Poppies

[rhythmaning]

I am generally ambivalent about buying poppies for Rememberance Sunday. Whilst I know that it is rememberance of people who died to protect the country and others, and thus it expresses solidarity with those who suffered; but I can't help but believe that somehow it glorifies war. Usually I give some money and don't wear a poppy.

But this morning on 5Live, they were debating the current hoo-hah of "poppy fascism" - the need to be seen wearing a poppy.

Some caller came on the line saying that he didn't wear a poppy because he didn't believe in the wars. We shouldn't have fought in WW2, because it wasn't our war - we should have kept out of it. And when the presenter said "What about the holocaust?", this *rsehole said that was absolutely nothing to do with Britain at all.

So I am now the proud possessor of a poppy; and I gave them more money than I would otherwise have done. In rememberance of that c*nt's ignorance.

Comments

[unblinkered.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Glasgow, someone had a go at me for not wearing a poppy (can't remember the context, but he had a pretty good go). Somehow, he didn't think that being a pacifist German/Irish person was a good enough reason to not show my solidarity with British victims of war...

I'm all for bringing the horrors of war to the public conciousness, but I'd prefer it if it were a day of rememberance for those killed in all conflicts, on all sides because people like my grandfather's first wife who got blown to smithereens when the hospital train she was on was targeted deserve to be remembered just as much as the guy in the plane that did the blowing up.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

There is a long sequence in the book I have just finished reading about the bombing of Dresden. Enough to make anyone a pacifist.

I also feel that if we remember in our own way, that is sufficient; just so long as we don't forget.