wearing a poppy

DandelionPatrol

zagfles wrote: »

Really? You think that being told you 'should' wear 'any kind of a mark' is 'terrifying'? Seriously?

I wear a 'mark' every day at work. An ID pass. Every employee has to. Anyone not wearing one is told off and could be subject to disciplinary action. People wear 'marks' all the time, eg uniforms, ID's, and they are often compulsory in particular situations or in particular jobs. There is nothing 'terrifying' about it at all.

Personally I think the OP was treated badly. I would never have challenged anyone for not wearing a poppy in a similar situation. However any comparison between the way he was treated and the what 'our fallen have fought for' is quite frankly an insult to them and all the other innocent victims of war and oppression.

While there is nothing terrifying about having to wear an ID badge at work, going to a remembrance day event is a very different matter.

What is terrifying about the scenario described by OP is that the mob are taking over the poppy in the same way that the St George flag has been taken over. A sad day will be when people will not wear a poppy because they do not want to be associated with a bullying style of faux patriotism. The saddest day of all will be if everyone wears a poppy for fear of this mob. Then no-one will be wearing it out of respect

zagfles

DandelionPatrol wrote: »

While there is nothing terrifying about having to wear an ID badge at work, going to a remembrance day event is a very different matter.

Lots of events and occasions have dress codes. Some I don't like, but I've never been 'terrified' by any of them.

What is terrifying about the scenario described by OP is that the mob are taking over the poppy in the same way that the St George flag has been taken over.

Only because numpties let them. It's strange how the assumption is always that if you're an English nationalist or proud to be English, you must be racist, but not if you're a Scottish or Welsh nationalist.

A sad day will be when people will not wear a poppy because they do not want to be associated with a bullying style of faux patriotism. The saddest day of all will be if everyone wears a poppy for fear of this mob. Then no-one will be wearing it out of respect

The 'mob'? You realise people also get verbally abused and even beaten up for wearing a poppy? There's isn't just one 'mob'.

System

My shop and a few others around here that had poppies for sale past few years, didn't get a bid.

I don't know the ins and outs of why we and others never got them.

Lost count in the number of customers asking where to get one from.

So there are people where I live that aren't wearing a poppy as can't find one.

I bought mine in a supermarket about four miles from here

Exile_geordie

JReacher1 wrote: »

Yes I must be British first as I don't believe calling people Knuckle Draggers is acceptable vocabulary!

I forget how bad people on the internet can be

Actually it wasn't anything to do with the knuckledragger comment but more about the 'Patriot' and your vociferousness to the OP not wearing a poppy like it simply has to be done and anything else and your not a 'Patriot'.

Faith177

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

We should be allowed to. We are allowed to. In fact, you did. You weren't stopped.
Going to the cenotaph at that time with no poppy is notable.
I would expect it to be noticed. I would expect people to ask about it. [In the same way that I bet Faith177's uncle was asked about his Iron Maiden t-shirt at his brother's funeral.]
I would expect my opinions to be different to the vast majority of others who were there.
Therefore I would expect to hear other people's objections to my point of view.

If I didn't want to hear those objections then I wouldn't go.
If I didn't want to be somewhere where the vast majority of others disagreed with my opinions then I wouldn't go.


But, even so, I would not expect to be verbally assaulted and racially abused, as you were. What actually happened went well beyond how I first imagined the scenario. That was bang out of order of him.

Actually no-one said a word to my Uncle they wouldn't have dared as my Mum would have told them it wasn't anything to do with them same as your choice to wear or not to wear a Poppy is nothing to do with anyone else

At the end of the day the fact that the OP attended should be all that mattered. I bet loads of people who have purchased a poppy recently didn't even bother to turn up to a local service. I reckon a lot of people will buy a poppy because it is the "done thing" and not spare a thought of the true meaning behind it

dodger1

JReacher1 wrote: »

If you're not prepared to wear a poppy and you go to the cenotaph then you are going to be verbally told off as it shows a lack of respect.

No it doesn't, turning up to any remembrance assembly to give thanks shows respect.

JReacher1

dodger1 wrote: »

JReacher1 wrote: »

If you're not prepared to wear a poppy and you go to the cenotaph then you are going to be verbally told off as it shows a lack of respect.[/QUOTE]

No it doesn't, turning up to any remembrance assembly to give thanks shows respect.

What if you turn up and are completely naked. Is that respectful?

There are expected dress conventions that you should follow to be respectful. Whether a poppy falls within that dress convention is debatable. However to say that just turning up no matter what you are wearing shows respect is very naive.

Also fix your quotes as its annoying

dodger1

JReacher1 wrote: »

dodger1 wrote: »

What if you turn up and are completely naked. Is that respectful?

There are expected dress conventions that you should follow to be respectful. Whether a poppy falls within that dress convention is debatable. However to say that just turning up no matter what you are wearing shows respect is very naive.

Also fix your quotes as its annoying

I didn't say that at all, it was clear that I was saying not wearing a poppy was not disrespectful. At least you have now moved to wearing a poppy is a debatable dress convention.

JReacher1

dodger1 wrote: »

JReacher1 wrote: »

I didn't say that at all, it was clear that I was saying not wearing a poppy was not disrespectful. At least you have now moved to wearing a poppy is a debatable dress convention.

Well it obviously is debatable as people are disagreeing on this thread and debating over whether it is respectful or not.

That is basically the definition of debatable.....

paddyrg

Respect comes from the heart and NOWHERE ELSE. Everything else is symbols and gestures. Symbols mean nothing if they're expected/forced.

The soldiers and fallen we remember died protecting British values and interests, and this includes the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a totem, symbol, gesture.

As my grandfather put it 'My brother died for your freedom to disagree' - and that sums it up for me. I wear a poppy except when I don't, but I have the freedom to make that choice thanks to people fighting to defend that very freedom. I have nothing but the deepest respect for every son or daughter who believes enough in British values to stand up for them - values that include those very freedoms.