Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I'm sure most of you are aware it's that time of year again when folk are wearing poppies.
The 11 November marks Armistice Day, ending the First World War.
This day and Remembrance Day (the nearest Sunday to 11 November) is reserved as a day of respect and reflection for those who have served (and those who continue to serve) in the Armed Forces.
The traditional symbol of this day is the 'red' poppy, I think it's suppose to represent the carpet of poppies that grew amongst the churned earth of No man’s land.

You may ask yourself 'who wouldn’t support such a selfless cause?'.....

..Well i personally associate the poppy with war and bloodshed and think it's a shame that a charity has to support our troops when clearly it should be the MOD.Therefore I feel uncomfortable wearing one as it rubs against the grain of my ethics (just my personal choice no disrespect ).

I recently heard of a growing number of folk who now adopt an alternative symbol (a white poppy).
Allegedly, this white version of the traditional red one symbolises the belief that there are better ways to resolve conflicts than killing folk (I may get one but I doubt it).

Anyway, "do you wear one and if so why?"

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Yes....I do wear a poppy.......an enamel one.
I bought it a few years ago but I still contribute each November without taking a new poppy.
I consider my contribution to be the subscription for wearing my more permanent poppy.
Why do I wear one?
Well, it is for me, a way to respect those men and women who went and fought for the freedoms that we, as a nation enjoy.
I do not see it as being about war and bloodshed......but about respecting the memories of the fallen.

All those who wear a white poppy in the belief that it will single them out as being against war......that there is a better way to resolve international issues need to be a little more realistic.......and less subject to the politicisation of our history, had there been any alternative to the wars don't you think the concerted effort of world leaders would have found it.......wasn't there much made of the efforts to avoid conflict.....and still there was war.

We cannot change what happened in the two world conflicts......and no way does the wearing of a poppy signify that you are pro war......it just signifies that you remember and respect the fallen.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

'lest we forget'

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

More education is needed imo M,so those atrocities never happen again.
The best way (in my eyes) to respect those who have already died is to recognise why they died and what they died for and also to educate future generations about said reasons so they 'refuse' to participate any more. Though I fear this would not be as easy as I think :(

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Education?
What kind of education are you suggesting?
Doesn't a Remembrance Day focus the mind on what went before?
Do you really believe that Hitler and his ilk could have been stopped by pleadings.
And how do you refuse to fight for your country when you are conscripted?
Your answer really shows that you, yourself have a very simplistic view of things and a poor grasp of what actually went on.....so you really need to educate yourself about the history of the two conflicts before you come and tell us that there has to be a 'better way'.

I grew up seeing the aftermath of WW2.....with a father who, because of his involvement in that conflict, was too ill to support his family.
I was lucky. My father survived. Many children lost their fathers. How can I forget this...or the fact that he fought for freedoms which we take so much for granted.
So my poppy is for the memory and respect for those men who gave everything for their country.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I have always worn a poppy since being n adult, i have never needed any education to wear one, think thats a bit of a daft question.:rolleyes:

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Cashy that is because we are the generation who lived in the aftermath of one of the great conflicts and usually knew someone in our family who had also been involved in the one before as well.
Our education was living with the day to day consequences of those conflicts....there is nothing in the world like practical experience....it beats book learning into a cocked hat.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

In my eyes there is nothing at all honourable about war. Imo war is something that we (as human beings) should be ashamed of.Sadly, since the days of Blair, the unthinking masses have become conditioned and brainwashed to glorify war or so it seems.

Call my way of thinking what you will M, I'm of the firm belief that we are all part of 'one race' and killing others because they occupy another part of the planet is simply a display of savagery.
I'm also trying to understand why dropping a bomb on a family who are 'no threat' to us and blowing them to pieces is any different a terrorists who blows up innocent folk.
The former kills whilst dressed in a smart uniform after being brainwashed to see people as the enemy and not as human beings, the latter kills wearing normal clothes after being brainwashed to believe that those they are about to kill are the enemy and are different in some way.
The former takes his orders from his military commander. The latter takes his orders from his religious extremist commander. Both tend to obey unconditionally.
The end result is the same. We glorify and justify one and condemn the other.

