White Poppies?

[smokey]

Again taken from their own website for selling them

"'War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determined not to support any kind of war. I am also determined to work for the removal of all causes of war".

To alot of people chosing to make this statement on that perticular day is saying "I dont care, you done it to yourself"
Yes the reasoning behind it is a great one but they have gone about it the wrong way and only risk turning people against their cause rather then support it

 

[smokey]

The red poppy symbolises remembrance of all those who laid down their lives to defend this country and our way of life. The white poppy symbolises remembrance of EVERYONE that died as a result of conflict and calls for an end to armed conflict. How does that make it inappropriate to wear on remembrance sunday?

I am proud to call myself a pacifist, and I work towards preventing violence. If that means challenging certain attitudes and conventions, then so be it.

But it doesnt, by their own reconing and statements it stands for not going to war in the first place and how things should be done without going to war.

 

[smokey]

Dont get me wrong I probably would wear a white poppy as I do believe in alot of its causes but just not on that day.

11th Novemember is about remembering the people that have sacraficed their lives to aim for a better future for us and about respecting the memories of those people and supporting the surviving returning forces.

Let another day be about not wanting war and campaigning about the wrongs of war

 

[marley2580]

Also taken from their website

The white poppy was and is a symbol of grief for all people of all nationalities, armed forces and civilians alike, who are victims of war

 

[smokey]

Also taken from their website

The white poppy was and is a symbol of grief for all people of all nationalities, armed forces and civilians alike, who are victims of war

But that isnt the same as respecting and remembering people that died or fought for somthing they belived in or to protect others.

 

[marley2580]

But the point is that the white poppy is an alternative to the red one. It still shows that you remember people that died in the wars (rather than just not caring, which is what many think when you don't wear a poppy) but that you don't agree with wearing the red poppy. I think there's enough 'poppy fascism' out there atm without adding to it by saying that you shouldn't wear the alternative.

 

[smokey]

But I dont think it should have to be a case of an alternative, why cant the cause have its own symbol and date and also if the meaning of a white popy is to remember all that died during wars then why does none of the mony raised by sales of the poppys go towards victems or their families or rebuilding lives after the wars.

I just dont think there should be a cause that plays on the symbol and date of another to raise funds for there own and then not do anything about what it claimes to be creating awarness of.

If it was genuinly concerned about the effects of war then it would have its own symbol, its own date and would be able to creat more awarness and more followers and raise more money and be more known about rather then hiding behind another well known symbol and just creating negativity towards it in the long run.

 

[Jody R]

Rememberence Sunday is primarily about those who died in wars for various reasons as a way to honour the dead who sacrified their lives and the injured who sacrified their health and may still be suffering and struggling and politics has no place in that. When I wear mine I am not just showing my respect to the servicemen that died but to the civilians who died, the people in the Holocaust and even the armed forces of the other countries involved, as well as to the current servicemen and women who are fighting and dying now and the innocent people they are trying to help and protect. In no way am I supporting the politicians or terrorists who took these people to war.

Politicians too often hijack the sentiment behind Rememberence (David Cameron and his photo op's last year come to mind).

The white poppy may symbolise good things but the organisation seems to be using them in a political way and that to me the disrespectful thing on Rememberence Sunday, they are hijacking the day where red poppies are traditionally worn to highlight their cause and no matter how just that cause is they have no right to take the limelight from the people who deserve it on that particular day.

I would have more respect for them if they chose a different date, perhaps one where people died as a result of terrorism. September 11th or July 7th spring to mind instantly as those are surely dates where many people would wish to show their support for peace and are dates being used by the politians to justify a war that so many people are opposed to.

The white poppies on Rememberence Sunday seem a bit too much like point scoring to me, as though the organisation promoting them doesn't have enough faith in their message or in the impact of the white poppy without climbing on the back of the red ones to cause headlines and that to me is at odds with their message of peace and disrespectful.

 

[Jody R]

But the point is that the white poppy is an alternative to the red one. It still shows that you remember people that died in the wars (rather than just not caring, which is what many think when you don't wear a poppy) but that you don't agree with wearing the red poppy. I think there's enough 'poppy fascism' out there atm without adding to it by saying that you shouldn't wear the alternative.

Just in response to this bit, the replies I have given are based on my feelings towards Rememberence Sunday and poppies of either colour.

As far as 'poppy fascism' goes, I wear a poppy because I want to and I respect the ideals I feel are represented by it but if someone else choses not to then that's up to them.

I know/knew a large amount of WW2 veterans, adored my Grandad who fought in WW2 and with my DH and various family members currently serving in the armed forces I feel that wearing a bit of red paper for one day of the year is the least I can do (although I actually wear it a lot longer than just the day). I've heard their stories and seen their scars. The red poppy is important to me, I don't expect everyone else to feel the same.

I'm also not saying that people who want to wear the white one shouldn't wear it, I just think they should have the faith in it to wear it on their own day, and that there are sadly plenty of other dates when a symbol for peace could be worn without detracting from the red one and it's message and purpose.

 

[redpoppy]

People losing their lives or limbs in wars is something that should invoke compassion. Not to say others affected by war cannot be helped too but to do it on the same day seems wrong to me. It's diluting the help people could receive. It also dilutes the message. Next there'll be blue, green, pink and yellow poppies all with their own message vying for part of the action. It just doesn't seem right. I suppose when I think about WW2 though which is what I always related the red poppy with (even though it goes further than that) to me it's one of those wars that it was ESSENTIAL to fight. It was for a good cause not just because people were defending their land (forgetting the politics) but also because it was against fascism. It's a war we could have very well lost and I can't even imagine what the world would look like if that were the case.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Red Poppy all the way here.

 

[marley2580]

The white poppy has been around, and worn, since the 1920s. It's not a recent thing that one organisation has come up with in order to score points. Why should it be changed after a history almost as long as the red poppy?

 

[SKATERBUN]

They are discussing this now on BBC1

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Just wondering why people wont wear red poppys?

 

[marley2580]

I won't because, as a pacifist, I feel the red poppy condones war in a round about way. It doesn't call for an end to war. Just how I feel.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Oh but I feel for me its for the past wars. I do respect the current wars but I wear my red poppy for my grandad and all who passed and faught in WW1 and 2. Thats just how I feel about it x

 

[redpoppy]

I won't because, as a pacifist, I feel the red poppy condones war in a round about way. It doesn't call for an end to war. Just how I feel.

But ending wars is surely everyone's aim. Pacifism doesn't end wars though. I don't say that as a jibe but as horrible sad fact.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Red poppys also pay into the help the aged thing, does the white poppy?

 

[smokey]

Red poppys also pay into the help the aged thing, does the white poppy?

I think this is one of my main beefs with it, it plays on the symbol of a very well known event and charity to make its money but then doesnt do anything constructive with it.

If it whent about it a different way it could do alot more help for its cause

 

[smokey]

I won't because, as a pacifist, I feel the red poppy condones war in a round about way. It doesn't call for an end to war. Just how I feel.

Respecting and remembering people that tried to make a differance and sacrificed everything thay had families, homelife, sanity, their life, health, jobs, livelyhood is not condoning war.

I do not condon war but I respect those that do not sit back and do nothing.

Im sorry if this offends at all it not ment to its just another way of thinking about it but would you sit back and watch someone attack your child or threaten your family and friends and do nothing about it because you where a pacafist?