Despite seeing examples of it every day, I never fail to be stunned and appalled by some people's attitudes. 'Working from home' today 8) and just caught a piece on BBC Breakfast canvassing views on poppy wearing.
Some woman said she never wears one as she supports other charities.
Another said she thought it was something to do with the Labour Party.
A third said she, as a representative of the younger generation would only wear one if they were made "more funky".
Fortunately, the 36 million poppies sold this year put these people firmly in the minority.
I'm not getting at those who don't wear a poppy as it's slipped their minds or it isn't practical...just those who obviously aren't bothered.
"They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old,
Age shall not wither them nor the years condemn;
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We shall remember them."
Off topic - Armistice Day
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Slapsie Maxie
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 794
- Joined: 22 Jun 2004, 08:22
Agreed, Ian
There are 364 days of the year to argue about the futility of war.
There is one day to remember those many who did not have a choice or, indeed, a chance
A few years ago, I was in Bury St Edmunds when the Armistice parade was held. each year there are fewer veterans and they replace them with young cadets to make sure the parade continues and people who died are not forgotten
Time will come when WWI is truly consigned to history ( I mean how many people remember Crimea day ) but we should try hard not to forget the sheer scale of loss with entire streets and villages and workforces wiped out after enlisting.
More on topic. I wonder how many extraordinary fighters were lost on all sides. I don't know if there are articles about such things, but I would be interested to find out
Slapsie
There are 364 days of the year to argue about the futility of war.
There is one day to remember those many who did not have a choice or, indeed, a chance
A few years ago, I was in Bury St Edmunds when the Armistice parade was held. each year there are fewer veterans and they replace them with young cadets to make sure the parade continues and people who died are not forgotten
Time will come when WWI is truly consigned to history ( I mean how many people remember Crimea day ) but we should try hard not to forget the sheer scale of loss with entire streets and villages and workforces wiped out after enlisting.
More on topic. I wonder how many extraordinary fighters were lost on all sides. I don't know if there are articles about such things, but I would be interested to find out
Slapsie
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Old bones Ian
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 11805
- Joined: 13 Jul 2004, 07:33
Its a shame that you don't see many school kids wearing the poppy, might be something to do with the schools not promoting them as much.
If they had brought out a wristband they might have got the kids attention, shouldn't have to though, evreyone should be made awhere what this day means and what those men sacrificed
If they had brought out a wristband they might have got the kids attention, shouldn't have to though, evreyone should be made awhere what this day means and what those men sacrificed
Topper - I still teach part-time and last week we went to a local Holocaust Museum.topper123 wrote:Its a shame that you don't see many school kids wearing the poppy, might be something to do with the schools not promoting them as much.
If they had brought out a wristband they might have got the kids attention, shouldn't have to though, evreyone should be made awhere what this day means and what those men sacrificed
We gave out poppies but weren't allowed to give out the pins due to health and safety.
I kid you not.
Slapsie - I really think it's wider than WWI now...or at least should be. Wise words from you on this.
In this day and age it is probably "offensive" to some race or other to wear one. I too saw the on-street interviews on TV this morning, including the one with some mindless bint who thought they should be "more funky"....
Because it's all about fashion isn't it.....
Some people's attitudes are woeful, which makes it all the more heart-breaking that so many millions of young men died so half-wits like this are given a future...
Because it's all about fashion isn't it.....
Some people's attitudes are woeful, which makes it all the more heart-breaking that so many millions of young men died so half-wits like this are given a future...
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TheRiverCityHippy
- Middleweight
- Posts: 8494
- Joined: 08 Mar 2014, 15:39
i read a piece recently about lieutenant. siegfried sassoon the war poet.
he was a recklessly brave man who recieved the military cross for storming german trenches and recieving wound`s in the process. he was a university graduate and upper class englishman but his working class troops worshipped the ground he walked on - he lead from the front at all times. he was sent home to recover but when he was home he pulled a few strings and wrote a front page piece in the times newspaper condeming the war and the politicians on all sides that started it and praising the front line troops he served with. it caused a sensation and was a massive story at the time. privates had been shot for a lot less. to compound this sassoon threw his medals into the river mersey, he`d had enough of the madness of war.
