Buy a poppy

On the whole,  I tend to take people as I find them.  I try not to judge people on how they look or what they wear,  that is their own business and it's a free (ish) country.  At this time of year, though,  my baser instincts come to the fore.  The closer it gets to Remembrance Day,  the more I grimace with contempt at people who are not wearing poppies.

On Remembrance Day,  we give thanks to those who lost their lives in the wars but also to those who survived.  These people gave up their best years to defend our freedom.  At the time of life when most of us are having fun,  the soldiers in the two world wars were fighting in far away places.  For many,  life was never the same again.  They lost their youth and their innocence.  I know of a number of old soldiers who thought that they had buried the painful memories,  only for them to resurface and torment them at the end of their lives. 

A couple of quid for a poppy isn't much to ask.  The money raised goes to help former service people and their families.  It is the least we can do to say thanks for the sacrifice.  I usually end up buying two or three poppies each year because I forget to transfer them when I change jackets and I don't want to be seen walking down the road without one.  Everybody should buy a poppy,  even if you can't give much.  The symbolism of so may people wearing poppies gives the message to former soldiers that we do still give a damn.

So go on,  put your hand in your pocket and buy a poppy.  If you don't and you see a miserable git scowling at you on the tube,  it's probably me.

You can buy poppies on line here.

When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.

Comments

[G. Tingey]

My family was lucky.
My two uncle who lied about their age both cam back - though one was at Somme day3, and the other at Cambrai - the latter then emigrated to Australia, volunteered in '39, was captured on Sumatra (uh?) and survived the dreaded Burma railway ...
My father was drafed to be a civil servant in WWII - to make explosives, because he was an organic chemist ....

We will remember them - and all their mates who did NOT make it back.

[Ken]

Thank you for that. Although I have to say, I haven't seen any poppies for sale near me. But I always make sure of buying one.

Of all the terrible events in history, WW1 makes the least sense to me. There just doesn't seem to be a good explanation for it, why anyone thought it was a good idea.

[dearieme]

Ken, try David Fromkin "Europe's Last Summer" - several someones in Germany thought it was a very good idea.

[Ale Fan]

I usually give to the poppy appeal but feel uneasy about it and I never accept a poppy. I wear a white one. Of course I'm grateful for those that fought for our freedom in Europe but war should have ended in 1945. I think the one thing that really frustrates me is you never see the British Legion campaigning against war or the arms trade !

[Jeremy Reynolds]

That's not what the British Legion is for. It's there for the welfare of those who gave more than you or I could possibly imagine to protect the freedom we take for granted. The veterans who they support know far more about the horrors of war than any anti-war campaign group. They deserve every support we can give them. The last thing I want to see is the British Legion diverting its scarce resources to fruitless, worthy (which I mean in a derogatory sense) campaigning.

[Jeremy Reynolds]

By the way - no matter how well intentioned, a white poppy is an insult, a slap in the face, to veterans and their families.

[Joe90]

I guess veterans and their families will be the judge of that.

I am a red poppy person myself though.

[Stevo in Taichung]

White Poppy my arse, there have been other wars eg the Falklands since 1945 where the veterans who survived and those who didn't deserve to be remembered.

[Stuart]

My wife won't allow a poppy in the house; this is because of the shabby treatment her uncle got from the legion years ago. They never gave him a penny, yet he was in the 8th army and suffered horribly as a PoW later. Would never talk about it but relived the horrors every night, sometimes waking up screaming.
The RBL also took six months to put in a stairlift when my father was suffering with terminal lung cancer - and took it out again when he was hospitalised for the last time. He never actually got to use it and they took away a week before he died.
The red poppy is too often worn by hypocritical politicians as a veneer of respect while at the same time they treat veterans and their families like dirt.

[Steve]

Stuart, what was the Legion's excuse for this? I presume you took them to task over it.

[Ale Fan]

Clearly I'm out of step with the majority, who seem to think war is a jolly good thing, if only to maintain 'sales' levels on poppies !

[Jeremy Reynolds]

You've rather missed the point there. And your comment is trite and insulting.

[Snafu]

Totally agree Jeremy R.

[Stuart]

Steve, they took the stairlift away four days before his funeral. The family were all too upset and had more important things to deal with then. The wife and I had to return to the US, otherwise I'd have had somebody tarred and feathered for being firstly, six months in installing and second, callously removing the lift before Dad had been laid to rest. Notwithstanding the issue that his widow, being chronically disabled herself, could have made good use of it. Although not actually ex-forces herself, she was born and brought up in married quarters - until bombed out of one in Plymouth and turfed out of one in Bristol to make room for Dunkirk survivors.

[Steve]

Stuart, my image of the RBL comes from my grandfather who was wounded at Ypres (but eventually recovered) and was a supporter of the organisation. Your experiences seem to present a mean spirited and/or bureaucratic and incompetent organisation.

[Steve]

Stevo, I agree it's important that we remember those who have been killed and injured in wars since 1945. Regardless of whether they agree with these wars, soldiers go and fight where the government tells them to. Even if people think a war is wrong, they should still show their appreciation for the people who are killed and injured in the line of duty.

Ale Fan - I didn't see anyone on this thread suggest that war is a jolly good ting!

[Stuart]

I would advise anyone not wanting to do the poppy thing can make a donation to St. Dunstan's or BLESMA, two charities which receive very little in the way of publicity, but are as deserving a cause as you could think of:
http://www.st-dunstans.org.uk/
http://www.blesma.org/

[Steve K]

Well said PP. Perhaps when Utopia arrives we can stop wearing them (then again, perhaps not). In the meantime, regular reminders are necessary.

[Graham]

One thing that makes wearing one increasingly difficult is the fact that disgusting creatures like Blair are wearing them, having launched a war only 30 months ago. Having sent hundreds of Britons to their deaths and consigned hundreds of thousands of Iraqis to theirs. I can't be associated with that so I can't wear one. By all means give to the appeal and remember our grandfathers with pride, but you don't have to wear a poppy to do that - I will not associate myself with Blair and his war.

[Hammy]

I shall wear a white poppy.

I don't agree with this remark made earlier:
"By the way - no matter how well intentioned, a white poppy is an insult, a slap in the face, to veterans and their families"

White poppies are about remembrance of all war dead, including civilians and not just British soldiers. Some people misunderstand the significance of white poppies, but many in the Legion do understand, but just don't like the idea of anyone donating for any poppy that is not 'their' red poppy.

The Legion do not own Remembrance Sunday.

[23d]

where I can buy a poppy?

[gary]

i am undecided as to which poppy to were as i don't want to offend,
i would prefer the white one as i feel this sybolises peace and that is what most want i believe world peace! but, i like the idea of remembering those who lost their lives and thier families by wearing a red poppy, i would like to see a poppy that makes sense of both my thoughts and hope there are many people out there that think the same!

[Bernie Mc]

I too am someone who rightfully wants to remember and respect those who have made terrible sacrifices in war.However I have become increasingly uncomfortable with wearing the red Poppy.Yes I have donated to the RBL and always will.But I dont see what there is to be proud off.War is shameful particularly the current conflicts that our troops find themselves in.
If our Government continues to sacrifice our troops needlessly then i will be waering my white poppy with pride next year.