British poppy: should the Irish commemorate people who fought for the British Empire?

gurramok

Its hilarious when one objects to funding the pensions of the killers on Bloody Sunday, one is labelled a bigot and a begrudger by the pro-poppy brigade.

Morlar

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

And as I already said, just carry on with your bigotry and your obsession.

Yeah, you throw the 'bigot' accusation around to those who disagree with your take on things. Funny how you don't actually back it up with anything though, isn't it ?

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

The fact you have such differing views to mine (i won't say wrong, I understand unlike yourself that people should be allowed differing opinions and motives)

I have never said people should not have different views to mine.

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

I cannot take any of your political views seriously and therefore I find your contributions in general absolutely abhorrent. But as I say, we have the freedom to cast our differing views here.

Everyone comes across people whose political views are abhorrent to them on a personal level.

I have seen some in this thread too. I tend to refrain from launching personal attacks against them though, as I'd prefer to at least try and discuss this in a rational, reasoned kind of a manner.

The gist of your posts here is you'd prefer I post elsewhere. That's not going to happen. So feel free to either address some of the points raised or contribute something a little more useful than slinging accusations of bigotry around the place.

LondonIrish90

No (I'm British/not Irish)

gurramok wrote: »

Its hilarious when one objects to funding the pensions of the killers on Bloody Sunday, one is labelled a bigot and a begrudger by the pro-poppy brigade.

its also hilarious how someone such as yourself will post in such a forceful manner yet with such a misguided views. Since when were the RBL in charge of pensions for veterans? Your feelings need to be directed towards the Ministry of Defence, who are not formally connected to these charities in any way.

Morlar

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

its also hilarious how someone such as yourself will post in such a forceful manner yet with such a misguided views. Since when were the RBL in charge of pensions for veterans? Your feelings need to be directed towards the Ministry of Defence, who are not formally connected to these charities in any way.

I have asked this question several times and no reply from the Pro Red Poppy British legion side of this discussion, maybe you can enlighten us ?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=75130128&postcount=273

Morlar wrote: »

I have asked the question earlier on, maybe the 'Pro- Red Poppy British Legion' side of the discussion can address it ?

Originally Posted by Morlar View Post
The British army record in Ireland is one of murder and oppression, why can't the sensitivity of this issue should be acknowledged by those in favour of the Poppy ?

There is no pressing need for Irish people to wear a red poppy to remember our War Dead, we can do this perfectly well in our own way, so I don't understand the need to try and push this on Irish people. It seems to be more about pushing the British Legion red Poppy than it is about remembering the Irish War Dead.

ejmaztec

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

I couldn't care less what CAIN, whoever the are, say. I'm surprised you do. I care about as much for their views as I do for the views of the scumbag who was taken for a ride by MI5 recently in the Baltic. Are you saying you think and live life on the same level as them then? I am saddened for you.

I go by the statements given out by the RBL, who promote no sort of Irish unionism in the campaign in any way. They are the ones who distribute the poppy, they are the one who look after servicemen and women who need their support. Not these jokers from cain, who i have no knowledge of.

It's my opinion that the British government should support these needy people, but they unfortunately ignore them after dumping them on the scrap-heap. Disabled ex-servicemen and women are treated appallingly by the very people who sent them to far-flung places to get crippled in the first place.

gurramok

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

its also hilarious how someone such as yourself will post in such a forceful manner yet with such a misguided views. Since when were the RBL in charge of pensions for veterans? Your feelings need to be directed towards the Ministry of Defence, who are not formally connected to these charities in any way.

Pensions as in the welfare of said soldiers, not a direct payment from MoD. So they get no funds from the poppy at all? Where do the funds go to then?

No need for you to accuse objectors of military symbols and their funding as bigots, that is uncalled for.

slapbangwallop

LondonIrish90 wrote: »

I couldn't care less what CAIN, whoever the are, say. I'm surprised you do. I care about as much for their views as I do for the views of the scumbag who was taken for a ride by MI5 recently in the Baltic. Are you saying you think and live life on the same level as them then? I am saddened for you.

