Poppy Wankers

I had nothing against people wearing a poppy... until about a decade ago when it did become a political symbol.
* their poppy.

 

They are having fkkn ‘poppy run’ events in cities all over the country now…

… and you can pay £12 to visit the * factory where they make them.

What happened to just giving a donation and wearing a poppy around early November? (If you chose to)

It’s turned into a full scale brand marketing event.

Stick it up their self-righteous holes.

 

It’s those massive ones that people put on cars that I just find most weird. Why does everyone need to advertise what they do like I mean you wouldn’t walk around telling everyone you donated food to a homeless shelter now would you?

 

I've met people who have boasted about every cause they donate to.

 

Poppy * lol

 

You can destroy the economy, make people lose their homes, lie, steal, take a chinook instead of a 30 minute drive.

But as long as you * a poppy these * will still vote for you.

 

Remember a poppy isn't just for Christmas.

 

The sentiments of the following article, I completely concur with, and sums up perfectly why I don't wear a poppy. I don't believe we truly remember our dead, because if we truly did, we wouldn't still be fighting wars and putting people and their families through the same * and sending them to their deaths. A poppy is just a tool used to promote nationalistic jingoism.
Unfortunately I can't credit who wrote this as I don't know, but they put this very eloquently and poignantly:

The Poppy

"It is that time of the year again when it seems like everyone is wearing a poppy; on the tube, on the bus, in the park. You cannot get away from them. Yet, like every year, I refuse to wear one. It is not because I am opposed to remembering those who died in WWI. In fact, it's the opposite. I consider these brave men and women worthier of a larger more fitting tribute.

It feels as though everyone that appears on TV has to wear a poppy. Asians, Muslims and black people wear extra big ones just to show their additional loyalty to, what has become, a nationalistic and a patriotic symbol.

Rather than wearing a poppy, if we really want to remember the dead, then why don't we stop engaging in new wars? Why don't we stop occupying other countries? Why don't we stop bombing and killing children? It seems, however, the politicians are committed to repeating the mistakes of the past and sending other people's children to fight their wars over resources, power and status.

I recently received a letter from the Royal British Legion, with images of soldiers that have suffered injuries. The images were accompanied with captions reading; "They are just boys. But they are our boys". They are not my boys or 'our' boys. This may sound harsh to some, but they knew what they were signing up for, they went to fight in an occupation of a foreign land. If they get injured in the process it is the government's responsibility to take care of them, not for them to rely on the charity of the public who are already paying for a war that has been going on longer than the second and first World Wars combined. I feel for the families who have lost their loved ones in politicians' wars. A life is a life, British, Afghan or Iraqi; I wish our media saw it that way - but instead we get disproportionate coverage of some victims which means that we end up only caring about 'our' dead.

The poppy is used as a tool to promote current wars. It is not used to say 'NEVER AGAIN' as it should be.
Politicians use it to beat down opposition to war whilst questioning people's loyalties and patriotism. The symbol of the poppy was never intended for peace or to stop war, it was a cry for others to take up arms and take revenge in a poem by John McCrae. The gentleman whose idea it was to start the poppy, General Earl Haig, was responsible for gross incompetence on the battlefield in which thousands perished.

Yet, we are blinded by this cry of 'our boys' and the fallacy that British troops are in Afghanistan defending Britain. On the back of the envelope there is a 'send a message of support to an injured hero' plastered next to a British flag. Hero? Really? Since when did we start calling paid soldiers, with Kevlar protection, air support, heavy machine guns, armoured vehicles and tanks heroes? In this narrative the farmer who is defending his country from the occupier is the bad guy. Who are the real heroes ???

We have whole-heartedly bought into this premise that soldiers are sacred and their role should never be questioned. I for one cannot accept it and must see the world in a much wider context. Rich versus poor, ruling elites versus the proletariat, the politicians versus the people, big business versus the indigenous people, the well-armed Western soldiers versus the rag tag resistance of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Any opinion on this will automatically with some cause outcry. How can you say this? The army is protecting us. I'm sorry I can't buy into any reasoning that any army placed in Afghanistan is protecting me or my freedom.

Who will remember the children killed? Who will remember the victims of occupation? Who will remember the contribution of Muslim soldiers to the World Wars? Will they be remembered in the minute silences? Will their images be brandished on the news; will anyone even think of Ali Shan who fought in Burma for the British and now lives in Birmingham? Ali Shan does not wear a poppy and neither do his children or grandchildren. Then there is the case of my great uncle, who will remember him? We will, we do not need to wear a poppy to remember him.

