Wearing a white poppy

This poem was part of our A level curriculum, and it affected me deeply.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47395/strange-meeting
Not that I'm 100% pacifist, but I think we should be more sensitive to the effects war has on servicemen and women.
The number of times I've heard or read "my Dad was in the war, but he never talked about it". My Dad was the same, and he couldn't bear any arguing or fighting in the family.

Its all about the money Jalima1108 the current PMs husband has shares in arms companies I'm told and she and her cohorts in all their"wisdom" keep him in business by bombing innocents ,in schools and hospitals and going about their already horrific daily lives.Why would the elite care who dies as long as the cash keeps rolling in.All to be kept in secret accounts so the plebs are kept in the dark.I despair of the human race sometimes...well a lot of the time to be honest.I'm definately out of step with most on this site .

paddyann I agree

But, as I said, it is politicians who decide, not us.

Anniebach I now have an ear worm
the answer my friend etc etc

However sorry I may be for wounded and dead servicemen it was at least their choice to serve

When I expressed something similar I was told to feel shame.

I am off this thread before we get Bob Dylan or Peter , Paul and Mary with ‘Blowing In The Wind’

lemongrove

Snap

Every year at the time of Remembrance Day the differences between the opinions of posters probably shows more than at any other time.

The questions surrounding Remembrance Day and understanding how individual posters relate to Service Personnel is quite enlightening. It is also so illuminative as to probably how we as individuals would react if this country were ever put in danger .

Aren't we a mixed bunch.

Every year somebody starts a thread about red or white poppies, it’s become a sort of ritual.
Vociferous pacifists usually write the most unpleasant comments to others.
Certainly nothing changes or lessons learned there!

See you all next year on the same thread.

paddyann - indeed so.

I have no idea what the answer to all this is - it fills me with despair.

The lessons we should have learned about interfering in the running of other countries have always fallen on deaf ears and sadly so many of the world wide conflicts have been caused by this: India/Pakistan, Palestine/Israel and on and on and on. When will it end?

Civilians die in their thousands in these conflicts; and TBH I am never sure that any of our attempts to stop this bear any fruit whatsoever. I would rather see humanitarian aid than military intervention. How often does this succeed?

I deeply regret the innocents who have been killed and maimed in these wars. I wish it were not so. And I wish it wasn't still ongoing.

Oh I'm certainly not saying I agree with the recent wars we have become involved in. I've thought about it a lot and I still don't know the right answer. Too hard for me. But I do feel that those who served do deserve our support now, That's all I'm saying.

Gonegirl In my opinion and the opinion of many its the interference of the west i.e.The UK and America in the middle east that has caused the "terror" issue.I know you'll say look at 9/11 but think about it if westminster had sent troops into the Republic of ireland because they were "harbouring" terrorists or even if we'd bombed Boston USA for their support of terrorists there would have been a worldwide outcry and justifiably so.Yet we sent bombs into Afghanistan for the self same reason killing and maiming millions and continue to do so with nothing said never mind done about it.Double standards ?

Gonegirl those men chose to serve. And arguably their interference in overseas matters has caused more terrorism. Perhaps the fault of politicians mostly but as Donovan sang in Buffy Saint Marie's The Universal Soldier
He's the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war

Jalima1108 -who else's opinion would I be posting? Do we really need to post in my opinion after every statement? You are nit-picking (in my opinion)

I have no gripe against those people who have served in the armed forces and am happy to contribute to an appeal that supports their own and families current needs. I would generally oppose rushing to war, glorifying war, supporting and arming foreign wars. Those non combatants who have promoted and supported war and made gains from them are shameful examples of the human race

but not enough to justify a whole appeal

trisher if you had added "in my opinion" after that (and many of your pronouncements I would just think 'ah well, she's entitled to her opinion and I respect that even if I don't agree'.

However, you are always so adamant that you are right and everyone else is wrong, that you are compassionate and others are not that it becomes difficult to respect your views.
Or do you just enjoy a bit of wooden spoon waving every year?

But what about the servicemen wounded, or killed, more recently whilst endeavouring to keep the most evil forms of terrorism from our shores? Shouldn't they be supported, even though they joined up of their own accord? Their fear, and pain, would have been as bad as the previous conscripts.

Not since 1960 Jalima1108. The last conscripted soldiers left in 1963. There may of course be a few injured soldiers surviving, but not enough to justify a whole appeal.

There was also the possibility of conscientious objection. I really admire the people who took that stand, and they were frequently treated badly. If only everybody had their attitude. I know that’s impossible, so don’t bother pointing it out.

However sorry I may be for wounded and dead servicemen it was at least their choice to serve, bombed civilians have no options.

Actually, there was conscription trisher.

And I hope they go on choosing to serve trisher. Not so many of them are these days and that's very worrying. (I also hope that the powers that be are given the wisdom to know when our military should be used and when not)

This is by the doorway of our local church, constructed over the last few days. Materials to make the poppies were available in the nearby library and young people in church organisations, amongst others, made them up.

But Gonegirl the people who run that Appeal have accepted money that was made by selling weapons that have been used to kill people in Yemen. However sorry I may be for wounded and dead servicemen it was at least their choice to serve, bombed civilians have no options.

^But it is they who bear the guilt
Of taking new young men to war
To feign the image of true statesmen
And make their mark on history's score.^

I think that sums it up Luckygirl, more so nowadays when there is no definite enemy and threat as there was in 1939, but a rather nebulous wish by a politician to be thought of as a hero, a saviour.

If you don't want to wear the red poppy, at least support the Appeal by putting some money in the collecting box. Neglecting wounded exserviceman and their dependants is no way to show your hatred of war.

For any who want to listen the song the British Legion used but omitted the last 2 verses because they didn't fit their principles and ideas.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU-AcUkWmHU