I go by the statements given out by the RBL, who promote no sort of Irish unionism in the campaign in any way. They are the ones who distribute the poppy, they are the one who look after servicemen and women who need their support. Not these jokers from cain, who i have no knowledge of.

Agh OK, I gotcha, you consider the ROYAL BRITISH Legion to not have a Unionist/British agenda and couldnt care less about the opinions of the University of Ulster and the Arts & Humanities Research Council back Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland Project (CAIN).

Logical lad!

SWL

LordSutch wrote: »

Jezus, where do they get them :rolleyes:

Either you live in a parrallel universe, or you are too young to know any better? I live in Dublin & I wear the Poppy every year to commerate my Irish grandad and the fifty thousand other Irish men who died in the Great War & WWII, we also commerate all the other people who died in the two world wars. the Poppy is the perfect symbol to commerate the futility of war, and the reason the poppy is used is because that is what grows on Flanders Fields, where so many good Irish, British, Canadian, American, & German men died . . . . .

Come the week leading up to the 11th/Nov I will as usual be wearing my poppy on the streets of Dublin as a mark of respect to those who died for our freedom against the tyranny of the enemy, in the Great War & World War II. On the 11th/Nov I will be attending 'St patricks Cathedral Dublin' to mark the Armistice itself which was signed at the 11th hour, on the 11th Day, of the 11th Month (the President usually attends), and on the nearest Sunday to the 11th, my local Parish Church in South Dublin will also hold a service of commeration, poppies will be worn by most of the congregation & the last post played by a lone bugler as the names of the fallen 'from that parish' are read out . . . . . . .

Every year we get a thread about this, and every year its learning time again (for some) who are either too young to know about the poppy, or who missed some of their history lessons in school.

Will you also be wearing the Easter lily to commemorate “many good Irish men” who fought in the 1916/civil wars?

If not why not – the men who fought in those wars were also brave good men – I would hate to think you are wearing the poppy to antagonise or simply because it’s glamorous.

Nodin

gurramok wrote: »

Its hilarious when one objects to funding the pensions of the killers on Bloody Sunday, one is labelled a bigot and a begrudger by the pro-poppy brigade.

Or the veterans of here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/21/mau-mau-torture-kenyans-compensation?INTCMP=SRCH

here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/14/mousa.timeline?INTCMP=SRCH

etc....

seagull

Why do so many people insist that the poppy is purely a British symbol? It's used in many countries that were involved in both world wars. Are you opposed to all the Australians, Canadians, South Africans, New Zealanders, Indians, Americans and others who are happy to wear the poppy in memory of their war dead?

Madam

No (I'm Irish)

seagull wrote: »

Why do so many people insist that the poppy is purely a British symbol? It's used in many countries that were involved in both world wars. Are you opposed to all the Australians, Canadians, South Africans, New Zealanders, Indians, Americans and others who are happy to wear the poppy in memory of their war dead?

Americans nor Indian people tend not to wear a poppy

LordSutch

No (I'm Irish)

slapbangwallop wrote: »

what am I dealing with here? :rolleyes:

Yes, I have already said that the Lily is loaded, but so is the Poppy!

The Poppy implies support for the British Army today, it implies a Unionist agenda,it implies Britishness.

Well you say that "it implies a Unionist agenda,it implies Britishness" but then I'm not so sure that all CoI people are automatically 'Pro British', indeed many CoI people are very Nationalistic in their thinking, and yet they wear the poppy! My now deceased Uncle for example, who was honoured in "the Irish Merchant Navy", a true Nationalist if ever there was, yet he & his mates always wore the poppy, and in the coming weeks Churches up & down the length of this country (Ireland) will receive their poppy boxes in readyness for Remembrance Sunday.

Morlar

LordSutch wrote: »

...My now deceased Uncle for example, .... & his mates always wore the poppy, and in the coming weeks Churches up & down the length of this country (Ireland) will receive their poppy boxes in readyness for Remembrance Sunday.

