As im sure most of you know, In the UK it is exremely common to see red poppies worn around remembrance sunday, as a mark of respect to vetrans. Ive just discovered that there is an alternative, the white poppie, which is explained here http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html .

I just wanted to see your thoughts on it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: b2spirita,

First I`ve heard of it. To cut it short, looks like a Pacifist poppy.

I`ll stay with Red and respect the dead of war.

White poppies are racists...

The white poppie IS meant to respect the dead of war.

quote:

Originally posted by b2spirita:
The white poppie IS meant to respect the dead of war.

Well so does the red? Why change it?

I'd respect someone for wearing a white poppy. I'd be saddened if I witnessed somebody wearing a red poppy laying into somebody for wearing a white poppy. I'd be downright annoyed if I saw somebody wearing no poppy at all laying into somebody for wearing a white poppy.

I wonder how many of our war dead would choose to wear a white poppy if you could ressurect them and give them a choice?

quote:

Originally posted by joeap:

quote:

Originally posted by b2spirita:
The white poppie IS meant to respect the dead of war.

Well so does the red? Why change it?

Seeing as clicking the link is too difficult....

The idea of decoupling Armistice Day , the red poppy and later Remembrance Day from their military culture dates back to 1926, just a few years after the British Legion was persuaded to try using the red poppy as a fundraising tool in Britain.

A member of the No More War Movement suggested that the British Legion should be asked to imprint 'No More War' in the centre of the red poppies instead of ‘Haig Fund’ and failing this pacifists should make their own flowers.

The details of any discussion with the British Legion are unknown but as the centre of the red poppy displayed the ‘Haig Fund’ imprint until 1994 it was clearly not successful. A few years later the idea was again discussed by the Co-operative Women's Guild who in 1933 produced the first white poppies to be worn on Armistice Day (later called Remembrance Day). The Guild stressed that the white poppy was not intended as an insult to those who died in the First World War - a war in which many of the women lost husbands, brothers, sons and lovers. The following year the newly founded Peace Pledge Union joined the CWG in the distribution of the poppies and later took over their annual promotion.


The White Poppy symbolises the belief that there are better ways to resolve conflicts than killing strangers. Our work, primarily educational, draws attention to many of our social values and habits which make continuing violence a likely outcome.

The upshot is that it is a mark of respect to the dead, whilst attempting to distance the milatristic aspects of the ceremonies

I will continue to wear a red poppy.

I wear a red poppy because I would rather my donation went to the British Legion than the Peace Pledge Union.

Another lesser reason is that some people feel that Haig was an incompetent General whose unimaginative and attritional approach to warfare was a prime factor in the massive number of casualties of WW1, although Haig's name is honored here more for his post-WW1 role as a fundraiser.

I read the link, I don't see why today red should be seen as a militaristic colour somehow.

Edit: I guess I don't like the implication that those who wore and wear the red poppies are glorifying war somehow. In Canada I never heard of the "Haig" story and it is possible it was never printed on Canadian poppies. Just setting up this alternative seems to mark those who wear it as somehow better that's all. Plus it is no longer necessary today.

Half the point of the Red Poppy is to raise money for veterans of any of the conflicts Britain has been involved in. I would much rather my money went to something along these lines where it can make a difference than an organisation which I've never heard of and really doesn't seem to have an achievable aim.

Red

I'll keep with the red.

White or red, whatever the VFW sells me or asks me to wear I'll wear.

Da Worfster