People keep bleating on about Hitler to justify wars. Perhaps if they understood that the UK was arming the Nazis and the situation wasn't as black and white as the victors who wrote history make out, they may start to question things a bit more.
This link is worth reading to understand how Western companies profited by selling weapons to the Nazis during WWII:
https://libcom.org/library/allied-mu...ny-world-war-2

War is solely about profit. And then there were Finland's Jew people who fought on the side of the Nazis. And plenty of other facts folk won't have learned from any of their biased history books.
The Jews who fought for Hitler: 'We did not help the Germans. We had a common enemy' - Telegraph

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I doubt very much if many think war is honorable, I used to think yeh were just poking wi a stick, I have revised judgment now n think yer stupid.:rolleyes:

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Cheers C,at least your honest....perhaps I'm both stupid and a stirrer :D

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

For once I can totally agree with you, except, there is no perhaps about it, you confirm it with every post you put on.

The Poppy is to remember and honour the fallen and the survivors of the conflicts, not to honour the wars that they fought in.

What a shame that you attempt to belittle other peoples wish to remember those that sacrificed themselves to give us all a chance of a better future.

Notice that, to give us all a chance, that includes you, without their sacrifice you, I and just about everyone else would not be here now.

Can't wait for your next thread full of nonsense, you do put a little bit of effort in to making sure whatever the subject you will offend someone with your prattling.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

My grandad, William, was shot, patched up and sent back to the trenches twice in the first world war. He was one of the lucky ones, he survived. I wear a poppy in honour of his and all the people that bravely fought so that we could live in freedom. Remembrance Sunday is the day when we can show our respects for all those who fought and are still fighting (and dying) so that we can still enjoy that freedom. The money raised by selling poppies comes from a grateful public and shows our support and thanks.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Mate, your ethics are like fog it seems, sometimes thick & impenetrable other times wispy & of no substance!

I personally give something where & when I can to (military charities) RBL & help for heroes as a matter of principle. The main reason being respect, for those who've served, are serving & will serve, it's those people who're prepared to give their absolute all, including their lives so people like you & I can live ours in freedom & peace.

I also served & hopefully my small ontribution, although not major headline news hopefully made a difference & helped to keep the lives of others free & peaceful too.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Only 'perhaps'? You flatter yourself.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

And let's not forget either that the vast majority of poppies are made in the UK by disabled military veterans. If that's not a good cause to support I'm a chinaman.

Jobs for Ex Military | Armed Forces Recruitment | Poppy Factory UK

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Where was it that anyone has said that war is 'honourable'?
I certainly have neither said or implied any such thing.

You cannot be ashamed of something over which you had no control.
If you asked those conscripted men if they would want to go and fight....or if they would prefer to stay home with their families and loved ones then I think I know what their answer would be.......they did not think war was honourable, but they thought that their country was honourable.

They honoured their country by laying down their lives for it........and therein lies a subtle difference.....I think it is probably too subtle for you to grasp.
So you think I have been brainwashed and conditioned to glorify war?
What part of my post do you not understand? All of it, it seems to me.

As for being part of one race....why don't you see if those who are fighting for IS believe that. They are slaughtering their own kind, they commit genocide......and what would you do about it then........you would not wage war on them in spite of their barbarism in the treatment of the people they see as their enemies???....so no Geneva Convention rules for them then.

Whether or not the UK was arming the Nazis has no part in this discussion......it is irrelevant, because it is in the past and cannot be changed.
War is not only about profit(although it does play a large part) it is about men wanting power over other men...it is about removing the freedom of ordinary people to satisfy the ego of men.
It is men who start wars...men who are egocentric and desire power...kudos...want to go down in the history books...but for all the wrong reasons.
The sands of history are shifting...moved by the people who want to wipe out elements which were present, but were unpalatable....how is anything at all in a theatre of war palatable anyway.

Jason, it doesn't matter how you cut it...this is another thread which was started with the aim of being contentious......if people agree with you then that is fine and dandy, but when they don't agree then you have to accept that too.