You do acknowledge the difficulty many Irish people would face in honouring the British Army war dead given the abysmal track record of the British Army on this island ?

Is it really so difficult for you to grasp the reluctance on the part of nationalists to honour a group which would include the Black and Tans, the Bloody Sunday Paras who murdered unarmed fellow Irishmen, etc.,? How do you expect nationalists to reconcile that ? Could you similarly see the unionist community someday wearing an Easter Lilly ? Do you wear an Easter Lilly ?

LondonIrish90

No (I'm British/not Irish)

slapbangwallop wrote: »

Agh OK, I gotcha, you consider the ROYAL BRITISH Legion to not have a Unionist/British agenda and couldnt care less about the opinions of the University of Ulster and the Arts & Humanities Research Council back Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland Project (CAIN).

Logical lad!

There is a huge amount of difference between a unionist and a british agenda, and you have only in this post entered the word british. Even then, the RBL are not interested in promoting unity, nationalism or patriotism, they are interested in promoting the plight of former soldiers and the fact that they need financial aid at times. There is a distinct difference between the two and I'm sure you know the difference. Are you saying that the head of fundraising at the british legion is plotting on how best to keep Northern Ireland british?? You are off your head if you are.

And yes, after finding out what cain is, I will still take the line of the RBL 100% over theirs.

Nodin will be about in a bit promoting world peace and anti britishness.

Leftist

Anyone who wears an easter lilly is embarrrasing themselves.

Morlar

Leftist wrote: »

Anyone who wears an easter lilly is embarrrasing themselves.

How exactly do you reckon that ?

Leftist

Morlar wrote: »

How exactly do you reckon that ?

Giving yourself away immediatly as a republican. Obviously depends on the circles you keep but imagine you're having a drink with some friends and some seamus waltzes over with an easter lilly and then starts directing convo towards 800 years and plantations, you'd think he was a boring clown.

That's what you expect from armchair republicans and wearing an easter lilly just screams a.c.r.

Also it's very anglo, using a lilly in place of a poppy.

Morlar

Leftist wrote: »

Giving yourself away immediatly as a republican. Obviously depends on the circles you keep but imagine you're having a drink with some friends and some seamus waltzes over with an easter lilly and then starts directing convo towards 800 years and plantations, you'd think he was a boring clown.

That's what you expect from armchair republicans and wearing an easter lilly just screams a.c.r.

Also it's very anglo, using a lilly in place of a poppy.

I am so glad I asked. I'll be sure to know for next time.

Leftist

Oh no, you wear one?
soz. Do you carry an phoblacht about with you? back pocket jobbie?

Notorious97

Leftist wrote: »

Giving yourself away immediatly as a republican. Obviously depends on the circles you keep but imagine you're having a drink with some friends and some seamus waltzes over with an easter lilly and then starts directing convo towards 800 years and plantations, you'd think he was a boring clown.

That's what you expect from armchair republicans and wearing an easter lilly just screams a.c.r.

Also it's very anglo, using a lilly in place of a poppy.

*hands you a massive spoon to continue stirring the sh*t*

Fair play on a narrow minded post, congrats!

Leftist

Notorious97 wrote: »

*hands you a massive spoon to continue stirring the sh*t*

Fair play on a narrow minded post, congrats!

Another one?

Seriously I never seen anyone wear them.

Nodin

Leftist wrote: »

Another one?

Seriously I never seen anyone wear them.

Then why are you saying

"Obviously depends on the circles you keep but imagine you're having a drink with some friends and some seamus waltzes over with an easter lilly and then starts directing convo towards 800 years and plantations, you'd think he was a boring clown.

That's what you expect from armchair republicans and wearing an easter lilly just screams a.c.r. "

?

Is it based on a vivid dream?

Tiocfaidh Armani

Leftist wrote: »

Giving yourself away immediatly as a republican. Obviously depends on the circles you keep but imagine you're having a drink with some friends and some seamus waltzes over with an easter lilly and then starts directing convo towards 800 years and plantations, you'd think he was a boring clown.

That's what you expect from armchair republicans and wearing an easter lilly just screams a.c.r.

