It’s November 6th and the amount of people that I see not wearing poppies, astounds me. From the immaculately dressed to the casually dressed to the freakishly dressed, those not wearing poppies piss me off. My grandfather, his brother. my next-door neighbour and countless other men and women all served their country and fought for freedom. With that freedom, you can dress however the fuck you want. Why don’t you show them that you respect their sacrifice and that you remember – why don’t you wear a poppy? If you can figure out how to dress yourself, then pinning a poppy on shouldn’t be too hard. And if just don’t want to wear one – fuck you. Fuck you where you breathe.
This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2008.
I fail to see, how buying into the buy-buy-buy-some-more mentality makes me more respectful. I honour and remember the people who sacrificed by (a) visiting their graves when I can (b) engaging in the freedoms that they enabled me to have (ie vote, expression, etc) and (c) last but not least, I think of them.I do not think that Private so-and-so that died in any of the past conflicts, really cares whether or not you put an overpriced, mass produced piece of plastic on your jacket. What he (or if applicable, she) probably care more about, is that the values they died defending survive, in one shape or form. And I am not talking about any specific values.And before you the OP thinks of a counter argument for my post, that I have no relatives who served their country, everyone from my grandparents generation served in WWII, and some of them have not returned. And since then, i had family members serve in the military as well.I refuse to wear poppies, because I do not need to spend a dollar to make my consciousness $hut up. I honour those who served my countries in different, non-herd-like ways thank you very much.My ancestors sacrificed for my ability to be myself, and do as I please. Which I do. Thereby, honouring those ancestors.Unless your ancestors sacrificed for the idea that everyone should be the very same, then go ahead and wear a poppy. But when was the last time you visited the grave of a relative of yours who fought in a war?
People these days lack respect. I wear mine with pride and plan to lay it on a veteran’s grave Nov 11.
I don’t wear one. Sometimes i drop change in the collector, sometimes I don’t. Some people wear a flag pin, some people don’t. My Great GrandFather, a general, and my grandfather, A seamen, helped give freedom of choice.To suggest not wearing one means your unpatriotic or Ignorant is ironic, not to mention tasteless.
Just because maybe someone forgot to put on their poppy or maybe just doesn’t want to wear one or it fell off or something shouldn’t give you the right to judge someone. Maybe some of these people who don’t wear a poppy nevertheless do something else to commemorate the sacrifice, such as attending a ceremony or actually talking to a real live veteran and thanking them. If you don’t actually know, you shouldn’t judge. Since when was wearing a poppy the be-all and end-all of Rememberance Day?
Dude, I have like 6 jackets. I’m not putting poppies in all of them. Quit judging people you see on the street!
BOB: So! What’s it going to be? Are you going to wear the ribbon?KRAMER (nervously): No! Never.BOB: But I am wearing the ribbon. He is wearing the ribbon. We are all wearing the ribbon! So why aren’t you going to wear the ribbon!?KRAMER: This is America! I don’t have to wear anything I don’t want to wear!CEDRIC: What are we gonna do with him?BOB: I guess we are just going to have to teach him to wear the ribbon!
my grandfather served in the first world war … his medals are on my wall. i don’t need to wear a poppy to remember the sacrifices solidiers have made for our country.plus, the pins put holes in my jackets.
If it matters to you so much that everyone you see wears a poppy, why don’t you start passing out free safety pins because in case you havent noticed the straight pins don’t work. And Remembrance Day is November 11th, so save your judging for that particular day instead of bitching 5 days early!
A, think of it like Christmas, you don’t wait until Dec25 to get your shit on for that do you… Next year I think we should start just before labour day with something like…Only 66 bitching days till Poppy Day…
Ok OP…think of its this way..many of our grandfathers and great grandfathers died in the battles of war. I respect and remember that….as im sure most do. They fought for our freedom. Which includes the freedom to choose. With such freedom comes the choice to wear or not to wear a poppy. So by demanding we all wear poppies doesnt that dishonour your grandfathers legacy of fighting for our rights and freedoms? Just a thought.
1. Poppy fell off.2. Poppy is underneath jacket attached to shirt.3. Person has not gone into a store as of yet and actually purchased one, or maybe only had debit on them.4. Person is one of the people who doesn’t support a red poppy as an emblem of remembrance.I had a friend who was verbally harassed and blocked in the mall by a group of cadets because he wasn’t wearing a poppy. It was fucking MINT when he whipped out his dogtags and asked if they thought that was enough effort for his country. I’m ranking you down there with those shits.
Forced patriotism is fascist. Its a goddam poppy… The only way to truly represent the efforts of those who fought to protect our freedom is to be TOLERANT, ACCEPTING and RESPECTFUL of our countrymen and women, and of course to VOTE in free democratic elections, for whatever level of government.Wear a poppy or don’t wear a poppy… its really about donating the money anyway. The idea is that the more people wearing a poppy, the more others are prompted to donate and get one for themselves.
this post is fucking retardedfor example, i can choose to stay home from church, that does not mean that i am not a spiritual / religious person …i can “remember” people who died at war without wearing a plastic piece of shit poppy that usually turns into litter because it wont stay on my fucking jacket half of the time…
well its your right now to wear a poppy, and it is a personal choice. Not wearing one certainly doesn’t mean you don’t remember.However, i just want to play devils advocate and point out that we wear poppies to show the shrinking number of living war vets that we remember them. It has nothing to do with showing some random jag off on the street how patriotic we are or consumerism. The coin jar is donation only. You are free to take one without paying, even if it is terribly tasteless to do so.