the generals were in a quandry what to do with him, they could hardly shoot him for cowardice because he had earned the name `mad jack` from the grizzled front line troops because of his heroics and anyway sassoon was one of them, a university graduate and highly intelligent man but they couldnt allow anti war feeling to grow. sassoons great friend and fellow poet robert graves (who in later life wrote the smash t.v series i, claudius) rushed back to england to plead with the generals that his freind was shellshocked, the generals reluctantly agreed and sent him to craiglockheart, a hospital for stressed out officers in scotland.
sassoon continued his assault on the war, and his principled stance and poetry had a profound influence on another young officer staying at the hospital wilfred owen. the two became good freinds and spent the days disscussing the war, life and poetry.
soon owen was sent back to the front, but sassoon refused to go or be silenced and even when threatened he remained unbowed.he had one weak spot though - honour.
suddenly the top brass started to say to sassoon `yeah you ride the war out here let all the other men do the fighting, take it easy`. this thought was too much for siegfried and sassoon went back to the front.
sassoon and graves survived the war and it is been said but for his outburst in the press sassoon would have won the victoria cross.
wilfred owens parents recieved the letter that their son had been killed in action during the last days of the war as the bells rang out in the village, it was 11 o clock in the morning on the 11th day of november 1918.
he was a recklessly brave man who recieved the military cross for storming german trenches and recieving wound`s in the process. he was a university graduate and upper class englishman but his working class troops worshipped the ground he walked on - he lead from the front at all times. he was sent home to recover but when he was home he pulled a few strings and wrote a front page piece in the times newspaper condeming the war and the politicians on all sides that started it and praising the front line troops he served with. it caused a sensation and was a massive story at the time. privates had been shot for a lot less. to compound this sassoon threw his medals into the river mersey, he`d had enough of the madness of war.
the generals were in a quandry what to do with him, they could hardly shoot him for cowardice because he had earned the name `mad jack` from the grizzled front line troops because of his heroics and anyway sassoon was one of them, a university graduate and highly intelligent man but they couldnt allow anti war feeling to grow. sassoons great friend and fellow poet robert graves (who in later life wrote the smash t.v series i, claudius) rushed back to england to plead with the generals that his freind was shellshocked, the generals reluctantly agreed and sent him to craiglockheart, a hospital for stressed out officers in scotland.
sassoon continued his assault on the war, and his principled stance and poetry had a profound influence on another young officer staying at the hospital wilfred owen. the two became good freinds and spent the days disscussing the war, life and poetry.
soon owen was sent back to the front, but sassoon refused to go or be silenced and even when threatened he remained unbowed.he had one weak spot though - honour.
suddenly the top brass started to say to sassoon `yeah you ride the war out here let all the other men do the fighting, take it easy`. this thought was too much for siegfried and sassoon went back to the front.
sassoon and graves survived the war and it is been said but for his outburst in the press sassoon would have won the victoria cross.
wilfred owens parents recieved the letter that their son had been killed in action during the last days of the war as the bells rang out in the village, it was 11 o clock in the morning on the 11th day of november 1918.
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DavidPayne
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: 11 Mar 2004, 11:00
I live in a town called Haverhill, an overflow town in West Suffolk. Famous for very little, it has to be said. As inconsequential a place as its likely to find in the UK, about 20,000 residents.
The high street was illuminated by just four veterans of WWII today, and whilst supported by a further half dozen veterans of more recent combat, certainly from appearances, it cut a increasingly sad and lonely picture.
The town largely drew to a stand-still, old and young, classless, gender-free respect. Because whatever the political, religious, moral or ethical stance people take today, whatever the substance of their opinion, the men and women who gave their lives or had them snatched away should remembered long beyond the passing of the last of their number.
And now, sixty years on from the end of the war, its a cold reality that no veterans are likely to be under 80 years of age. And as the recent programme about the 'Last Tommy' foretold, they have so much to tell, still.
I'm appalled that there remain people who are consciously unprepared to stand still for two minutes, even in today's hectic times. And there were a handful today in Haverhill, who merrily walked past the silent gathering to continue on their way. Where were they going? What was so urgent? Paying the insurance, collecting potatoes, getting to work, beating the post office queue?
