Charity

[Paj!]

Why does me having a white poppy mean that I have any less respect for people who've died in the war/s?

 

And the ones I got a while ago went to one of those charities (can't remember the name..Erskine? I think) that help with trauma or something.

 

In any case, last year I did buy a red poppy, but I wore a white one.

 

How can you generalise so much because I chose to wear a white one? I'm not stupid, I know we need the military. It's not like the white one means you're some sort of...death denier or something. (in the vein of holocaust deniers) If it were, I could understand. But..it's not?

 

Also, I don't care about being called a "coward" or whatever. I'm very selfish when it comes to my own life. I would never in a million years willingly joi nthe armed forces. I care too much about self-preservation. Because I have an immense fear of my own death.

 

That doesn't mean I somehow don't care or don't appreciate what the people in the military do, it just means that I can't accept death. And all I see, really, when I think about the military (in war times) is wave upon wave of death.

 

ANYWAY

 

It's a pretend poppy. It doesn't represent an entire person's views.

[danny]

Why does me having a white poppy mean that I have any less respect for people who've died in the war/s?

 

And the ones I got a while ago went to one of those charities (can't remember the name..Erskine? I think) that help with trauma or something.

 

In any case, last year I did buy a red poppy, but I wore a white one.

 

How can you generalise so much because I chose to wear a white one? I'm not stupid, I know we need the military. It's not like the white one means you're some sort of...death denier or something. (in the vein of holocaust deniers) If it were, I could understand. But..it's not?

 

Also, I don't care about being called a "coward" or whatever. I'm very selfish when it comes to my own life. I would never in a million years willingly joi nthe armed forces. I care too much about self-preservation. Because I have an immense fear of my own death.

 

That doesn't mean I somehow don't care or don't appreciate what the people in the military do, it just means that I can't accept death. And all I see, really, when I think about the military (in war times) is wave upon wave of death.

 

ANYWAY

 

It's a pretend poppy. It doesn't represent an entire person's views.

 

The white poppy goes against everything the poppy stands for. The poppy has no political links. It does not glamorise war. It is just a way for everyone to respect and remember people who have laid down there lives, as a group.

The white poppy turns this in to a political statement to aid a groups views. Its just wrong.

[Paj!]

If the red poppy glamorised war, would the people behind the white poppy, keep it as a poppy in their design? I never thought that it did glamorise war.

 

People pay their respects in different ways. If it would make you feel better, I'll wear a white lily, or a white bunch of roses on my head. I hate this attitude that I must hate the people in it's armed forces if I choose not to wear a red poppy (which is innaccurate, I always end up buying a red poppy anyway, as they're distributed at school. I should have said in my first post that I just wear a white one, or would prefer to).

 

Fair enough it becomes a statement. But...it's just advocating peace. It's like it's saying "I'M WITH THE ENEMY!" or something. I'm not holding marches of white poppy wearers on remembrance day or anything.

[danny]

If the red poppy glamorised war, would the people behind the white poppy, keep it as a poppy in their design? I never thought that it did glamorise war.

 

People pay their respects in different ways. If it would make you feel better, I'll wear a white lily, or a white bunch of roses on my head. I hate this attitude that I must hate the people in it's armed forces if I choose not to wear a red poppy (which is innaccurate, I always end up buying a red poppy anyway, as they're distributed at school. I should have said in my first post that I just wear a white one, or would prefer to).

 

Fair enough it becomes a statement. But...it's just advocating peace. It's like it's saying "I'M WITH THE ENEMY!" or something. I'm not holding marches of white poppy wearers on remembrance day or anything.

 

Im not against you advocating peace. And im not saying that you cant have a day for this. But in my opinion it shoudnt be around the around rememberance day. Have a peace day and a white poppy but have it in febuary or something thats my opinion. No one is against peace i for one would love peace i woudnt have to spend months away from my family and loved ones any more getting mortared. But rememberance day is about remembering the bullshit surrounding war isnt a part of it.

