To not wear a poppy?

[Notjustmesurely]

I just don’t like how it’s expected or assumed you will wear one.
A friend at work bought me a poppy bracelet type thing which was kind of her but I literally wore it for that one shift and haven’t worn it since.
I appreciate its symbolism but don’t appreciate the assumption that everyone is going to be wearing one or HAS
to wear one to appreciate the cause.
If I were to wear one it would be for the conscripts who had no choice in the matter during the world wars. Not for the “modern day” political wars that the UK has involved itself in. Help for heroes and all that. The charity should come from the politicians who vote for it imo?
Newsreaders and celebs slated for not wearing one as well, what’s that all about.
Dunno it just all seems a bit fascist these days.
I always have and always will observe the two minutes silence tho.

I feel the same. I do wear a white poppy sometimes. I do observe the 2 minutes silence, and respect what people had to do in WW 2 (and the tragic pointless death of all those men in WW1).

Most wars, as we can clearly see, are not 'just', they are bloody and mean the waste and damage of many thousands of lives, sanctioned by politicians who sit back and watch.

DS has been invited to police cadets marching thing on Remembrance Sunday but he's not going. Quasi militaristic marching feels wrong, now more than ever with what's going on in Israel/Gaza.

We should all just be praying for peace.

I never wear a poppy, for reasons very similar to the ones you have expressed, but often put a bit of money in the collecting tin because I admire the sacrifice of individual soldiers.

I get quite cross (quietly) at the people who have bought one enamelled broach and never contribute again - of course, I don't know how often they donate, but the cynic in me fears, that it is rarely.

@Sayitaintso33 why think that of people! I paid £15 for my beautiful enamelled Poppy last year and will donate again this year.

You donate without taking a poppy but you don’t think anyone else does? Bit of a superiority complex, have we?

I don’t wear a poppy but l do donate. I don’t feel the need to wear “a badge” to say l have made a donation.

Others may disagree and that’s fine too.

Of course you have the right to wear or not wear a poppy ! You have that right because people lost their lives in order to fight for the right to freedom, free speech and the right to choose whether or not to wear a bloody poppy.
FFs

There’s already a thread about this.

No one gives a hoot if you wear a poppy,

It’s not expected you wear one. It’s up to you as you are free to make up your own mind.

A bit fascist ffs.

Well said!

Posts like this do suggest that some people are outraged that other people don't want to wear poppies.

It is not as simple as that.

If we glorify war too much, as you appear to de doing, we are in danger of forgetting that most of the wars waged by the UK have been wicked. By and large we did the right thing in the world wars but the wrong thing in Africa, The Americas, Australasia, Asia and the Pacific Islands.
At least our oldest colony, Bermuda, was unoccupied when our forebears claimed her for the Crown in the 17th century. After that it was pretty much invasion, bloodshed, oppression and occupation with the wealth of the conquered being wrongly brought back to Britain.

The charity should come from the politicians who vote for it imo?
Following that logic though, the population who voted for those politicians should pay.
British Legion etc. only pay for extra's not actual benefits/service pensions.

Being forced to wear one ruins the point... its about freedom.

And the fact you are thinking about it shows you remember the whole point of it... its remembering past wars in the (vain) hope that they never happen again.

The poppy does not glorify the war. It memorializes and laments for those who lost their lives or were maimed. WW1 was a horror show; WW2 was horrifically necessary. But to wear a poppy is not to be a mindless glorifier of war.

By and large we did the right thing in the world wars but the wrong thing in Africa, The Americas, Australasia, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

They weren’t the “wrong thing” by the standards of the day.

They are the wrong thing by the standards of today.

I get quite cross (quietly) at the people who have bought one enamelled broach and never contribute again - of course, I don't know how often they donate, but the cynic in me fears, that it is rarely.
But if that one broach costs £10-£15 and the recommended donation for a paper poppy is £1 then taking overheads out that’s still a good few years of poppy donations in one go?

i wear a poppy each year because my Scottish grandfather died in Italy in world war two and both of my parents served in the army in the same war (Scottish grandparents were young parents) so to remember them

i wear a purple poppy in remembrance and awareness and respect of all the animals that are taken to war, past and present.

i have the utmost respect for all soldiers, politics mean nothing. these people put their lives on the line fighting for our freedom no matter what ur political views are.

but the animals who are trained to fight should be commended too, those sweet things don't have a choice.

This has just reminded me that I need to get one!

When I wear one it IS for the conscripts.
At the going down of the sun etc - we will remember them.

I don’t know anyone who wears one because of politics?

YABVU and very disrespectful.

My DH served in the military. People who dont wear a poppy (or wear one of those stupid vegan 'white poppies' instead) are incredibly disrespectful in my eyes.

Yes. I don't think some people quite get it.🙄

I wear one because both my grandfathers fought abroad. They were barely out if their teens and dropped into a foreign land and saw people slaughtered in front of them. I thank them and remember them. I also have an enamel one because it’s easier to wear and attach to clothes but I still donate every year.

Don't wear one then no one really care or will notice

My father was in the navy, I was brought up to respect the armed forces past and present and to never forget those who lost their lives for our freedom. I’ll wear my poppy with pride.