Wearing a poppy at job interview

[YouThank]

AIBU to wear a poppy on my shirt when I go to a job interview? I have two interviews lined up this week, one on Tuesday and one on Friday.

My sis says I shouldn't wear a poppy for an interview and certainly not after the remembrance day e.g. on the Friday.

I am also from NI. As a child I always would have worn a poppy and was brought up to believe it was to remember the soldiers killed in the First World War.
I wouldn’t be keen to wear one here now as it has become political and seems to have been seized upon by republicans who associate it with the British Army of the 70s and 80s (who they incidentally initially welcomed with open arms).

Also had the IRA not been running about blowing people up in an attempt to ‘free’ the northern Irish people and force a united ireland (despite killing more innocent catholics than all the other paramilitaries and army put together), the British Army wouldn’t have been in NI. So let’s stop the re writing of history. Yes- the British Army did some awful things in NI. But so did republicans. And for no positive gain what so ever.

@Saoirse7

Also, the very British Army which 'kept you free' was the very one who oppressed many Irish people.

Remembrance Sunday & Armistice Day are not held in celebration of any army but out of respect to the war dead.

They are not days to rehash old grievances.
People who want to do that are the ones who perpetuate conflict.

MissMarks

I think in fairness the politicalisation of it can be levelled at both sides. Arlene Fosters wears a poppy the size of a saucer and Ian Paisley writes to the BBC questioning why presenters aren't wearing poppies - total poppy fascism.

In an ideal world people would wear them or not wear them and no one would comment on it. I actually do not care if people wear one or not but the fact is that some people here just the poppy to antagonise (both sides can be guilty of this)

GroundAlmonds,

Like I said I observe the silence I just don't support the poppy appeal.

I think Arlene to be fair to her is trying to stop the rewriting of history by republicans/ Sinn Fein and reminding that not all those in the forces were had people.

@MissMarks

Also had the IRA not been running about blowing people up in an attempt to ‘free’ the northern Irish people and force a united ireland (despite killing more innocent catholics than all the other paramilitaries and army put together), the British Army wouldn’t have been in NI. So let’s stop the re writing of history. Yes- the British Army did some awful things in NI. But so did republicans. And for no positive gain what so ever.

Lovely little bit of whataboutery here.

Catholic in NI didn't have civil rights in the 60s and 70s, it wasn't one man one vote. Voting areas were gerrymandered, Catholic were discriminated against for jobs. I never said anything about the IRA either. A paramilitary organisation are not comparable to the crown forces who are to be held at a much high standard. You talk about innocent victims? Lots of other unprovoked cases involving the army, Aidan McAnespie as an example.

To be clear- I have absolutely no issue with soldier F being prosecuted. What I do have a problem with is the republican movement taking no accountability for their atrocious behaviour and then telling others not to wear poppies and taking offence at them.

There were the same issues in Scotland- the big difference is they used the ballot box to get closer to independence rather than bombing and maiming.
I am well aware of the discrimination shown to Catholics and think it was unacceptable. But blowing up a child is not the way to deal with it.

No one here is telling others to not wear poppies. We're just saying that wearing a poppy is anathema to us - won't do it, ever. For very valid reasons that non-poppy wearers shouldn't be penalised for. To each her own and all that.

I would have thought that white easy to comprehend myself...

Peaceful protest didn't seem to be the way either MissMarks if Bloody Sunday is anything to go by.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.scotsman.com/news/study-reveals-scotlands-sectarian-equality-gap-1452667%3famp

Bloody Sunday is just one tragic event in a long list of tragic events. The constant holding up of it as justification for the provos causing havoc for the next twenty five years has to stop. Every time anyone dares to say a bad word about republicans the response is ‘look what the army did in Derry’.
Like I said- the IRA killed more of their own people than all the others put together. Let’s stop making excuses for them and call them out for what they actually are- bad bad people.

Don't think anyone here has been defending the IRA so struggling to see their relevance in this discussion.

