SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Even if they are then this is no more than a wee bit of conjecture to be honest
Wear your Poppy with pride...
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Even if they are then this is no more than a wee bit of conjecture to be honest
I always wear one. Been installed in me from a young age to remember the fallen. Not ever been bothered by the politics or the rights and wrongs, just something I feel happy to do once a year as a mark of respect
Piece
Tour Winner
I wear one. Just my small way of saying thank you to the fallen.
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
Whilst i get the OPs frustration, what i don't get is why we have 2 -3 weeks of poppy wearing. We have a Day of Remembrance for the purpose. For most people on the Sunday but for me it will as usual be at the ceremony we organise on the 11th. I shall wear a poppy on the day.
If you want to "remember" all year round - fine, then you should. You could even choose to wear a poppy year round. Else "remember" as a deliberate act on the day. I just don't get the "oh, i must now start wearing a poppy" fortnight.
If you want to "remember" all year round - fine, then you should. You could even choose to wear a poppy year round. Else "remember" as a deliberate act on the day. I just don't get the "oh, i must now start wearing a poppy" fortnight.
D
Deleted member 15344
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Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Good point well put.
was gobsmacked yesterday in Southampton. Went into the British legion shop to get some bits and bobs. they cannot sell to the public as they don't have a licence 😳 Have to buy online.
Crazyface
Tour Winner
MegaSteve
Tour Winner
A bit dismayed to read some of the ceramic poppies used [and sold for charity] at the Tower of London last year are now being sold on at a profit...
Ethan
Money List Winner
Warning: Unpopular post follows. Don't complain if you read it and don't like it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/james-mcclean-west-brom-winger-will-again-decide-against-wearing-the-remembrance-day-poppy-a6716116.html
I agree with James McClean. He is from Derry, NI, and in NI the poppy is highly politicised and strongly associated with the loyalist orange cause. The role of Irish volunteers who died in the Somme has been airbrushed from history by the same loyalists whi use The Somme as a rallying cry for loyalism. And the poppy is used to commemorate and celebrate more modern British Army regiments including those who perpetrated Bloody Sunday. No Catholic in Derry willingly wears one.
Naturally the rabid right has piled onto McClean. They have completely missed the point and in doing so simply displayed their own myopia and ignorance. They should be demanding that only people who genuinely want to should wear one and that people shouldn't wear one because of social or other pressure. They should demand that it must be voluntary if it means anything at all.
The irony is that many think they support the poppy as a commemoration of victory over authoritarian right wing forces yet want to be authoritarian and right wing themselves in forcing others to wear them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/james-mcclean-west-brom-winger-will-again-decide-against-wearing-the-remembrance-day-poppy-a6716116.html
I agree with James McClean. He is from Derry, NI, and in NI the poppy is highly politicised and strongly associated with the loyalist orange cause. The role of Irish volunteers who died in the Somme has been airbrushed from history by the same loyalists whi use The Somme as a rallying cry for loyalism. And the poppy is used to commemorate and celebrate more modern British Army regiments including those who perpetrated Bloody Sunday. No Catholic in Derry willingly wears one.
Naturally the rabid right has piled onto McClean. They have completely missed the point and in doing so simply displayed their own myopia and ignorance. They should be demanding that only people who genuinely want to should wear one and that people shouldn't wear one because of social or other pressure. They should demand that it must be voluntary if it means anything at all.
The irony is that many think they support the poppy as a commemoration of victory over authoritarian right wing forces yet want to be authoritarian and right wing themselves in forcing others to wear them.
D
Deleted member 16999
Guest
Nobody should be forced to wear it, just don't expect sympathy from everyone as I'm sure there were innocent victims of the Birmingham pub bombings that support WBA that help pay his wages and they live with that everyday.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
I generally don't wear a poppy (probably out of laziness more than a conscious decision) however we do have one of those ToL poppies on permanent show in a window of our new house, it looks superb I have to say. I think the mother in law bought it for us last year when they went on sale.
Ethan
Money List Winner
That silly comment illustrates just how much some people don't get it, and it is probably a waste of breath even trying to explain it to them.
When did the poppy start commemorating the victims of the Birmingham bombing?
Kellfire
Blackballed
The main issue I have with McClean isn't necessarily the things he says but the way in which he says it.
That said, he is clearly quite sectarian and I doubt anyone would really deny such a thing, which is his right but thankfully he's an ever decreasing breed and that is why his minority views shine through so brightly.
D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
Do we only wear a Poppy to remember our own dead?
