Red Poppies

[mirrorshard]

It's that time of year again, with a poppy-seller on each corner[1], and it seems somehow morally wrong not to be supporting the war dead and their survivors. I don't disagree with this in principle, it was - and still is to some extent - a terrible human tragedy. It just makes me feel twitchy to wear something connected to war, even though this one isn't a political statement.

Now, if only they sold white poppies...

[1] http://www.poppy.org/ for those of you who are living Elsewhere and don't understand this traditional British custom of wearing a small paper and plastic poppy on the lapel at this time of year. http://www.poppy.org/About_Poppy_Appeal/History.html explains why a poppy.

Comments

[claudacity.livejournal.com]

hm, interesting. singapore marks her fall to the japanese in world war 2 in a far more... pragmatic way. no flower selling here, we get Total Defense Day instead, a special day for propaganda Important Messages.

[(Anonymous)]

It's not about world war two, it's about raising funds and supporting the relatives of the members of the forces that have died for us.

If anything it's more about world war one anyhow, and it's not a government thing, it's a private charity that has become an institution because it does such a good job.

[malvino.livejournal.com]

oops, that was from me

[claudacity.livejournal.com]

yes, I realised that, but what I thought was interesting was the marked difference in the way singapore remembers her experience of war. admittedly, there is a difference in the experience itself- almost nothing at all of WW1, and occupation by the japanese in WW2- but the contrast between charity and well, what happens here, is quite stark. singapore takes Unsentimentality to new heights.