Although, it does aid with your whataboutery on a thread about the Army.

@CatWithKittens

I would think less of a candidate who had not worn a poppy if the interview had been last week. If somebody is too mean to contribute a small amount to something so important will they contribute to my workforce? For an interview on Tuesday I would give them the benefit of the doubt as they might have discarded it after Remembrance Sunday rather than kept it until 11th November as many people do. By Friday I would not mind either way even if it crossed my mind.

What nonsense. Plenty of people donate to charities and don't need to wear a visible symbol to signal their virtue. You can donate to RBL online or by text (we did it through Parentpay at school) without buying a poppy.

I just wish Rememberance Sunday, Armistice Day and poppy-wearing had the more sensible profile it used to have in the 1980s and 1990s when buying or wearing a poppy was not obligatory. I also think things like footballers having special poppy shirts printed to wear for like, two or three matches is wasteful and stupid.

The anti poppy agenda in NI is being driven by republican sympathisers, so the IRA is absolutely relevant. If this wasn’t the case there wouldn’t now be this issue with remembering war veterans from the First World War.

And the constant mentioning of Bloody Sunday which had nothing to do with war veterans of men who signed up to fight in world wars.

Do whatever feels natural and right to you. It's a personal decision. There should be no pressure to wear or not wear a poppy. You do what works for you and let everyone else crack on doing what works for them.

I'm convinced I passed my Chartership interview by wearing a poppy.
On entering the room they saw I was wearing a poppy and exclaimed in delight "you're the first person wearing a poppy all day."
With such a good first impression the rest of the interview went smooth.

Republicanism is anti army- by hijaking the poppy they are able to quite insidiously continue to perpetuate an anti British message in Northern Ireland. It is very sad.

@CatWithKittens

The people who say poppies are divisive are the ones who make them so by reading into their sale and purchase something which simply is not there. They are not sold to support militarism or war but those who, willingly or unwillingly, went to war and in doing so kept us free to debate on threads like this. I remember hearing an old soldier who had seen Belsen only days after it was liberated, saying, that he and his generation had to decide between the negation of peace which was total war and the negation of peace which was total tyranny and how sad it was that so many of those who talked about peace did not understand that there could be no peace where there was true tyranny.

I am saying poppies are divisive because of the treatment and lack of respect for those who do not want to wear one. Look at the treatment of James McLean because he refuses to wear one. Equally , pressure on TV presenters to wear them does not respect diversity of opinion.

@MissMarks

And the constant mentioning of Bloody Sunday which had nothing to do with war veterans of men who signed up to fight in world wars.

The poppy commemorates and helps all members of the armed forces, including those who murdered civilians in Norther Ireland.

@MissMarks

Bloody Sunday is just one tragic event in a long list of tragic events. The constant holding up of it as justification for the provos causing havoc for the next twenty five years has to stop. Every time anyone dares to say a bad word about republicans the response is ‘look what the army did in Derry’. Like I said- the IRA killed more of their own people than all the others put together. Let’s stop making excuses for them and call them out for what they actually are- bad bad people.

Nobody here has justified the actions of the IRA. And the IRA was brought up here in defence of army behaviour. So the exact opposite of your statement.

If I reply to missmarks saying what I'm thinking I'm afraid it'd be banging my head against the wall or I'll develop a rage twitch.

Rugger- I am well aware of what you are likely thinking. I am perfectly able to understand the republican viewpoint and justification for an armed struggle. I understand the concept of catholic oppression. I know Catholic’s were burned out of their homes. I know that there were issues around allocation of housing and jobs. I know why there is a distrust and possibly even hatred of the army and the RUC.
However- having weighed this all up, I am still never ever going to be able to show a sympathy to the actions of paramilitaries. I watched interviews with Des Long and saw pure evil. I actually felt physically sick watching him.
You wouldn’t be banging your head against a wall- I get it, I just disagree.