I think the consensus here, is that we wear our poppy to signify the respect for the men and women in all conflicts who fell in the aim to keep us free....to remember them and the great sacrifice they made on our behalf.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1123131

Jason, it doesn't matter how you cut it...this is another thread which was started with the aim of being contentious......[/QUOTE] ----------------- That is exactly why ive changed me opinion to he is stupid. To be contentious about ordinary people that lost life/seriously injured/ etc, shows no respect at all to families who lost people, anyone that does that to me, just likes to hear there own voice n is rather pathetic as well imho.:rolleyes:

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I think that Cashy's signature block says it all with regard to the originator of this thread.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I'm sure we all appreciate the classic comics history lesson ... as if most of us have been meandering thro' life blissfully unaware of armistices, world wars, and poppies.

And thanx for letting us know how you interpret the symbolism of poppies. And if you are uncomfortable wearing one, try not sticking yourself with the pin.

Maybe one could consider that there is no contradiction, nothing illogical about supporting the troops past and present, and being opposed to war.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Same thing for my grandad too ... that's him ... my avatar ... Pvt. Albert Edward Ashton, Kings Own Regiment (Lancaster). He survived until '48.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I always wear my poppy out of respect of those who fought and died doing their duty for their country. My dad never liked the saying ' they gave their lives' he said they had their lives taken away. Two great uncles of mine were killed in the first world war and I always think of them at Remembrance time.I go to the service at the local cenotaph and I wear my dads medals with pride too not to glorify war but out of respect. There is far too little respect these days.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Accyexplorer. You ask why do people wear a red poppy – a stupid question as you know the answer, or if you don’t then you should! The poppy is worn to remember the fallen, not to glorify why they fell. It is worn to show respect and our gratitude to those who made the supreme sacrifice.

Like most right-minded people I abhor war, it is cruel, it makes no sense, and nothing seems to ever be learnt from it.

However, on November 11th, AccyX, whether you are wearing a red poppy or not, I hope you spare a thought for those who gave their lives so that today you, too, can smell the roses.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Lots of replies to AccyX in a similar vein dotti...

As my old dearly departed mate Wandering Walter Horan used to say "Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent"

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

It isn't a battle of wits though is it?
It is a contrived thread.....to what end?

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Once upon a day no one would dream of asking the question, and people wore the poppy.....then some belligerent PC oiiks started imbuing the poppy with politicised nonsense and folk who really could not put two thoughts together jumped on the band wagon......thinking they were making some kind of radical statement.

We owe the men(and women) who gave their lives, a debt of gratitude.
If you do not wish to wear a poppy, then don't,but for goodness sake save us from all the justificating claptrap.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Yet another copy/paste

Do you wear a poppy..? ? General Discussion Forum ? Smeggy's Forums ? smeggys.co.uk

Do you ever have an original thought?

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Maybe we could make an exception for Kevin ... nowt wrong wi' havin' a bit of a laff now and then.;)

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

The obvious answer would have to be 'NO'.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Well I've been out since early doors and am happy to report that unlike the thread starter, lots of ex service people and other folk have been proudly remembering those that fought and those that fell so that he can criticise their efforts by telling us we are glorifying war rather than the sacrifice.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I dont wear one. Not for any person reasons other than I don't like pinning/sticking stuff to me, never have done.

Re: Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

That is your choice, isn't it good to be allowed one?

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Putting money and not taking one is also a choice I make

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I have an enamel pin and this year I bought the 1914-2014 pin in the British store I eat at.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

A interesting read,I fully understand where "Harry" is coming from.

