Poppy on kids sports kits

[HelenHen]

This seems to be a big thing now, but seems very unfair.

How can a kid choose to not wear a poppy if its being handed out by their coach before a game?

Not everybody chooses to wear a poppy, for whatever reason... many people do and that's totally ok... but it seems harder and harder for kids to make the choice.

Are you comparing NI to …. Hitler?

Oh come on, it suggests no such thing!

The armed forces have not always acted in a just way that is deserving of respect though, and as we keep saying people's families may have been negatively affected by some of their actions. It's really not that hard to understand.

Oh. My. God.

No. Teaching your kids that war is complicated and that justice wasn't done to all affected, does not imply that it might have been ok to appease Hitler (and what does that have to do with the poppy appeal anyway?).

How can you go through life like this?

Please consider that not everyone is from the same time and place as you, and not everyone has the same experiences as you.

What I'm getting is that there are people who have not thought at all deeply about the nuances of war, or thought very much at all beyond "Hitler bad, British Forces good," forgetting the myriad of other conflicts that have happened since, nor any of the many other nuances of war.

Im not saying a child should wear a poppy wether they want to or not but as someone who's grandad (Royal Navy) died in Italy in 1944 and who's father served in REME and mother who was in the ATS i personally wear my poppy with pride every year

Not in a million years would we give poppies to our kids to wear in their kit. It’s a free choice AND they aren’t supposed to wear anything in their kit anyway. No jewellery of any kind.

Exactly. I have been a civilian on the wrong end of the guns of soldiers and never, ever support a military charity of any kind
despite having family who served in both World Wars.
Theres been a lot of wars and conflicts since then and if you believe that war isn’t political, or that Britain was always the ‘good’ guy you’re fooling yourself.

Every year someone has the amazing idea to bang on about poppies at the start of November on mumsnet. Just say no, simple. No need to consult a committee to validate your views. You have kids. You need to demonstrate your ability to stay strong in your convictions whilst leaving space for others to have theirs. Your kids will learn from that and become confident in their own time to do the same.

I wear the poppy as my way of remembering all the loss of life in all the wars. I feel I owe them that. You don't have to agree.

Thank you... and I absolutely respect your choice to do so.

Can you tell me in which war in recent years did soldiers give their lives for our freedom?

I don’t see poppies as "misty-eyed glorification" at all. Just remembering people whose lives were cut short. Yes, millions of working class men slaughtered, in many cases unnecessarily - so are you saying it’s better if we just forget about them?

And out of interest: do you think WW2 was unnecessary fighting against the Germans was really just for the benefit of "rich men"? Should the UK just have let the Nazis invade and take over, then?

Unbelievable that there are adults who have no idea of the grimy history of the British army's conduct, including against some of those it considers their own people. Why do you think the Union flag is referred to as "the butcher's apron" in parts of NI?

So those of us who had family members, some being children, murdered in cold blood by the soldiers should just suck it up? Eh no thank you.

It should always be a choice. Ignorance of the real legacy of the UK army is still huge.

The fact that some members of the army have sometimes behaved badly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t remember those who died, the vast majority of whom did not behave badly.

Plenty of people don't want to wear the poppy - it's not disrespectful not to wear it. There are a few reasons - eg
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34720464

Many people of Irish descent or from the Irish nationalist tradition don't wear the poppy as it has been used to signify support for the British Army in Ireland rather than just the dead of WW1, people who have been brought up as pacifists (eg my in laws who are Quakers) don't wear the poppy - and so on. If it's about freedom, then that should include freedom not to display an emblem. The footballer James McClean has had a lot of flak including death threats for not wearing one, but he's from Derry where innocent people were murdered by the British Army on Bloody Sunday.

I haven't seen a straw man argument that pulls a Godwin in a good while.

That would be a very clever comment, if either part was correct. Unfortunately, neither is.

It’s not a straw man argument; I said I was asking out of interest, not imputing that point of view to anyone.

As for Godwin's Law, you’re mistaken about what it means. It is about someone or something being compared to Hitler or Nazis, which I didn’t do at all. It’s not about simply using the words in a historical context.

I don't think anyone thinks that, no. I think there have been many other conflicts before and since WWII and people have a right to feel that not all of those wars were right and just, and act accordingly.

I totally agree that not all wars are or have been right or just. But I don’t think wearing a poppy in any way implies otherwise. The money raised helps veterans, including disabled ones, and I don’t understand why anyone would object to that unless they believe the UK should not maintain any armed forces, should never fight in any wars / battles (including fighting in defence), and that armed forces veterans, including the disabled ones, should not be helped.

As someone whose grandfather was decorated for bravery at the Somme and died in WW2 I don’t need to wear a poppy to respectfully remember him and other members of my family who served and died in these two great wars.

However as an Irishwoman I also know that there are many of my compatriots who, for other reasons, cannot, will not and should not view the British Army with gratitude and respect. And I share these feelings too.

Such are the nuances of life in these islands, and the complicated relationship many of us have with history, war and remembrance.

Let us give each other grace to act in accordance with our own conscience.

Your post is ignorant. Do some reading up on the murder of innocent children and adults by your so called army. You must r very proud of murdering coward's who won't stand accountable for their actions.

I will donate if someone from the village comes and knocks on the door, but I won't wear the poppy or take one

So you want to take away the option for those who want to wear it, so as to not make your child stand out for not wearing it? Okay…..

I think it's a political symbol and has no business being on a kids sports kit