Do you wear a poppy?

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Hypes** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:07 am

SandyCoin wrote:I don't really associate it with modern combat. Just a tiny gesture of respect to the poor ordinary sods who fought in the world wars.

This

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **OrangeRKN** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:08 am

Lotus wrote:Some people seem outraged that others don't wear one

This is my main reason for not wearing one.

Also because most remembrance services seem to be staggeringly effective demonstrations of double-think where the military and state are idolised and venerated alongside acknowledging that they were responsible (and continue to be responsible) for the greatest people-created source of death and suffering in human history. Especially with the way World War One is portrayed in history, how people can take such nationalistic pride in an event caused by nation states completely baffles me.

I also wonder if supporting veteran charities only worsens the issues they exist to deal with, as really the government and military should be responsible for the well being of soldiers and veterans, but instead it can provide sub-standard support as it can rely on those charities being there.

Corazon de Leon · PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Corazon de Leon** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:26 am

A lot of people up here refuse to wear one for political reasons. I personally am not too bothered. Wouldn't go out of my way to get one.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **jiggles** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:56 am

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Squinty** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:03 am

Hyperion wrote:I do wonder when it will die out though. Few people alive now have real recollections of fighting in wars or of being in a war.

It probably won't. From what I understand, The Poppy Appeal helps with rehabilitation and reintegration of modern troops into society, as well as the few who now live from WW2. They have also been known to help widows of veterans. My ma used to do voluntary work for them a few years back. She still is involved in a limited capacity now.

I wear it every year, but I dont attend the festival of remembrance. I don't look down on those who don't wear one. I can totally understand people not wanting to wear one for various reasons.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **KomandaHeck** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:03 am

I can't be arsed.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Preezy** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 11:17 am

Karl wrote:I'll wear one if it looks like everyone else in the office is going to.

This.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Herdanos** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:21 pm

There are loads of issues with the whole poppy thing. For one, the charity movement 'the Poppy Appeal' has become inextricably linked with November 11th in the UK. There is no other charity that is linked to a nationally observed day - we don't have a cancer day when everyone is expected to wear daffodils, for example.

Charitable giving should be something that is respected and allowed to be as private, or otherwise, as an individual wishes. The coerced involvement of the masses in this particular charitable exercise is an unwelcome and counter-intuitive relic; if you donated online to the cause but failed to put a poppy on, others would view you with scorn, whereas someone making no contribution wearing last year's poppy is seen as someone with respect.

The narrative has now become; don't wear a poppy = actively disrespect the fallen. Which is ridiculous - it's true only for a tiny minority of cases, but the vats majority of non-poppy wearers have other reasons (or no reason!)

Unfortunately this narrative is both a) encouraged by media outlets who daren't not conform and b) hijacked by the anti-PC brigade who invented 'outraged' minorities so as to encourage hatred of said minorities by their so-called 'native' population.

There is no quick and easy solution, although IMO a move towards growing actual poppies and selling those instead of the paper kind would help; traditionalists and the elderly, who'd never dream of not wearing one out of genuine respect, can still buy one every year and wear it proudly; whereas moronic groups can't justify pressuring their target market into compulsory purchases due to the greater hassle of obtaining and displaying an actual flower as opposed to a piece of cardboard that could feasibly last for years.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **1cmanny1** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:27 pm

Nope.
I don't make enough money to give to charity, don't carry change, and have no idea where the money actually goes.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Green Gecko** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:28 pm

I wear one around the general time. I don't give two gooseberry fools about all the politicalisation of it, it's become ritualistic as a way to remember my grandparents and what they suffered, at home and on the ground (Africa and Burma here). It was still only one lifetime ago but I imagine it dying out in about 50 to 100 years.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Squinty** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 1:45 pm

Dan. wrote:Charitable giving should be something that is respected and allowed to be as private, or otherwise, as an individual wishes. The coerced involvement of the masses in this particular charitable exercise is an unwelcome and counter-intuitive relic; if you donated online to the cause but failed to put a poppy on, others would view you with scorn, whereas someone making no contribution wearing last year's poppy is seen as someone with respect.

I think that as well. I've always thought that making a grand public gesture with a donation is pretty egotistical. I do hate the shaming aspect of it.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Buffalo** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:20 pm

Dan do you not reckon that you're over-thinking it just a smidge? I mean, it's not that huge an issue really, surely? I personally have never heard of anyone being lambasted or scolded in public, or held in contempt or whatever, for not wearing one. I've not bothered wearing one for 31 years and nobody has ever looked down their nose at me.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Herdanos** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:48 pm

Buffalo wrote:Dan do you not reckon that you're over-thinking it just a smidge? I mean, it's not that huge an issue really, surely? I personally have never heard of anyone being lambasted or scolded in public, or held in contempt or whatever, for not wearing one. I've not bothered wearing one for 31 years and nobody has ever looked down their nose at me.

