Wearing a poppy at job interview

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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.

Interesting how some posters seem to conflate criticism and abhorrence of the actions of the british army with support for the IRA.

Poppy fascism is so interesting. Jon Snow talks about how he doesn't wear AIDS ribbons or yellow daffodils or any symbols whatsoever, but poppies are what he's pilloried for.

And let's not pretend the anti-poppy people are the only ones politicising the day. A friend of mine posted a picture of a kneeling soldier with "here's who to take a knee for". Yes, let's use Remembrance Day to criticise BLM. That's an excellent idea.

Wear one, don't wear one. But don't spend the day pissed off at other people. That's not what it's for.

@OchonAgusOchonO

Interesting how some posters seem to conflate criticism and abhorrence of the actions of the british army with support for the IRA.

It's an easy whataboutery, isn't it. "You won't wear a poppy, you terrible person. Why aren't you giving out about when the IRA did __?"

As if it's not possible to be appalled by IRA bombings and simultaneously refuse to wear poppies that fund some of those who served in NI. Caring about more than one thing at once, imagine.

@OchonAgusOchonO

Interesting how some posters seem to conflate criticism and abhorrence of the actions of the british army with support for the IRA.

I don't get that either. I'm from a N Ireland unionist background and I'm perfectly capable of seeing the shortcomings of the British army's behaviour in N Ireland, which was frankly shameful on many occasions, without supporting the IRA.

And it drives me nuts when people say 'peaceful protest was what should have happened' when peaceful protest wasn't allowed to be peaceful. I despise the things the IRA did but you'd have to be willfully blind to not understand how they were given the perfect storm to grow in and the government didn't care until it looked like the killing was heading to English towns and cities on a regular basis. Maybe 3000 odd lives could have been saved if, when partition happened in the first place, it had been an actual democracy that was set up.

Even living in a N Ireland unionist area, I haven't seen many people wearing poppies for the past couple of years. It feels like a thing of the past to be honest. Maybe because it's so closely associated with WW1 and that generation is completely gone now?

@wellthatsunusual - attitudes like yours are the ones that lead to reconciliation and peace.

No- people in NI don’t wear poppies from unionist backgrounds because they have become so politicised (by Sinn Fein/ republicans) and you are afraid to wear one in case it seems you are supportive of the British Armies actions during the troubles. They have lost all meaning in relation to war veterans and that is very sad. Re writing of history and to say so you are portrayed as some sort of mad loyalist.

And it isn’t about being unable to move on- it is about remembering what actually happened- not some romantic notion. People are quick to condemn unionists but let’s face it- thousands and thousands of people were more than happy to attend Bobby Storeys funeral. How exactly has republicanism ‘moved on’. I would argue it is just as entrenched as ever.

@MissMarks

And it isn’t about being unable to move on- it is about remembering what actually happened- not some romantic notion. People are quick to condemn unionists but let’s face it- thousands and thousands of people were more than happy to attend Bobby Storeys funeral. How exactly has republicanism ‘moved on’. I would argue it is just as entrenched as ever.

I would argue that shoe horning Bobby Storey's funeral into a discussion about wearing a poppy is quite some skill.

I’m a manager and I wouldn’t bat on eyelid if someone turned up to an interview wearing a poppy. Why would you?!

I mention in response to being accused of not wanting peace and reconciliation. My point is republicanism is still very much alive and kicking and openly supported by the Joint first minister and pals.

One of the reasons I wear a poppy is because so many young soldiers died fighting for peoples right not to wear one if they so choose. I think it's a really important symbol.

@MissMarks

I mention in response to being accused of not wanting peace and reconciliation. My point is republicanism is still very much alive and kicking and openly supported by the Joint first minister and pals.

If that's a reference to my response to wellthatsunusual, I did not accuse you of anything.

I've never heard of not wearing after 11th
If you want to wear it wear it

I felt it had a tone of ‘this is an acceptable response from a unionist, Miss Marks is not’.

Missmarks Are you aware it's possible to respect WW1+2 soldiers(and those from other conflicts), remember and honour them without buying a symbol that funds the defence of the scumbags who wore the same uniform?