Also it's very anglo, using a lilly in place of a poppy.

Okay so it's okay to wear a poppy to commemorate the British Army and their various imperialist jaunts around the world such as Palestine, Kenya and India, but don't wear a lily to commemorate the 1916 Rising:D Oh jeez and this fella claims to be a 'lefty'. Such a confused wee lamb:D

SWL

Leftist wrote: »

Giving yourself away immediatly as a republican. Obviously depends on the circles you keep but imagine you're having a drink with some friends and some seamus waltzes over with an easter lilly and then starts directing convo towards 800 years and plantations, you'd think he was a boring clown.

That's what you expect from armchair republicans and wearing an easter lilly just screams a.c.r.

Also it's very anglo, using a lilly in place of a poppy.

You should be embarrassed showing your lack of knowledge for Irish history and ashamed for your lack of empathy towards your fellow countrymen

MysticalRain

I have no strong opinion about people wearing the poppy. But I can't believe some Irish people can be so against British imperialism, and yet still live in Britain and pay taxes to fund wars they disagree with.

Fratton Fred

LoL at the "Lilly Fascism"!

Morlar

Fratton Fred wrote: »

LoL at the "Lilly Fascism"!

Poppycock.

SWL

Fratton Fred wrote: »

LoL at the "Lilly Fascism"!

Laugh away you’re just laughing at your own ignorance. Another fine example of the British education system.

Batsy

No (I'm British/not Irish)

Dionysus wrote: »

This thread is dedicated to Fratton Fred (whose post today inspired it), Lord Sutch, Batsy and some of our other British-born posters who expect Irish people to accept their political symbols without question and get rather defensive when they don't.

The British posters would just like the Paddies to stop poking their noses into other people's business and whinge about things which don't concern them.

The poppy is used to commemorate the heroic war dead not just in Britain but throughout the Commonwealth and wearing one symbolises your respect and gratitude for the thousands upon thousands of brave men who have laid down their lives fighting for their nation.

If the Irish don't want to wear a poppy then fair enough. It doesn't affect me. But what gets on my irk are the Irish numpties who go onto discussion forums to whinge and moan about people in other countries wearing poppies.

4leto

Besides wasn't it our empire as well, from the act of union weren't we politically part of Great Britain, yes the Irish guards put down natives with distinction all over the world. We should be proud of being part of the conquerors of the greatest empire the world has ever seen.

Fratton Fred

SWL wrote: »

Laugh away you’re just laughing at your own ignorance. Another fine example of the British education system.

Ok then

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Lololololololololololololo
Rofl
Roflmfao


That's better.

Morlar

Batsy wrote: »

The British posters would just like the Paddies to stop poking their noses into other people's business and whinge about things which don't concern them.

You are wrong. Btw this thread is called :

British poppy: should the Irish commemorate people who fought for the British Empire?

Fratton Fred

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

Okay so it's okay to wear a poppy to commemorate the British Army and their various imperialist jaunts around the world such as Palestine, Kenya and India, but don't wear a lily to commemorate the 1916 Rising:D Oh jeez and this fella claims to be a 'lefty'. Such a confused wee lamb:D

Its not commemorating the army, it is commemorating the individuals.

The same ones who pulled Irish people out of Linya. The same ones that escort suspect planes through Irish air space at the request of the Irish government. The same ones that carry oit search and rescue missions in Ireland, the same one that are out on Afghanistan at the request of NATO, doing a job that quite frankly the Irish should be helping with.

The same guys that got Saddam out of Kuwait (where were the Irish) and helped keep the peace in Bosnia.

To be honest, the morally superior pontificators on here would have a lot more credibility if they tried to persuade their government to step up to the plate a bit more in terms of global commitment.

Easier though to sit behind a PC and preach bollox.

RepublicanEagle

No (I'm Irish)

Men from all over Ireland fought for the British Army just to put food on the table for their families, to fight for Ireland because they believed it would help achieve Home Rule, and because they believed it was the war to end wars.