This year, I will wear a poppy for the last time | Harry Leslie Smith | Comment is free | The Guardian

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

To be honest i will never understand some peoples reluctance to wear a poppy, they are a significance of "ALL" the people that fell and never came home, the conflict to me is irrelevant. its simply respecting those who fell.:confused:

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I buy em in fact by the time its over i will have more than likely bought a few i just dont get round to sticking them on and when i do remember o stick on one they get lost throughout the day

sometimes i just put a quid in the collection pot or box

same way in which if i put something in a collection pot i say no thankyou to the sticker

its not a pride or shame of wearing one im simply clumbsy and forgetful

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

This year I have bought four poppies....I have worn them for a couple of days and then they have dropped off my Jacket.......not that I am complaining.
I will NEVER give up wearing the poppy to signify my respect for those who did not come home to their families......because my dad did come home.
He was a changed man, but he came home.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I wear a red Poppy, I have done for as long as I can remember. I wear one in remembrance of all who have given their lives and to those who have had their lives irrevocably changed by injuries, both physical and mental, that they have endured. A few were friends who weren't as lucky as I.
I wear a Poppy in respect to all those who gave their all and to demonstrate my respect for the families of all those who have suffered through all the wars - the major conflicts and the brush fire wars. Nobody glorifies war, it is hateful, but respect the ones who served.
A question has been asked on how the Poppy should be worn - there is only one way. Wear it with pride.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Remembering the fallen etc is all well and good...Wether you wear one or not is irrelevant in my eyes,I mean,why should there be just be the one special day for remembering them,Perhaps we should wear poppies all year round as a sign we'll never forget them?

I wonder how many of those who fought in WW1 & WW2 would do so if they knew that what they was fighting for wasn't freedom and helping to keep folk safe but for elite greed and power.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

politicians love a good poppy day they get to show their respect....

want to know what government really thinks of the men and women they send to fight take a look at how they treat them when they come home

a soldier can go from hero to thieving lazy cripple sponger in a heartbeat

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Jason, the best thing you could do is bow out of this thread as you still do not get it.

The men who fought in those conflicts you mention were not given a choice. They were conscripted men.

If you are unsure of the impiications of this, then I suggest you look it up and find out what happened to those men who did not present themselves to the appropriate service centre at the required time.

These men did NOT fight because war was honourable...but because their country was, and it required this of them.
They fought for the freedoms we have today......now, from what you have written it appears that you cannot see this.......and I fear that it doesn't matter how many times it is explained, or how it is explained, you will not get it.......that is really sad because if you don't get it how can we expect the youngsters growing up to respect the sacrifices made by young men for their freedom?

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Im lucky to be allowed to grow old, the people we are remembering never got the chance.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Yeh can't put sense where there is none margaret,:rolleyes:

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I have to agree,those who send folk to war on the back of lies don't give a flying about ex-service personnel once they are of no use....for that we have the British Legion to thank.

My point was that back in the day it wasn't as easy for folk to know the truth about war, there was no WWW,so folk relied heavily on the propaganda pumped by the MMS.Most folk who joined did so for what they thought were honourable reasons and I was just thinking how many of them would of took jail or whatever had they knew the truth about what they was fighting for...it may not seem that way but I'm on your side M......please don't take off your velvet glove :)

Your right,it's time for me to "bow out".....after a educational video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x8OmxI2AYV8

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Propaganda.....the news service was not what it is now and many items related to the conflicts were not published as they were thought to be detrimental to the war effort or security.
As for the World wide web, there is much on the web that is skewed, biased or just plain rubbish.

I think you are wrong about the men of that era preferring jail to going out to fight.
There was an innate sense of pride for the country and a sense that such injustices as were forced on the world by the dictators could not be allowed to pass.
The men who fought did so for the freedoms which we enjoy.

War is never glorious, and there are no real victors...only survivors.
I am old enough to have been able to hear some of the stories told by the men who came back from the second world war.......my grandfather could not bear to talk about his experience in WW1.
No amount of 'educational videos' are going to persuade me of anything different........my judgement goes on my experience of those who were there and came back.....my family members. They were conscripted, but they did what they did because at the time it was the right thing to do.......they could not even know how the world would eventually turn out.
That is not to say their sacrifices were in vain, or that they should not e accorded the honours they earned.
I am glad that you are going to bow out of the thread.......you have added very little of any real use to it(and I say that with respect).