I went to a grammar school where we were forced to attend assemblies. On the assembly on the morning of remembrance day, boys not wearing a poppy were sent away and told to return with one. Not attending the assembly meant detention (served on Saturday mornings) so in effect, we had to wear a poppy on 11/11, or we would lose our Saturday mornings.

Almost every figure on TV between now and 12/11 will be wearing a poppy (or in the case of sportspeople, a poppy printed on one's kit) and any that don't will see the relevant broadcaster receive complaints.

I'm not over-thinking it because I personally have strong views on the subject - I'm just pointing out that the concept has become fraught with issues that don't sit right with me (and others).

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Buffalo** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:53 pm

Dan. wrote:
Buffalo wrote:Dan do you not reckon that you're over-thinking it just a smidge? I mean, it's not that huge an issue really, surely? I personally have never heard of anyone being lambasted or scolded in public, or held in contempt or whatever, for not wearing one. I've not bothered wearing one for 31 years and nobody has ever looked down their nose at me.

I went to a grammar school where we were forced to attend assemblies. On the assembly on the morning of remembrance day, boys not wearing a poppy were sent away and told to return with one. Not attending the assembly meant detention (served on Saturday mornings) so in effect, we had to wear a poppy on 11/11, or we would lose our Saturday mornings.

Wow. No wonder you're pretty pissed, that's awful.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Herdanos** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:04 pm

Buffalo wrote:
Dan. wrote:
Buffalo wrote:Dan do you not reckon that you're over-thinking it just a smidge? I mean, it's not that huge an issue really, surely? I personally have never heard of anyone being lambasted or scolded in public, or held in contempt or whatever, for not wearing one. I've not bothered wearing one for 31 years and nobody has ever looked down their nose at me.

I went to a grammar school where we were forced to attend assemblies. On the assembly on the morning of remembrance day, boys not wearing a poppy were sent away and told to return with one. Not attending the assembly meant detention (served on Saturday mornings) so in effect, we had to wear a poppy on 11/11, or we would lose our Saturday mornings.

Wow. No wonder you're pretty pissed, that's awful.

Yeah it was pretty shitty, but the implementation didn't work out too badly, as most of the pupils were rich, and their parents sent them off to school every morning with plenty of lunch money. For lunchbox-wielding council-estate yobbos like myself, options were generally either remember a quid on remembrance day, or get an IOU off of someone else :lol:

I think plenty of the teachers were well aware that the whole thing wasn't OK, too, as they'd be pretty lenient and on occasion would simply 'lend' pupils the poppy. But the overall setup was just wrong - in keeping with the school's preferred theme of 'extremely far up one's own arse' (the Latin translation for which I'm pretty sure served as the school's motto, although I'll have to double-check).

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Hypes** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:09 pm

Was your headmaster Richard Littlejohn?

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **jawafour** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:26 pm

Yes.

I have respect and sympathy for people that gave their lives or were injured in war; the World Wars and in more recent fighting. I think it's great that charities such as the Poppy Fund work hard to support such people and their families.

Personally I get frustrated when people say they can't be bothered. I guess it's just best to do whatever you think is the right thing to do.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **That** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:30 pm

I get that it's frustrating when someone ignores a cause you care about, but don't you feel charity is quite a personal thing? I would never ask someone why or why not they did or didn't support some charity. My only problem with poppies is that they make that private personal choice about which charitable efforts to support a matter of public record.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **jawafour** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 4:55 pm

The idea of wearing a poppy is not to draw attention to the wearer or to indicate "hey, look, I support charity" - it stands a small means of encouraging people to remember the people who have died or have been injured during war. I can understand people not agreeing with the idea of war, but that is not the point of the poppy - it's to show respect and empathy for people who have been affected by participating in war.

I don't think it's necessarily a "better" charity than any other. I wish more charities had such a bold symbol that stood out; again, not to "force" it upon people, but because it stands out as a way of getting people to think about people affected by various events or afflictions. Poppies, pink t-shirts , ribbons, badges - they're useful for provoking people into taking a little time out to think.

PostRe: Do you wear a poppy? by **Imrahil** » Fri Oct 30, 2015 5:13 pm

I wear one; it's a symbol of remembrance for those ordinary folk who did extraordinary things and laid down their lives on my country's behalf.

I also don't like people looking down on those who don't wear one.

Although, to choose not to wear one purely because there are some out there who look down on others for not doing so, is frankly bizarre. I mean, who cares? That wouldn't stop you doing anything else in life, why let it affect the wearing of a poppy?

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