And I'm further appalled by these people who do not know what the poppy stands for. Aghast. Are we really so self-absorbed, so ill-educated and so distracted by modern life that there are people in this country for whom the vast losses of WWII and other conflicts are nothing more than movie material.
Who brings these people up, who shapes such empty vessels and releases them into the world.
The high street was illuminated by just four veterans of WWII today, and whilst supported by a further half dozen veterans of more recent combat, certainly from appearances, it cut a increasingly sad and lonely picture.
The town largely drew to a stand-still, old and young, classless, gender-free respect. Because whatever the political, religious, moral or ethical stance people take today, whatever the substance of their opinion, the men and women who gave their lives or had them snatched away should remembered long beyond the passing of the last of their number.
And now, sixty years on from the end of the war, its a cold reality that no veterans are likely to be under 80 years of age. And as the recent programme about the 'Last Tommy' foretold, they have so much to tell, still.
I'm appalled that there remain people who are consciously unprepared to stand still for two minutes, even in today's hectic times. And there were a handful today in Haverhill, who merrily walked past the silent gathering to continue on their way. Where were they going? What was so urgent? Paying the insurance, collecting potatoes, getting to work, beating the post office queue?
And I'm further appalled by these people who do not know what the poppy stands for. Aghast. Are we really so self-absorbed, so ill-educated and so distracted by modern life that there are people in this country for whom the vast losses of WWII and other conflicts are nothing more than movie material.
Who brings these people up, who shapes such empty vessels and releases them into the world.
Agree with all of you guys.....
dreadful that people forget those who fought and gave their life for our freedom....
not trying to sound macho but I never cry, cannot remember the last time... probably as a young child.... but I remember being in Hyde park several years ago for a victory parade... soldiers from all over the world were there, all in there seventies/eighties proudly wearing their medals.. my eyes definately started welling up and even now when I sit here and think about it I feel a lump in my throat....
Respect to those guys......... You will never be forgotten...
dreadful that people forget those who fought and gave their life for our freedom....
not trying to sound macho but I never cry, cannot remember the last time... probably as a young child.... but I remember being in Hyde park several years ago for a victory parade... soldiers from all over the world were there, all in there seventies/eighties proudly wearing their medals.. my eyes definately started welling up and even now when I sit here and think about it I feel a lump in my throat....
Respect to those guys......... You will never be forgotten...
it never ceases to amaze me the ignorance that is displayedf by some folk.
The fact that most people hink this is just about the 2nd world war and make thier excuses not to participate by spending a coupl eof quid and taking 2 mins out of your year to honour the dead from all wears from all sides just amazes me to the point where you wanna scream.
I was on a stag do on Weds / thurs / Friday and we all stood in silence in the hotel lobby for 2 mins even in the state we were in we managed to remember.
we should never forget those fallen so we can live our protected cosy little mopdern lives, perhaps some folk need reminding of that.
still credit to all who posted in this thread.
The fact that most people hink this is just about the 2nd world war and make thier excuses not to participate by spending a coupl eof quid and taking 2 mins out of your year to honour the dead from all wears from all sides just amazes me to the point where you wanna scream.
I was on a stag do on Weds / thurs / Friday and we all stood in silence in the hotel lobby for 2 mins even in the state we were in we managed to remember.
we should never forget those fallen so we can live our protected cosy little mopdern lives, perhaps some folk need reminding of that.
still credit to all who posted in this thread.
I always wear my poppy with pride and i think the attitude of some people is disgraceful, i said to a fella i know the other day that i was looking for a poppy seller as i hasn't seen many this year and he was like "fornicate it, what's it with all this poppy shit, everyone wearing one why dont they give it a rest" to which i informed the ignorant pudendum that he wouldn't be standing here talking as a free man if these people hadn't fought for their country.
People can't imagine what it must have been like, going to war and soldiers are just words but imagine sitting being fired at watching your best friends getting blown to pieces and watching people dying in trenches that's some heavy shit to deal with.
Sorry for the rant but this infuriates me...when you see kids stamping on epitaphs and pissing up war memorials...wankers
People can't imagine what it must have been like, going to war and soldiers are just words but imagine sitting being fired at watching your best friends getting blown to pieces and watching people dying in trenches that's some heavy shit to deal with.
Sorry for the rant but this infuriates me...when you see kids stamping on epitaphs and pissing up war memorials...wankers