I do not hold these opinions because I am a Muslim, although it helps. I can see the suffering of fellow Muslims at the hands of soldiers acting on orders of my government. What are my thoughts on the extreme minority of Muslims in the UK that burned poppies? They were idiots. Burning something that others hold sacred and dear is never right.

My act of not wearing a poppy when everyone else is, is in remembrance of all those men that were sent to their deaths, forced to go over the trenches to face machine guns. I remember all those that were sacrificed for the sake of power using disastrous tactics. I remember men like my great uncle, who were seen as cannon fodder because they were not white. I remember all those families that lost their loved ones and prayed for no more wars. Most of all, I don't wear a poppy, hoping that people will move away from jingoism and realise that it is not a symbol of respect and honour for the dead, but by wearing it and accepting the current narrative, it does the opposite - it glorifies and promotes war.

People say I’m not patriot because I don’t wear a poppy, people say I’m anti-British.
Yet your the ones who don’t question and are happy to send men and women to die in a country far away to make to rich richer
Your the ones that don’t question why a charity is needed to help soldiers returning from these ‘wars’ and not helped by the people who sent them "

 

Lest We Baguette

 

To me The Poppy means World War 1 ( Which was a * of a War as Wars Go) And World War 2 (Which, well we all know there was a meaning)

Got nothing against people who wear or who do not wear a Poppy

 

I think it's a shame that the poppy has basically become a British/English Nationalist symbol. What it should represent is pure bravery as what those did was * amazing, even if WW1 was a load of * the people on the front line were not aware of that and tricked into fighting.
There have been some issues with the legion in recent years, mishandling money and not helping people who have left the military. I know one guy who joined at 16 as his mum and step dad said it was that or out the house. He stayed until he got an injury because he saw them as the only people who would take them, he had issues although not purely on the army. Still a good a guy despite being in the army. I worked with another who came out with severe mental health issues, he'd been there since 16 too. They shouldn't be allowed to take 16 year olds, it's messed up. I suppose the problem is, often a poppy is respect for the armed services, to which I have little. I do have respect for some people in the military but it is a different thing.

 

Paul Mescal causes outrage by not wearing a poppy on Graham Norton show




Featured Image Credit: BBC One

Paul Mescal was the stand-out guest on The Graham Norton Show this week - namely because he was the only one on the couch who wasn't wearing a remembrance poppy.

The actor, who joined Graham this week to chat about his new film Aftersun, sat alongside Black Panther stars Michaela Coel and Winston Duke, My Policeman's Emma Corrin, comedian Richard Ayoade, and singer Loyle Carner, who all had their poppies pinned to their chest in honour of Remembrance Day.

To some, the reason behind Paul's decision to ditch the poppy might seem obvious, but a lot of people who tuned in on Friday night couldn't understand it and took to Twitter to call out the Normal People star.

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"Why is Paul Mescal not wearing a Poppy on The Graham Norton Show????" asked one outraged viewer.

Addressing the actor directly, a second tweeted: "@mescal_paul where’s your poppy?!"

And a third wondered: "Why is Paul Mescal not wearing a poppy?"


Credit: Twitter

If you haven't worked it out by now, don't worry. There were plenty of Irish people on-hand to help the more distressed viewers work it out.

"He is Irish... we don't wear them or celebrate British atrocities on our island," explained one Twitter user.

Another added: "It’s not our thing really... not overly keen on the old poppy over here... British soldiers committing atrocities in Ireland sort of turned us off it, but hey, each to their own."

Yep, you may have noticed that when Irish celebs appear on British telly at this time of year, they tend to avoid wearing the poppy.



Paul was the only person on the couch without a poppy. Credit: BBC
That's because the annual Poppy Appeal is seen as a tribute to British soldiers - who don't exactly have the best track record in Ireland.


Although almost 50,000 Irish men died in the British forces during World War One, it's still a pretty dicey move for Irish republicans to honour them with the British poppy.

That's why, while a lot of people were calling out Paul for forgetting his poppy, Irish viewers were thrilled to see that good old Paul had decided not to wear the poppy on TV.


"Love that Paul Mescal isn’t wearing a poppy on #TheGNShow," raved one Irish fan.

"#GrahamNorton yes Paul mescal no poppy lad," tweeted another.

All in all, Ireland's history with the Brits is long and complicated.

Speaking as an Irish person, my only advice would be: if you haven't read up on it, it's probably best to just keep quiet on this one.

 

That's a tiger version
classed as weapon

 

Compulsory political badges…

U.K. 2022

 

Got to Asian,Muslim and black people and stopped wasting my time tbh.

 

Lest We Forget Those Who Gave Their Lives In The Warburtons .

 

This is what it should be for, and I don't mind people who wear them for that reason.

But aye it's all politicised like everything * else..