I’ve bought(donated) like 15 poppies already. I keep losing them, they fall off, whatever. Just because someone isn’t wearing a poppy, does not mean they are not supportive of our vets! Maybe their poppy just fell off…?!
yesterday was the FIRST time this year i saw them for sale
“lovinglife” makes a good point: “we wear poppies to show the shrinking number of living war vets that we remember them.” I’m the daughter of veterans – my father was in the navy, my mum in the army. I wear a poppy, and have never ever missed a Remembrance Day observance because it’s also a way to honour them.My beefs about the occasion are two… it drives me CRAZY when people refer to the Remembrance Day ‘holiday.’ yes, it’s a day off work for most people, but holidays are times of celebration (think Thanksgiving!), and we are not CELEBRATING war. It’s a day of observance, folks.The other beef is that I don’t understand (neither did my parents) why people refer to the Canadians who have protected our freedom, especially in WW II (my parents’ war)… we were ALREADY free! Canadians, together with other Allies, were trying to protect OTHERS…
sleehah…yes we were free at the time. however i think the freedom comment is vaild regardless of the fact that you do not understand.At least regarding the second world war hitler had plans for global domination by gaining direct control of europe and having the rest of the countries of the world fall in line under his regime. therefore he intended to control us by sheer intimidation. make sense?
How cute, John! You think I don’t understand?! I guess my parents, the veterans, ALSO didn’t get it, eh? Funny boy.I understand quite well. The point remains the same – Canada was not involved in that war (nor in any since then) because of the POTENTIAL that someone MIGHT decide to move in and enslave us. Is it somehow less honourable to you that we should defend the rights and freedoms of OTHERS?!I’m well-educated in world history, thanks, particularly the period from the years leading up to WW II and the years immediately following.
needless patronzing tone aside you pompous “educated” person….i direct you toward a speech made by william lyon mackenzie king in september of 1939 before the house of commons…see what he had to say of canadian freedom and tell me if he wasnt concerned about. if you cant find it i can direct you there.
I see – if I wear a poppy, I care. If I don’t, I should be shot on sight. I guess it doesn’t matter that my respect and admiration for all veterans (including a half dozen of my uncles) comes from the heart – if I don’t wear that plastic flower, then I’m judged.
I just want to point out that you don’t “buy” poppies – they’re free. If you’d like to make a voluntary donation, you’re welcome to do so.
K, first, most of my family is in the military. I don’t feel I should have to wear a piece of fucking plastic for 11 days to memorialize them. I honor them every day of the fucking year in my own way. Just because people don’t wear poppies doesn’t mean the day is totally forgotten by everyone. Fuck off.
People care more about Obama than their dead vetern grandparents. It is fucking gross.YOU ARE NOT AMERICAN LOSERS!
Community traditions and symbols are valuable in society! Yes, it is important that we have our individual ways of honouring but it is important that we have traditions and symbols that we share.No one is suggesting this be legally enforced (to address the previous forced/fascism comment) – it’s just friends, neigbours & fellow citiizens encouraging their community to show support. There are so few symbols that we share as a community (yet we have no problem wearing soley commercial symbols like Lulu or Nike). When we show public symbolism for our veterans, it is a daily opportunity for young children, visitors, new citizens to learn about what the Poppy means (most people are inquisitive when they see a public trend around them). We are not just a loose group of people living in close proximity. We are a society with values that we’ve fought to keep (ie: women having rights, people not being stoned to death for sexual preference) Let’s Remember the sacrifices. Let’s do it as a community – endorse the symbolism and wear a Poppy
With remembering, The sale of Poppies also go to charitable organizations such as the Canadian Royal Legion. I’ve seen first had the positive impact these Veteran groups have on helping the less fortunate and those who are in times of personal crisis.
lots of people DO wear poppies. plenty. you can see them all about. this poppy bitch increasingly reminds me of the whole “IF YOU DON’T WEAR A FLAG PIN YOU’RE UNPATRIOTIC!” b.s. controversy earlier this year down south.
This bitch reminds me of the religious people who claim that folks are religious only if they go to church. BS…I don’t believe that I have to wear a piece of plastic to show respect for vets or remember what they did for us just like I don’t believe I have to be in a church to show respect for God.By the way, where do the poppies people wear all go on November 12?
Plonk…i expect they are either returned or saved by those who crap on people for not wearing a plastic poppy. Maybe in a big shoebox in their closets. i cant imagine they would disrespect a poppy by placing it in the garbage.
If i could keep a plastic poppy on my coat for more than a couple of seconds … I would. Even bending the pin only works until the first time you get in & or out of your vehicle. As for all the people who hold up their parents/grandparents sacrifices etc. I leave you with this both my Grandfathers tried to enlist on the same day. They were given 2 choices, 1) go back into the coal mines & dig. 2) go to prison. It so nice to know they & everyone else had a choice ! Actually its the assh*&%$ who were in charge that caused the whole damn mess & it was the idiots who elected them who sacrificed everything !If we’re going to ‘remember’ something let’s not forget that.
I always put those rubber earring backs on mine so it will stay put, but I also have a great number of coats, and generally forget to change the pin every time I change the coat.
I don’t wear a poppy. Never have, never will. Instead, I specifically stop and take time to think on the atrocities of war, the stories my grandfather took to his grave (because he could never bring himself to talk about it), and I make sure I donate to the poppy sales boxes. I don’t feel that pinning a piece of non-recycable plastic to my jacket is the be-all end-all of respect for our veterens.We all remember in our way. Who are you to judge?