Remembrance Day Poppies

[Marmora Man]

As promised in earlier threads I'll be selling poppies on LL this week. From 5.00pm this evening to catch homeward commuters, and again on Thursday, Friday and Sat am.

Please give generously to the tall bald bloke with a box of poppies.

Thanks

[LostThePlot]

Good on you. I'll pop by and say hello later...

[Ladygooner]

Can you bring them to the drinks on Friday night?

[SimonM]

>>I'll be selling poppies on LL this week>Can you bring them to the drinks on Friday night?<<

I don't think they are that kind of poppy....:)

[Marmora Man]

My pitch tonight was just outside Somerfields - catching commuters as they popped in for late night shopping.

Will bring the box along to EDF drinks on FRiday.

Will be in LL Saturday am - probably around the Palmerston corner I think.

[MadWorld74]

I collected for the Poppy Appeal last year outside St Pauls, on the cathederal steps. Well done Marmora Man for getting involved. Alot of the youth today have no idea what Rememberance Day is.

[luddite]

i stopped a man wearing a white poppy yesterday in peckham ,i hadnt seen them for years i was beginning to think id dreamt them .......he got them in hausmanns bookshop in kings cross ,they mark and remember the loss of human life in war but do not condone war they say peace in the middle he kindly gave me one :] but good on you poppy man

[spadetownboy]

i thought that was the idea of traditional red poppies, they remember the loss of human life and dont condone war.

[MadWorld74]

The poppy signifies the loss of life/blood/flesh in the fields of the Somme. That's how it started out, but now expresses the loss of life in all wars.

[mockney piers]

It does, but also because they flourished in the churned and untilled fields after the war, symbolising both the loss of blood and renewal/hope for the future. The white poppy emphasises peace for the future.

This poem had much to do with it too.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

John Mcrae

[*Bob*]

Does anybody find the white poppy thing annoying/offensive?

[Jessie]

The white poppy is for pacifists and people who don't want to donate to the British Legion http://www.whitepoppy.org.uk/

I don't find it annoying or offensive.

[Mrs P]

I have never heard of a white poppy before, and certainly never thought that wearing a red poppy means that you are seen to condone war... surely something that noone in their right mind would do. For me the point of the poppy is to remember those who made the ultimate sacrfice for us, as well as those we were injured etc, in wars and to provide support for them or their families. The point of the white poppy, as it says on the website above, is to

'symbolise the belief that there are better ways to resolve conflicts than killing strangers'

Therefore aren't they are serving two different purposes... and two purposes which are not mutually exclusive - you can believe that there are better ways of resolving conflicts than killing people, as well as wanting to show your gratitude and provide support to the people and their families who have made such sacrfices for our benefit... The red poppies raise money to help those people and, whilst i fupport what the white poppy stands for, I would worry if they were to take away from that as it seems invaluable...

[Marmora Man]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Does anybody find the white poppy thing

> annoying/offensive?

Not so much annoying as uninformed.

I believe the traditional red poppy fulfills both stated aims - remembrance and a desire to avoid future conflict. Certainly never, never to celebrate or applaud war.

I've not yet met a soldier / sailor or airman that looks back on their war as something to be recommended. They may have pride in what they achieved, sadness for friends lost and wounded, nightmares about waht they saw / did - but never something they would want their sons, daughters, friends or others involved in again.

Neverthless in the best traditions of liberty - I applaud anyone's right to say what they wish - even if I don't agree with it.

[*Bob*]

Absolutely.. I agree.

I don't find it annoying or offensive either. But with some wearers - self indulgent, perhaps.

[Keef]

What *bob* said.

[Ultraconsultancy]

I've long said to people that if you want to understand the emotional power of the Service of Remembrance, try to attend it in a military chapel. The Flowers of the Forest, The Last Post, and the Reveille, surrounded by old troopers and their colours, will stay in your heart forever.

[Brendan]

I know what you mean. When I was growing up we would go to the service at the MOTH chapel with the veterans who would sing the hymns and play the last post etc. It was very moving. It is probably one of the things that has made me grow up to be of the opinion that remembrance day should be a reminder to us that war should be avoided at all costs.

[lozzyloz]

Growing up in the 60's and 70's war was mostly glamorised on the TV, Cinema and in various war cartoon books so the true awfulness never really hit home. Then as an Air Cadet, Remembrance weekend and the various parades were a big thing but largely because as a 14 year old it meant access to beer at the NAAFI afterwards! Reading "Birdsong" had a much bigger impact on me and IMO really sums up what Remembrance is all about. Schools should introduce it in English or History perhaps.

[TillieTrotter]

That is just about at the top of my fav reads Lozzy. Such an emotive book.

[*Bob*]

I remember watching 'The World at War' at teatime on Sundays when we visited the G-parents.

That did the trick for me.

[AB]

Birdsong is my favourite book by a good distance. Glad other people agree.

[SimonM]

I so agree "Birdsong" is a wonderful, powerful novel. Read and enjoyed most of his other novels too but this his best by a street...

[luddite]

hello

hey im sorry if i appear uninformed or self indulgent i hope im neither ......i just didnt express my self very well? but thanks mockney piers for the mc crae poem

and i any one is interested 'the regeneration trilogy 'by Pat Barker is a truly astounding work . i wish id never mentioned white poppies !

at least it started some debate

ps im wearing white and red poppies on my coat .

and i am againt war and 'killing strangers as a way of resolving conflict'

[Marmora Man]

luddite Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> hello

> hey im sorry if i appear uninformed or self

> indulgent i hope im neither ......i just didnt

> express my self very well? but thanks mockney

> piers for the mc crae poem

> and i any one is interested 'the regeneration

> trilogy 'by Pat Barker is a truly astounding work

> . i wish id never mentioned white poppies !

> at least it started some debate

> ps im wearing white and red poppies on my coat .

> and i am againt war nd iling straners as a way o

> resolving conflict

Anything that keeps this debate in people's minds is a good thing. I attended a REmembrance Day Parade today - over 1000 people, many serving and retired personnel. What was very marked was the number of medals worn by people much younger than I am. It was a measure of the numer of wars and conflicts that our servicemen and women have been involved in over the last 15 years - and in contrast to similar parades in the 70's and 80's when only retired WWI, WWII & Korean War vererans had medals.