Red poppies
 

Do people wear them earlier and earlier every year?! Is it a competition? Do they think that if you aren't seen to be wearing one in mid October that you might not support Veterans? It smacks of bandwagon showing off and annoys me.

November the 11th is Veterans day, and it is that day alone that I show my unbridled admiration and gratitude to anyone who served in horrendous wars to protect our freedom. Lately I have been reading many relatively unknown books and diaries about WWII and it is truly amazing and sad to hear of so many real heroes who died so selflessly yet who nobody knows about. People who were friendly, young, optimistic, and fought so hard only to be killed and have their names disappear amongst the endless lists of casualties. They need to be remembered.

http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/lrdg/L...ges/jake_2.jpg

Re: Red poppies
 

Well put, and not to forget about the poor lads coming back now who are seriously wounded or have died. Not only to the public named soldiers of Afghanistan and Iraq but to also the unnamed men who have returned in coffins over the past decades. These men died in battle and there families are still battling to get there compensation from a government that denies there involvement in activities on behalf of British interests.

Re: Red poppies
 

Surely the longer they collect the more £ they get?

Re: Red poppies
 

+1

I worked in the Army Medical History Museam for awhile and read alot of first hand accounts of bravery and selflessness.
I will be wearing one on the 11th.

Re: Red poppies
 

But surely everyone only buys one, they just wear it for weeks and weeks?

Re: Red poppies
 

Not nec. I always lose at least 2, maybe 3 or more, and I feel obliged to put more £ in the tin for each one.

Re: Red poppies
 

My grandad's not around to say it this year, but he used to say the same thing every year- people get their poppy because that's just what you do, but nobody ever thinks about why they're doing it or what it means. Same as people "observing" minute's silences but sitting there thinking about their shopping lists or whatever. Lip service. But then, he was a bad tempered old b*****d :smt080

Re: Red poppies
 

my grandad bought one a day from nov 1st, 11 in all so that's what I do.

Re: Red poppies
 

I did see the most mahoosive poppy yesterday on the front of a lorry. I want to get one for my tiny little car!

I understand what you say about lip service - regardless of poppy buying, how many people actually attend a rememberance parade? I always used to book the morning off work and generally made one of my bosses feel guilty the first year when she read my holiday request form and the reason contained therein...

... to the point she actually arranged a closure of the office for 30 minutes each year thereafter to encourage everyone to make the 2 minutes walk to the memorial down the street.

To be honest though, I don't care if it band-wagon climbing, lip service or crass commercialisation - the more money that goes into there tins, no matter how early, the better... and if a little education as to the 'why' of giving happens along the way - all the better, but I'm happy for ignorant money to go their way too.

Re: Red poppies
 

Surely by wearing a poppy prior to Nov 11th it`ll make people remember and take notice? No bad thing as the actions of our brave men and women shouldn`t just be remembered and commemorated on one day... they should be remembered all year round.