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Why I No Longer Feel Comfortable Wearing a Poppy

1000 replies

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 13:21

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/madeleine-fry/poppy-day_b_4169581.html

very eloquently put. Exactly how I feel about the whole debacle.

November 11th should be for those who selflessly gave their lives in the World Wars, not those who chose to fight dubious campaigns abroad.

OP posts:
LtAllHallowsEve · 31/10/2013 21:03

Thanks Thursday, very much appreciated Smile

Yes Mignonette, I agree. I was especially pleased when RBL acknowledged CombatStress (the mental health charity) as they do amazing work. But it's bloody shameful that the Government let charities do what is essentially their responsibility.

RBL & SSAFA in my area were able to assist to move a soldier left without legs from his Council Housed 3rd floor flat without a bathroom he could use into an especially adapted suitable ground floor flat. But how shameful that they had to get involved in the first place Sad and Angry

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 21:03

I agree that the government should support their armies after service.

I dont not agree that I should.

I think that we could build 10 schools for every bomb we build and we dont, we still build bombs.

Building a school and teaching some kids Welsh in Iraq is akin to feeding the cat after trashing a family home and killing all the residents.

OP posts:
MrPricklepants · 31/10/2013 21:06

Every year... Without fail. I'm not going to bite this year.

I personally find your attitude offensive OP.

ThursdayLast · 31/10/2013 21:08

But what about when the alternative is the children die, no school is built and nobody learns anything?

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 21:08

Do you find the article offensive?

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mignonnette · 31/10/2013 21:09

Combat Stress do sterling work and of course research and gained knowledge of combat caused PTSD trickles down into all areas of MH.

I have nursed a fair few ex service people w/ MH problems in my time and one of my nurse lecturers/tutors was ex Falklands and an RMN. Bloody disgusting that charity has to fund treatment.

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 21:09

Please read above post RE economic structure and human rights.

We cannot pretend that war improves human rights because it doesnt. We cannot expect countries to take a different course to us. We developed our human rights record after years of building up our economy and other countries deserve that same respect.

Bombing people does not solve things.

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Frightchen · 31/10/2013 21:13

This argument just saddens me.

I will be buying my poppy this weekend and wearing it proudly. I won't be judging those who choose not to wear one, and I would hope that they extended me the same courtesy.

I know good men who have fought in the recent wars in the Middle East, who are still affected by their experiences. I wear my poppy for them just as much as for my grandparents and great grandparents.

As a PP said, the poppy is not political; it's about respect and remembrance.

Chubfuddler · 31/10/2013 21:16

WW1 was highly dubious, far more so than Iraq or Afghanistan. The point is the individuals had no choice. Soldiers don't get to choose. They are conscripts, or they joined up and they do as they are told.

Failing to see your point tbh

TwitTwooShoe · 31/10/2013 21:16

Thanks Lt - my family/I are grateful for everything the AF has done for us. I don't know anyone in the British army (despite living here now) but I will always be thankful! I think many people see the AF as just killing people. They do so, so much more.

LtAllHallowsEve · 31/10/2013 21:17

As you said on the other thread Gecko, I just don't agree. I think a school that is now bonded and conversing with another school in Wales is a lovely thing and something to be proud of. If you could see how happy the children are, maybe you would feel differently.

I also think the loss of 100,000 people is horrible, but the loss of 700,000 people is worse. We did what we had to do, and in doing so we 'saved' more people - it's the old 'greater good' arguement.

LtAllHallowsEve · 31/10/2013 21:19

TwitTwoo, you humble me. It is wonderful to hear you say that, truely wonderful. Thank you so much. I wish you nothing but happiness from now on in Thanks

Greydog · 31/10/2013 21:20

I shall be wearing my poppy, proudly, for my Dad, who spent his 21st birthday in Norway, and was on the beaches at D Day. I also wear a purple poppy.

cocoleBOO · 31/10/2013 21:35

LtEve you have every right to feel proud of yourself, that was an amazing post - thank you. My brother was one of the engineers out there building bridges.

AnyFuckerMuggedByTheSleepThief · 31/10/2013 21:53

OP, your reasoning is superficial, ill-informed and utterly without compassion. You decry the motives of recent conflicts....the political motives and then extrapolate in order to indict the individual servicemen and women involved.

The loss of any servicemen in pursuit of their duty is a tragedy, drop the politics and just see this. See sacrifice, regardless of your take on the political context, see families devastated, see colleagues knuckling down despite grief and fear. YOU have politicised this in order denigrate. Shame on you.

Having covered the political context, if you have questions over conduct on ops then again you reveal the depth of your ignorance - rules of engagement are tight and are triggered by attack, not servicemen going out to kill. The mission in recent ops is far more likely to be supporting local gvt, establishing security to engender economic recovery and allow locals to live in a more stable environment. Girls are at school again in many parts of Afghanistan because of this. Oh, and our right to be there? Invited by the afghan gvt if you could be arsed to do your research.

Oh and by the way Just because someone has this crap that you are pedalling published does not legitimise the logic.

Just remember them all, all have given their lives, many without any particular view on the politics, many of them so young. Don't sully them with your half arsed polemic.

flatpackhamster · 31/10/2013 21:56

Geckos48

I agree that the government should support their armies after service. I dont not agree that I should.

So you'd like to pick and choose what elements of the welfare state you fund? Be very careful with that line of argument.

I think that we could build 10 schools for every bomb we build and we dont, we still build bombs.

Nonsense. The current education budget is around £95Bn, and the defence budget around £40Bn.

I have watched your every post post be comprehensively demolished, and you're still coming up with new BS posts.

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 22:04

No I absolutely agree that if there is a 'defence' budget, there should be a support budget for those soldiers. Actually I think we could do with a lot less of the former and find a lot more for the latter.

i wasn't talking about schools in THIS country, I was talking about schools in the countries that we bomb.

I notice nobody has spoken about the economic realities I mentioned earlier? Of how much 'better' Britain would be if some 'helpful' nation had come over here and bombed all our buildings and history while we were uneconomically sound and therefore had an atrocious human rights record?

OP posts:
cjel · 31/10/2013 22:06

Gekos Do you waffle bs like this in RL?

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 22:10

Yeah probably :D

Its okay, in real life people are generally quite chilled about folk who dont agree with war, harming people or creating trouble.

Its only on the internets that it seems to be so awful.

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SatinSandals · 31/10/2013 22:20

In RL people are just free to wear a poppy or not, no one questions you about your opinion, and if they do you don't have to answer. I shall wear a red poppy, it isn't up for discussion. I don't care what others do and have no desire or interest in getting them to change their minds.

ThursdayLast · 31/10/2013 22:21

Wearing a poppy doesn't start a war, or hurt people.

That's what you started this thread about.

I'd disagree with you in RL too.

Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 22:21

I don't want people to change their minds either, the article rang very true for me and I'm glad I have started this thread as now i know about white poppies, which is brilliant :)

OP posts:
Geckos48 · 31/10/2013 22:22

Wearing red poppies supports war and hurting people. That is my opinion of it.

OP posts:
SatinSandals · 31/10/2013 22:25

And you entitled to your opinion. If you are not comfortable no one is going to make you wear one! I am perfectly comfortable and will wear a red poppy, despite knowing about the white poppy for some long time.

SatinSandals · 31/10/2013 22:26

And I am not supporting war and hurting people! I can't imagine that is why anyone wears one. Hmm

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