Why do people think it is disrespectful to not wear a poppy?

[Lemongrasssugar]

I understand the sacrifice and did have great relatives that were in the wars. I also have worn poppies in the past.
But why is it such a big deal if someone doesnt wear one? How does it lack respect?
Its not as of the dead are benefiting from us wearing the poppy?
As a symbol of remembrance it is fine but to impose and shame people for not wearing one sounds like some kind of religious cult.

Yes, as has been commented the meaning of poppy day has changed. I was told by a vicar re remembrance day services, it is no longer about glorifying war as it tended to be earlier, and I notice the Legion education pack now includes remembering the German dead as well. That does change it to emphasising that we need to educate ourselves and our children, to try to ensure they are not called for another war, via improved and more accurate education. That in turn means if we think about it, that we must do much more to ensure our children benefit from international education. Most UK history books never mention that after World War I, the League of Nations agreed that all children in all countries must be taught Esperanto, which today also means they can learn to co-operate in international science projects, which helps them to understand climate change and then address It. Esperanto is being taught to children today in Africa since 2004 but if you get your news via English (which is quite unaffordable for most African children and why they are doing it) then you will not know it is happening as gentle censorship operates to exclude such progress, as it is not welcome for extreme nationalism. Unfortunately nothing of this most important reason as to why our soldiers died in World War I is ever mentioned at present. But in reality since the government has approved Esperanto for use in schools here in 2017, our children will benefit far more if we ask for them to be taught Esperanto at school even if we don't wear a poppy or if we do. More background of this is featured on the international education discussion.

The symbolism has come about FROM the the real poppies that happened to grow. Poppies happen to be red with black centres and green leaves, which is why remembrance poppies look that way. It used to be the cornflower in France, I believe, that was the remembrance flower.

I was going to link to James McClean but someone above already has. Parts of Britain have suffered atrocities at the hands the British Soldiers.

Is it the non wearing of the poppy that people have a problem with or is it the non-donating?

We don't. Or at least I don't. I see it as supporting the military industrial complex that sent all those millions of boys and young men knowingly to their deaths. I'm not sure pointless deaths qualify as 'sacrifice' tbh - and who sacrificed them? Ww2 is different obviously, but the needless carnage of ww1 is where the poppies started.

I didn't say it was copied from the Liverpool Echo, I said by the look of it.

Liverpool Echo link

I've got one. I often forget to move it from one coat to another when I go out, and nobody has ever mentioned its absence, let alone indulged in any 'shaming'.

It would be odd to go to a Remembrance Sunday parade and not wear one, but you are showing respect for the fallen by being there, so why would it matter?

I've never bought or worn a poppy and I've never been shamed about it, nobody has ever even remarked on it. I don't think this is something that happens in real life, the only place I've seen it is in right wing tabloid media (eg: Daily Fail) about TV personalities and other celebrities. Usually in those cases it's just a way to try and sell papers whilst also making the celebrities who don't align with their political agenda look bad; possibly these papers do drum up some negative connotations with celebrities who don't wear poppies on TV but I don't think it extends to people giving a shit whether the average person on the street is wearing one.

But why is it such a big deal if someone doesnt wear one?

It isn't a big deal. What made you think it was?
I never notice if anyone's wearing a poppy or not.

I never wear a poppy. I donate to several charities but not this one.

It’s a convenient way of showing that you have (hopefully) already donated to the British legion poppy fund.

Perhaps many people's charity budgets are already spoken for.

Perhaps many people don't want to 'show' they've donated by contributing to the plastic tat problem by wearing a plastic poppy that will be promptly disposed of in a few weeks time.

I'm with Jon Snow on this one ... I don't wear one and I hate the obvious pressure everyone feels to display them if they appear on camera.

The melodramatic two minutes silences make me cringe. Being obliged to stand in the frozen peas aisle in Asda to "remember" millions of people I never personally knew.

My nan lived through both World Wars, lost loved ones but never wore a poppy.

Uhoh ...

m.greetingcarduniverse.com/holiday-cards/remembrance-day-poppy-armistice-day-cards

It's dreadful that people are criticised for not wearing a poppy and as for the furore if anyone appears on TV without one is ludicrous.

Many people put money in the tin but don't take a poppy for all sorts of reasons: one being they nearly always lose them, or if they change into a different coat or jacket they've leave the poppy on the first one (I've been guilty of both).

Charitable contribution must be voluntary, the British Legion appeal is very good but no more worthy than the British Heart Foundation or Red Cross. Those who are militant about poppy wearing should maybe examine why they are like that.

I believe in live and let live.

I think its absolutely ridiculous that footballers and even the dancers and celebrities on Strictly have to wear poppies now or risk getting a barrage of abuse and even death threats for chosing not to do so.

They should go off and educate themselves as to why an Irish Catholic from Derry might chose not to wear one but that would require reading a book or something...

Yes, BBC presenters, Strictly, etc, it is ridiculous - and worrying - all this compulsory poppy wearing. I wish the BBC would be brave and stand up to this poppy fascism.

@Lemongrasssugar ‘it’s not as of the dead benefit from us wearing a poppy’ no perhaps not but the money raised from poppy sales goes to support The Royal British Legion which supports families of those currently serving and those who have served. In previous wars and currently. They are, in my opinion, a fantastic charity.

However I do agree that people should not be ‘shamed’ and it’s personal preference.

The poppy isn’t just about the first and second world wars.

‘Lest we forget’ means not forgetting the sacrifices that people, both military and their families, have given to support our current day freedoms. Now and then.

I posted on the other thread. My grandfather hated the poppy idea and particularly the shaming of those who didn't wear one. He likened it to the idiots who gave out white feathers to young boys. He threw his medals from the war in the bin. My other grandfather felt the same way, he lost his sixteen year old brother in the war who was shamed into lying about his age.

Whatelsecouldbecalled As I stated on the other thread, my grandfather who was a WW2 veteran didn't have a very high opinion of the RBL as he'd found them unhelpful. There were aslo comments from others who found similar when they asked for help.

I'd love to know where all the money from the poppies goes to?

What a goady thread. Nobody will care if you don't wear a poppy. I have literally never heard anyone complaining in real life. Unless you go about burning one or purposely disrespecting the war dead, this is fake victimhood.

It’s not a goady thread. People, especially those in the public eye, do get shamed for not wearing poppies. I read a comment in the paper just this week from a commuter shocked that people weren’t wearing poppies.

I wear a poppy every year in remembrance of my great uncle Stanley who was killed in the Somme aged just 18.

It’s not a goady thread. People, especially those in the public eye, do get shamed for not wearing poppies.

And this story is currently in the news:
www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-pub-you-wont-served-3511992.amp

I live in Scotland and stopped buying them when they ditched the "Royal British Legion" title in favour of bloody "Poppy Scotland".
I'm pig sick of the SNP trying to obliterate any link to Britain or England, replacing the Union flag with saltires, putting Gaelic wording on police cars and road signs in areas where it isn't even spoken, etc.
I now only donate to charities based in England.
And for the record, my relatives fought in both world wars - grandfather in the trenches of the Somme where he survived being gassed and took shrapnel injuries to his chest, and father as a rear gunner on bombers, surviving a crash landing.