Surely it should be to remember all those that died, on both sides of any conflict, to remember the futility of war and to try to learn from past mistakes!
Surely it should be to remember all those that died, on both sides of any conflict, to remember the futility of war and to try to learn from past mistakes!
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
No-one should be forced to wear a poppy, it should be choice therefore no one should be slated for not wearing it.
Is it disrespectful not wearing one? IMO no, I only wear one on Remembrance Sunday along with my corps tie, beret and medals, I don't believe for a minute im being disrespectful for not having one on from late October. By attending a service im probably showing more respect than anyone wearing one for a fortnight and not attending a service.
It's choice and everyone's choice should be respected whether your name is James McClean or David Cameron.
Is it disrespectful not wearing one? IMO no, I only wear one on Remembrance Sunday along with my corps tie, beret and medals, I don't believe for a minute im being disrespectful for not having one on from late October. By attending a service im probably showing more respect than anyone wearing one for a fortnight and not attending a service.
It's choice and everyone's choice should be respected whether your name is James McClean or David Cameron.
My understanding is that remembering the dead is only part of it, the RBL looks after those in the Army/RAF etc hurt/disabled/affected that would perhaps otherwise struggle to get by and not able to hold their previous staff position.
Being a charity, it is entirely up to the person whether he/she wears a poppy, likewise, the red, pink ribbon, puzzle ribbons etc for other charities.
I do give to the RBL Poppy appeal, I choose not to wear the poppy itself for no other reason that I dont wear any other wristband or ribbon for the other charities/awareness groups I may occasionally contribute to.
I guess part of it comes down to not being "English", we do not have that close an affinity for fighting for your country here in NI because of the past and the somewhat stigmatised "us and them'uns" mentality (nevermind the majority of us that are in the middle). Things are changing though, I can remember not that long ago a car with English plates would be stoned in the likes of West Belfast, these days there are nearly as many English plated taxis and cars as there are NI reg'd motors (seems a daft example, but I reiterate, things are slowly changing). Give it a few generations, fewer and fewer will be bothered with arguing.
Being a charity, it is entirely up to the person whether he/she wears a poppy, likewise, the red, pink ribbon, puzzle ribbons etc for other charities.
I do give to the RBL Poppy appeal, I choose not to wear the poppy itself for no other reason that I dont wear any other wristband or ribbon for the other charities/awareness groups I may occasionally contribute to.
I guess part of it comes down to not being "English", we do not have that close an affinity for fighting for your country here in NI because of the past and the somewhat stigmatised "us and them'uns" mentality (nevermind the majority of us that are in the middle). Things are changing though, I can remember not that long ago a car with English plates would be stoned in the likes of West Belfast, these days there are nearly as many English plated taxis and cars as there are NI reg'd motors (seems a daft example, but I reiterate, things are slowly changing). Give it a few generations, fewer and fewer will be bothered with arguing.
Keeno
Challenge Tour Pro
This kind of sensible post has no place on this forum
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
My mothers family are from Derry and my grandma still lives there and is Catholic as is my uncle and they willingly wear a poppy because they wear it to remember anyone who has fallen protecting the country and ignore any attempts to make it a political statement
No one should ever be forced to wear one and the poppies on a football shirt is something new and it should be down to each person's opinion and choice
But it does make me sad that people do use it for anything other than just showing that you remember people making sacrifices for the good of mankind
The poppy should IMO be used to remember and commemorate anyone you believe should be remembered by yourself
The same regiment that was involved in Sunday Bloody Sunday was also involved in WW2 and DDay etc - commemorate them for the good they did that day
Right now the Armed Forces still has a stigma attached to it in NI and people will find it hard to commemorate them because of the history over the last 40 years - hopefully one day things can change but will need a long time
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D
Deleted member 16999
Guest
Silly comment in your opinion, He has a chance being a "minor" public figure to try and help mend the past, he wasn't even born when Bloody Sunday happened.
If the Queen, who's Uncle was blown up, can shake hands with former terrorists, then I see no reason why for 90 minutes a year he can't play football in a shirt with a Poppy on. His attitude to me does more harm than good.
Not a chance, irrelevant of how much time will pass, I did 4 tours between 77-85 in NI during some terrible times and did 1 tour after I'd passed my Pathfinder cadre and was attached to the regiment you refer and the difference in how I was treated on a daily basis was 10 times worse than my other tours, so, attitudes will not change, as some scars, on both sides won't ever heal. It's a shame that it finds some association with the troubles but I'm not surprised also.
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