Lest we forget (the living)
- Thread starter British Red
- Start date
Not sure what you found trivial. To me the perceived offence was what looked like the pushing of you must wear a poppy. Social pressure to wear a poppy is a very poor second to sitting in silence and connecting with those who did that genuinely rare thing of giving 100%.
Sitting in that silence and connecting with those people your heart would naturally open up and feel compassion and reverence.
If that is missed.......in favour of teaching the ritual of wearing a symbol.... or teaching imposed compliance in a pretence of reverence......then we have already broken the chain of remembrance.
Sitting in that silence and connecting with those people your heart would naturally open up and feel compassion and reverence.
If that is missed.......in favour of teaching the ritual of wearing a symbol.... or teaching imposed compliance in a pretence of reverence......then we have already broken the chain of remembrance.
Well when you put it like that, my response would be that the wearing of the poppy encourages others/reminds others to buy it.
When you buy a poppy, the money goes to the Royal British Legion.
The Legion currently spends more than £1m a week helping over 130,000 armed forces' dependents, as well as veterans and those bereaved, and is hoping to extend that to 160,000 beneficiaries this year. In 2008, it spent a total of £101.2m; on care services £18.4m, community welfare services £41.6m, Remembrance and ceremonial £3.2m and funds generation £23.9m. The charity says that for every pound raised, 80p goes towards achieving objectives while 6.6p goes on support costs.
So by encouraging people to buy a poppy, wearing it openly to encourage others to buy one, we're helping real people in a real way as well as remembering the fallen.
The OP started this thread to honour those that have served and fallen for this country.
I've already put a friendly warning in and I wont do it again. One more mention of politics or jibes about politicians and I'll close it and everyone will be able to see who was responsible for it.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
I've already put a friendly warning in and I wont do it again. One more mention of politics or jibes about politicians and I'll close it and everyone will be able to see who was responsible for it.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
You're right about that. In the chaos of a busy schedule seeing them around is a good reminder.
I didn't mean don't wear one I meant it's probably best if wearing one is relection of what's going on inside.
Even practical actions are driven by the feelings inside and I think we have to be careful how we promote and what feelings we evoke.
Not long ago I saw an article entitled "It will soon be time to drop our oppressive remembrance rituals"
I found the title sickening but it shows something isn't getting through or is being eclipsed by social pressure.
My Dad was a collector who drove round the country houses, similar to that mentioned in the OP, until mobility stopped him and he had my brother was doing the driving in the last couple of years.
On a personal point of view pressure to wear, or not wear, is against the spirit of what those guys fought for. But it can be promoted easily without that I think.
One of the reasons that people don't wear a poppy though is that they have no idea that it isn't just a symbol, it is very real practical help for those that need it. Even those who might disagree with armed conflict wouldn't step back from helping those wounded, whether physically or mentally, from a conflict. If they understood just how effective poppy sales are at helping, more people would buy them.
Where we live we have a village fair around the same time as rememberance day, and many of the stalls donate to the RBL as well. One of the few days that you see a bit of community spirit in a usually disinterested group of residents.
My Dad, who was a D-Day veteran (ran up the beach on his 22nd birthday, but now sadly gone), explained to us 4 kids when we were young what the poppy represented and what practical purpose it had. Since then I have always bought and worn one each year. It also helps me remember him and my grandfather who fell in WW1.
To start with I buy and wear a poppy and have had and have relations in the army and navy.
I believe that Christians sing "Time like an ever rolling stream bears all its sons away." So it is of casualties and veterans of past conflicts and WW1 and WW2 participants are no different, inevitably their memory will fade just like those of previous wars. This is natural and right. I dislike schoolchildren having not only information but the "correct" attitude to the world wars pressured into them.
We are in danger of losing that reasonable critical view of our armed forces we have had since at least the English Civil Wars. Serving and past members of the armed forces have never been treated better but the lie is put about that they are not. My opinion is that we are and should remain a martial not a military nation.
I believe that Christians sing "Time like an ever rolling stream bears all its sons away." So it is of casualties and veterans of past conflicts and WW1 and WW2 participants are no different, inevitably their memory will fade just like those of previous wars. This is natural and right. I dislike schoolchildren having not only information but the "correct" attitude to the world wars pressured into them.
We are in danger of losing that reasonable critical view of our armed forces we have had since at least the English Civil Wars. Serving and past members of the armed forces have never been treated better but the lie is put about that they are not. My opinion is that we are and should remain a martial not a military nation.
Always buy my poppy, in fact I normally end up getting several as I tend to lose or damage them.
This year I decided to go to the legion site and buy 4 of their lapel pin poppies (1 for swmbo and 3 for me) so I have one for my work jacket and one each for my personal ones. It means I won't forget when I swap jackets and was about £15 well spent/donated.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This year I decided to go to the legion site and buy 4 of their lapel pin poppies (1 for swmbo and 3 for me) so I have one for my work jacket and one each for my personal ones. It means I won't forget when I swap jackets and was about £15 well spent/donated.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I feel shamed I didn't even know it was rememberence day. In my defence I have been away for a couple of weeks with no access to news. Flew back late last night and here on the fen unless you turn the TV on you have no idea what's happened in the world. Anyway no excuse so Thank you BCUK for reminding me. It's always a pleasure to wear a poppy. Feeling humbled keeps me grounded.
