to be hacked off with people on TV that wear a 'poppy with pride'?

[MaureenMLove]

I will be wearing mine, as soon as I find someone selling them. I'm sure I will over the next few days.

But, every single 'live' programme that I see, from The News to Deal or No Deal, everyone is wearing a poppy. It's like the directors have insisted that they must wear one, regardless of whether they actually care or not.

Don't get me wrong, I care very much indeed and will alway wear mine with pride and thanks, for all those soliders and their families.

I feel almost like they are belittling the importance of the poppy.

Oh, I don't know!! Maybe I'm thinking about it too much, but it really gets on my wick!!

the red poppy was chosen because the year after WWI finished, the Flaners Field (where most of the bloodiest fighting happened) was covered in poppies.

it was a symbol to show that the blood of the soldiers who had died there became the red of the flowers.
so the field looked like it was commemorating the dead.

It's worth remembering that it's only because of the price paid by the people for whom we wear the red poppy that we're able to have a discussion about the white poppy.

Did you know that A) Royal british Legion gets the funds from the Poppy Appeal, but in Scotland, Poppy Scotland don't give the funds to RBL Scotland, although RBLS do promote and sell them and have close links with the charity
B) The RBL loses approx £15,000 a year by putting a leaf on their poppies, whereas the Scots poppy is more correct by not having a leaf, thus savin the above mentioned £15,000

I understood the white poppy to be a 'peace poppy' ie recognising that millions dying in war is a bad thing and often preventable.

My mum used to wear one but got verbal abuse for it.

Surely there should be debate as to why ex servicepeople and their families have to rely on a charity - isn't there a scandal here that the government aren't taking the full weight of this cost, having sent the people to war in the first place?

I fully support remembrance day and reflecting on the losses of war, but I'm not so sure about the charity part.

And it's become meaningless to wear a poppy on TV as it's clearly a rule to be followed, not a personal choice.

A few years old, but an interesting op ed piece here

I could do with one that is a bit more practical to wear.
I always get one and donate, every year, but rarely wear it as it either slips out of the pin or folds up or the head pops off....

the enamel badge sounds great tbh....