[Wesley]

This is another reason why I've always been careful around charity. People seem to sum you up within 2 seconds: you're life, upbringing, attitude and behaviour. Com'on, how many times have you seen someone working on the street for a charity about thought, "Twaaaaat!".

[Ashley]

Ummm never.

[Paj!]

But rememberance day is about remembering the bullshit surrounding war isnt a part of it.

 

I know.

 

Again, if I'm not some peace extremist, what's wrong with it. I clearly understand and respect those fallen on remembrance day (especially considering my heightened feelings towards (mass) death in general), so what does it matter if I were a white poppy, a red poppy, a blue poppy or I just remember the dead completely naked?

[Wesley]

Ummm never.

 

.....oh.

 

Well, maybe not "Twat". But... something like... I er... *runs off*

 

EDIT: Actually, they apparently get paid like 8 quid an hour. Bastards.

[danny]

I know.

 

Again, if I'm not some peace extremist, what's wrong with it. I clearly understand and respect those fallen on remembrance day (especially considering my heightened feelings towards (mass) death in general), so what does it matter if I were a white poppy, a red poppy, a blue poppy or I just remember the dead completely naked?

 

Becuase the white poppy is to make a point. A point which has no place on rememberance sunday. Its a day which means a lot to serving members and vetrans and there familys. I dont expect you to truely understand what it actually means as i probably diddnt a few years ago.

But nothing should detract from remembering on that day. Any other day of the year do what you want. Its just bad taste on rememberance sunday.

[Paj!]

I still don't see how the colour of a poppy, or whether you wear a poppy or not, has any bearing on how respectful you are being on remembrance day.

 

I get that the white poppy is linked to making big points and rallies or whatever, but I don't do that.

 

I've been to flanders fields, and various war graveyards in Europe...pretty sure that's where I lost any faith in religion. I understand that it's different for those in the forces or that have lost people in the forces, the red poppy is associated with remembering the dead, and therefore their friends/loved ones.

 

But what is the difference in message (removing the charity behind each for the sake of argument) between the red one and a white one? One is to show that you pay respects. The other is to show that you pay respects, but also that you wish there was peace.

 

???

 

What's the big deal in that? As I say, it harms no one. It's not advocating a vitriolic or horrible message, like the Phelps family who picket war funerals or something wicked like that. But people treat it like it is.

[danny]

Because the whole point is that there is no other message but rememberance. The reason why they died is irrelevnt on remeberance sunday. The point is they did.

It dosent matter if you dont believe everything behind the white poppy you still wear it and it means something.

Thats like me wearing something racist and saying its not compleatly what i believe. Just to an extent so that makes it ok. No it does not.

If the colour dosent matter just wear a red one.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

It's the whole debate of symbolism. Like, should I be able to wear a swastika if I wanted to? I do not in any way believe in nazism or what it stands for, and the symbol was originally a symbol of fortune (even if it was mirrored). But people will still see it and think nazism.

 

So what matters most? The symbolism that I read into it? Or the symbolism that other people read into it?

[danny]

It's the whole debate of symbolism. Like, should I be able to wear a swastika if I wanted to? I do not in any way believe in nazism or what it stands for, and the symbol was originally a symbol of fortune (even if it was mirrored). But people will still see it and think nazism.

 

So what matters most? The symbolism that I read into it? Or the symbolism that other people read into it?

 

I think for one day people should just respect other peoples feelings.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

I think for one day people should just respect other peoples feelings.

I agree. Though we may have the right to do something, it doesn't mean we should necessarily do it if it hurts other people's feelings. Still, if one should really desire to do so, and if one has the right to do so, I see no problem.

[Jimbob]

I give to two charities. These are: Cancer Research UK and Action Aid (a charity to help with solving poverty in Africa.

 

I give to CRUK because my grandmother died of lung cancer. I give to Action Aid because i feel to myself it is right to do so.