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Sorry Margaret but I must point out that not all were conscripts, many were regulars who volunteered and since June 1960 (think that is the correct date), all who have been involved have been regular or reserve volunteer servicemen and women - no conscripts.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Another thing I'd like to mention (before I bow from the thread :D ) is that It seems, increasingly, that there is a pressure on folk to wear a poppy especially if their in politics or on tv....can folk not respect all those poor souls who have fallen etc without wearing of a poppy?
In my eyes any sort of pressure that's put on folk surely takes away from the gesture and it becomes near on meaningless.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I wear a poppy to respect our service men and women, my Grandad and father were servicemen. East Lancashire Regiment.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Barrie, thank you for your information.
I know that there has not been conscription since either the late fifties or early sixties(although I do remember some young men doing National Service).
The conscripted men were mainly in the first and second world wars.....though I know that Armistice day and the wearing of the poppy signifies respect for the fallen of all conflicts.
My father and my Uncle were both called up...though my uncle chose to stay in the services once the war was over...he was a Brylcreem Boy.

A lot of young men joined up before they were called up because they thought it was the right thing to do.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

That is quite wrong. If people are not happy to wear a poppy(for whatever their reasons) then that should be their choice.

I would prefer folk wore their poppy because they want to demonstrate their respect...rather than because they think it is expected of them.
I do not think any less of someone who does not wear a poppy....if it means nothing to them then it is hypocritical to wear one......but then the media and politics is a hotbed of hypocrisy anyway, so nothing new there.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

Do you really think that the people who went to war one hundred years ago were thinking about the business and political environment we find ourselves in today?

Interesting.

I always thought they were protecting their loved ones from the relentless march of a foreign power that was happening at that very time.

It seems to me that you're equally as guilty as our media and politicians of using the bravery and sacrifice of previous generations to try and manipulate people's emotions.

As far as I can tell (and I have no evidence to support this other than my own observations), people who give money to the Royal British Legion do so to provide support to surviving members of the armed forces, and support to the families of those that didn't return, and for no other reason.

If you think our time is blighted with "elite greed and power" - get off your arse and do something about it. It was not their intention at the time, but the by-product of their sacrifice was that you - yes you - have the freedom of choice to accept the "elite", do something about it, vote for it, sit at your laptop griping about it or simply ignore it and hope someone else makes it go away. Do not sully their memory by claiming that the politicians have let them down, because you put those politicians in power, not the people who died in the world wars.

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This deserves far more than just a like, glad that someone else thinks that the dipstick should stay in the sump.

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I am not wearing one.

Not through disrespect etc but because I have not been approached by nor seen a poppy seller. I have stayed away from the news this past week (I didnt know about the Paris killings until last night) and did not know it was remembrance day until the accy cannon was sounded the 2nd time.

I'll gladly donate if I know that my donation actually does something for the cause.

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

I have never ever been approached by a poppy seller.
Poppies have been on sale at various outlets.....Asda had members of the British Legion in their store on the run up to Armistice Day.
There were sellers in front of the town Hall, but they didn't approach people.
I always seek out the opportunity to donate to this appeal above others.....because the money goes to help ex servicemen, veterans of all conflicts.
To me, that is more important than Red Nose Day, children in Need and all the others put together.

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I thought you said you were bowing out of this thread.

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An interesting speech in the video, but what has that to do with wearing a poppy to remember the fallen?

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ah the drivel continues.... Glad I have taken hiatus from reading this forum... now back to it!

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Sod all,bless you for getting the thread back on track ;)

Re: Do you wear one and if so why?
 

so bowing out was not a serious intention then?

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Quite true ... and in the First World War, there were four distinct British Armies that fought on the Western Front, starting with the all-regular BEF. You can all figure out the others.

According to my mom, my grandad (he fought on the Somme and at Passchendaele and was wounded in both FUBARs) always took out the black button at the centre of his poppy ... the one inscribed "Haig Fund" ... and put it on with a safety pin. Evidently, he didn't like Haig for some reason ... go figure, eh.:rolleyes:

By the by, Mr. Google informs me that in the year 2000, Britain had one of the highest densities of veterans in a major country: 219 per 1000 of the population.