of the high percentage of pupils with PP.

Also, I don’t think a school should insist everyone wears a poppy - or AIBU?

I wear a poppy. I always have. My grandparents who were in WW2 wore them, as did DH's. DH & DS1 are in the armed forces, too, so I've got an RAF one on one coat and DS1's regimental one on the other.

I bet all the people who say they "don't support or respect the armed forces" would be extremely happy to see them if their house was flooded, or if it was on fire and the fire service was on strike. The Olympics wouldn't have gone ahead without the help of the armed forces, many of whom had their leave cancelled at the very last minute.

While I don't agree with children being obliged to buy poppies, purchasing them or wearing them should always be about choice - the red poppy has never been about glorifying war - it was about remembering the fallen after WW1, the losses caused by that war- the money raised was used to help soldiers get housing & jobs & caring for the wounded - it was not & has never been about glorifying war rather the opposite.

”I dislike the annual poppy circus and awful jingoistic stuff like festivals of remembrance with gun salutes, military fly lasts etc. There’s nothing solemn nor dignified about it.”

Wow. What an ugly comment. Tell that to the people, past and present, who sit sobbing at these services as they remember the people that died beside them.

I'd want to know the head's reasons fort extorting this money from the children. Saying 'I don't want to hear "I haven't got it" ' is shocking to me. Is the head a supporter of the British Legion? They have no right to favour their chosen charity above others by enforcing donations.

Incidentally, I'd feel the same whatever the charity was. I used to get fed up of charity challenges when I was at primary school, which were always won by someone who had been sponsored by everyone in their mum or dad's workplace. I'm happy to buy a poppy, even though I know I will lose it within the first hour of putting it on, but I hate the way poppy-wearing is enforced by public opinion nowadays.

Poppies are voluntary.

Charitable donations are voluntary.

Any school head who suggests otherwise has forgotten that pluralism is a central tenet of democracy.

For what it’s worth, I wear a poppy, in support of those who died for our freedom. If anyone tried to force me to wear it, I would probably remove it in support of the freedom for which they died.

I wear mine for my dad who was a prisoner of war and always wore his poppy with pride. Also for an uncle who was a spitfire pilot who died at the age of 21, leaving a young widow.

The point is you would not have such freedoms if those wars had not been fought and won at great cost

Which ones? The poppy is also sold in aid of people who fought in the Iraq, Afghan and Falklands wars. None of those wars were fought to preserve our freedom.

That is what REMEMBERANCE is about. Not to GLORIFY war but to make sure it never happens again by remembering those that died.

If that's the purpose, it really isn't working, is it? And I wonder why people who wear white poppies get vilified, given that that really is their purpose.

I will buy and wear one to a service of remembrance that is held annually in our town. I’ve attended for 20 years now and every year the numbers increase. It isn’t at all jingoistic or glorifying. It is solomn, dignified and very, very sad as you look at the too many names. It a time to remember the horrors perpetrated all sides. A chance to reflect and discuss with my kids why humankind does these barbaric things to one another.

Also, it's kind of ironic that people in this thread are saying 'they died so you could choose not to wear a poppy'. Kind of implies you think people should have NO choice and should be made to wear it, although choice goes both ways.

I would email and ask how this squares with their policy on teaching Fundamental British Values such as Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect and Tolerance.

I'm anti poppy too and my child wouldn't be wearing one.
No it isn't compulsory anywhere.
You don't need a flower to remind you to remember all those who perished.

OP can you show us the letter from the school where it says the children have to buy a poppy for £1?

Yes, it's for "REMEMBRANCE", we can all agree on that. But remembering what? "The senseless waste of millions of lives" is not the same as "our boys dying for our freedom". By wearing a poppy are you saying "War is bad" or "This shouldn't happen again to anyone, anywhere, ever" or "It's an honourable, courageous act to die for your country" or "We should all have the bravery to stand up and fight when we have to" or... etc.? If people who wear them can't agree on why, then surely it's reasonable that some other people will be reluctant to sign up to displaying a symbol that might mean any or none of the above?

From memory, it was always emphasised to us that you did not buy a poppy, you made a donation of whatever you could and received your poppy as a token of this. It was always and repeatedly stressed that all donations however big or small were equally appreciated.

Faced with this kind of poppy facsism, my surly teenage self would have maybe worn a white feather to remember the cochies taken to the front and shot, or more likely my crowd would have worn our poppies upside down and back-to-front in protest.

Sorry, I should’ve said if it is true that schools or anyone for that matter is demanding poppy wearing compliance is spectacularly missing the point and that includes all TV stations in the two weeks preceding Armistice Day.

It could be argued that anyone who joins up is either a mug or a bully. and I think this is an outrageously crass and insulting thing to right about anyone choosing the forces as a career.

“ Wow. What an ugly comment. Tell that to the people, past and present, who sit sobbing at these services as they remember the people that died beside them.”

I wouldn’t want to impose my views on such people, but if they asked I’d tell them, no problem, and if they didn’t like it that would be tough luck for them.

“ It could be argued that anyone who joins up is either a mug or a bully. and I think this is an outrageously crass and insulting thing to right about anyone choosing the forces as a career.”

But it could be argued, could it not?

Screw that. Our school sells poppies. It's optional. Attendance to the Sunday memorial parade with the school is also optional. The donation is up to the donator (though they do ask if you can, make it 20p but even that isn't strictly enforced)

I'd be really annoyed at having to pay £1 per child WITH obligatory wearing of said poppy. Most kids lose them within half an hour. Or at least my kids do. Hell, I'll quite often come home and find my chest poppy-less.

Anything can be argued so that’s a stupid thing to say too.

There are many service people with mothers, wives and others on MN. I bet you wouldn’t dare say such a thing to their face.

Beveren read your history books! Do you think you could even speak as we all do on MN having opinions on all sorts of things, having our voices to agree disagree moan and groan about our government under the likes of a dictator? Look at China and Russia and all the countries ruled by dictators or those that don't believe in democracy! Ask a tone that has lived in regimes where dissent in any fashion is dealt with the death penalty.
The trouble is our freedom is took so much for granted as if it's a right forever ours. The world is stoking up for another World War for it is in our nature to be warlike. We are the most evil species on this planet and we must be conscious of this fact and try our best for democracy to be upheld. Campaign for world peace as much as we can so we don't head for WW111. So if we keep fresh in each generations mind the true horror of war then we may be able to avoid anymore wars. Hence remembrance.

'Did any of you sacrifice yourselves?'

No, but 6 million of my people died in the Holocaust, does that help?

Well from what I've seen, the army nowadays are armed bullies. I'd certainly be disappointed if my child was brainwashed into joining.
All that nonsense about queen and country. Its absolute progapanda.

The death of many thousands of innocent people also wouldn't have gone ahead without them.
That's not really comparable to me losing my material possessions or missing the Olympics.

My children's school sell poppies, year 6 sell them in the playground. No one is forced and the school don't insist anyone wears one. How can they? My children buy their own and wear them, their choice. I get more annoyed at all the other forced charity donations our school keeps forcing upon us, I don't really mind donating to some but I am sick of the constant donate two pounds, and wear this obscure colour to school etc (which we never seem to have any clothing in and have to then go out and buy).

I would ask what about children who’s family may have suffered at the hands of the armed forces. The poppy is a symbol of all our armed conflict including in Ireland and the former colony’s. Why should they give money to wear a poppy. This new poppy policing and poppy porn is endless and is turning people off.

I will wear a poppy and go to a service of remembrance as is my choice, I will not inflict that choice on others and that is what brave men and women fought for in the war the right to choose.