I don't wear a poppy for two reasons, the first being i am continually being told i should do because people died to ensure that i was free to wear one which i rebut with i'm sure they died so i could choose whether to or not otherwise that fascism and wasn't THAT what they died to avoid?
Secondly i am from the school that rather than send young men to war and then stand around looking solemn wearing a red flower once a year when they die in their droves, just don't send them to fight wars in the first place. I'm sure, if asked, the family of every single soldier that has ever died would they rather their son, husband or brother be alive and not known then dead and remembered one Sunday in November by the old men who sent them to war, they would choose the later.
Apart from poppies, there does seem to be a new market emerging around this time of year, the World War souvenir business.
At the local Guildhall this morning, during the remembrance service, there was stalls selling mugs, t-shirts, teddy bears in tin hats and even chocolate poppies and i did wonder as i watched the brisk business they made between the first cannon for silence and the second to end the two minutes of contemplation, is this really an appropriate way to remember all these soldiers who lost their lives?
I am unsure in my own mind if this is blatant exploitation or a legitimate, albeit questionable, business opportunity but while the argument will continue exactly what the millions died for, i'm sure all sides can agree it wasn't to make a profit on chocolate poppies sold in their name.
4 comments:
Well, doesn't that just make you so special.
Yes. Yes it does.
It isn't that i don't recognise the deaths in a war, my problem is with the people who send them and the people who bravely cheer from the sidelines.
I would be interested to know what logic you used to get from politicians sending young men to war to liking it to the people who put out fires.
Post a Comment