Paddies are capable of both you know. Also, quit the 'oh I understand your republican mind dear' bollocks. My Grandad served with the British army in world war two. No way he ever wore a poppy.

Squeezing your IRA argument into everything is like saying any Christian who's shot shouldn't have sympathy or justice because the KKK and other far right groups use Christianity as an excuse for their actions.

@MissMarks

I felt it had a tone of ‘this is an acceptable response from a unionist, Miss Marks is not’.

No, it didn't. The tone was very much that being able to see things from the perspective of the other side is what leads to peace and reconciliation. I have no idea whether you want peace and reconciliation so I most definitely did not suggest that.

However, I dislike your "whataboutery" when british soldiers are criticised. I dislike the way you are trying to justify murder by the British army by making incorrect statements such as 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. The IRA campaign didn't start until 1970. The army arrived in 1969.

Your post appear to place all the blame on the nationalist community but whether you actually want peace and reconciliation, I don't know.

At no point have I tried to justify the actions of the British Army in Derry or anywhere else in Northern Ireland where they killed innocent people.
My point is that republicans- and it is republicans and therefore IRA sympathisers who have politicised the poppy in Northern Ireland. It was meant to remember the war dead. That is no longer the case. Micheal Martin laid a wreath in Enniskillen on Sunday- non republican Irish people clearly don’t have a problem with it.
As I said- let’s stop re writing history and making what should be a nice thing a political thing.

Hope you got on okay today OP

Not blame on nationalist community- republican. There is a significant difference. Just as there is a difference between unionists and loyalists.

I am a military wife and a lot of us wear them all year round 👍🏻

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Banner

The army came as a response to 1969 rioting. Again, let’s stop re writing history.

@MissMarks

At no point have I tried to justify the actions of the British Army in Derry or anywhere else in Northern Ireland where they killed innocent people. My point is that republicans- and it is republicans and therefore IRA sympathisers who have politicised the poppy in Northern Ireland. It was meant to remember the war dead. That is no longer the case. Micheal Martin laid a wreath in Enniskillen on Sunday- non republican Irish people clearly don’t have a problem with it. As I said- let’s stop re writing history and making what should be a nice thing a political thing.

At no point have I tried to justify the actions of the British Army in Derry or anywhere else in Northern Ireland where they killed innocent people.

This statement seems to me very much in the vein of transferring the blame away from the army:

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.

Micheal Martin laid a wreath in Enniskillen on Sunday- non republican Irish people clearly don’t have a problem with it.

Micheál Martin laid a wreath in Eniskillen as a gesture of peace and reconciliation. Most Irish people see it as that. That does not mean that we are commemorating an organisation that has murdered innocent civilians or that we are willing to do so. It is about reaching out to the unionist community in order to create trust.

let’s stop re writing history and making what should be a nice thing a political thing.

Given that the british legion were the ones who changed it from commemorating the dead of the first world war to commemorating and supporting all past and serving members of the armed forces, I think it is certainly arguable that they were the ones to re-write history.

Micheal Martin laid a wreath in Enniskillen on Sunday- non republican Irish people clearly don’t have a problem with it.

And that's nice dear except that's not what the thread is about, is it? The thread is about wearing poppies. RBL poppies contribute to funds for ex soldiers, including those who killed Irish people in NI.

By all means lay a wreath to remember the dead - President Michael D did that too, fully on board with that - but that isn't the issue being debated.

@MissMarks

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Banner

The army came as a response to 1969 rioting. Again, let’s stop re writing history.

Yes, I know. You said they would not have been there if it was not for the IRA campaign. I stated the IRA campaign did not start until 1970.

Maybe re-read what you've posted previously? You could also click on a couple of the links in the link you posted to see what the riots were about.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_Northern_Ireland_riots

During 12–16 August 1969, there was an outbreak of political and sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, which is often seen as the beginning of the thirty-year conflict known as the Troubles. There had been sporadic violence throughout the year arising out of the civil rights campaign, which demanded an end to discrimination against Catholics and Irish nationalists. Civil rights marches had been repeatedly attacked by Ulster Protestant loyalists and also came into frequent conflict with the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the overwhelmingly Protestant police force.