Some would say it was in vain, but they died for a noble cause that they believed in.

Some would not be commemerating the British Empire, but we should certainly commemmerate all those brave souls who shed their blood for what they believed in.

I would gladly wear the poppy in memory, and for those who oppose it, you need to open your eyes.

It's not just British.

LordSutch

No (I'm Irish)

I agree with all of the above, but just to add 'none of us commerate the British Empire', the poppy is not about Empire.
The whole idea of the poppy is to commerate the dead who fell in the poppy fields, Irish, British, American, Canadian, & German.

SWL

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Its not commemorating the army, it is commemorating the individuals.

The same ones who pulled Irish people out of Linya. The same ones that escort suspect planes through Irish air space at the request of the Irish government. The same ones that carry oit search and rescue missions in Ireland, the same one that are out on Afghanistan at the request of NATO, doing a job that quite frankly the Irish should be helping with.

The same guys that got Saddam out of Kuwait (where were the Irish) and helped keep the peace in Bosnia.

To be honest, the morally superior pontificators on here would have a lot more credibility if they tried to persuade their government to step up to the plate a bit more in terms of global commitment.

Easier though to sit behind a PC and preach bollox.

Firstly the Easter lily which you were happy to ridicule commemorates the individuals and not the "force" who opposed a foreign force occupying their Country. A political ideology that will or never would occur in Britain.

The rest of your post is simply propaganda and waffle; you need to stop using Sky news as a source of information.

Btw members of the Irish Army are in Afghanistan have been for a couple years teaching the Brits and the US how to disarm road side bombs.

Edit:
The search and rescue example is also false both the UK and Irelands zones for rescue overlap, so when a British rescue crew rescue someone on a boat usually the first stop is Ireland to drop off the causality and collect fuel there are maps available on the internet. I am not going to post them as it’s off topic.

Ireland got its own citizens out of Libya some went with the RAF because the Irish could not get permission to land. I am pretty sure UK and other European citizens were on board the Irish jet.

Sadam eviction from Kuwait had nothing to do with the UK humanitarian relief or as you put it stepping up to the plate. Everyone was there for oil simple as that.

Does “persuading government s to step up to the place in terms of Global commitment” include starting three wars in three different countries in less than 10 years all in the name of defeating terrorism? Only to find that the terrorist are more likely to be British citizens living in the UK. 7/7 is a chilling example.

Morlar

LordSutch wrote: »

I agree with all of the above, but just to add 'none of us commerate the British Empire'. The whole idea of the poppy is to commerate the dead who fell in the poppy fields.

That is why the symbol was chosen.

The poppy however, as you know, is not worn exclusively to honour the dead of WWI.

Jimoslimos

MysticalRain wrote: »

I have no strong opinion about people wearing the poppy. But I can't believe some Irish people can be so against British imperialism, and yet still live in Britain and pay taxes to fund wars they disagree with.

I've lived in Britain before, paid taxes and the rest, and will probably do so again in the near future. There's much about the country I admire and think Ireland could take a leaf from....however that doesn't mean that I have to blindly agree with every aspect of their foreign policy, or that their armed forces are always above reproach.

For the record I wear neither poppy nor lily, even if I discovered a great-grandfather or relative who fought as a 1916 freedom fighter or with the British in WWI I wouldn't be inclined to, nor would I think any less of them.

Like it or not for many on this island the poppy has political British Unionist symbolism. Take the Irish flag for example, it consists of three colours, one of which, orange, supposedly represents the protestant plantation influence on our country - I don't see or expect unionists up the north to embrace this symbol.

MysticalRain

Jimoslimos wrote: »

I've lived in Britain before, paid taxes and the rest, and will probably do so again in the near future. There's much about the country I admire and think Ireland could take a leaf from....however that doesn't mean that I have to blindly agree with every aspect of their foreign policy, or that their armed forces are always above reproach.

For the record I wear neither poppy nor lily, even if I discovered a great-grandfather or relative who fought as a 1916 freedom fighter or with the British in WWI I wouldn't be inclined to, nor would I think any less of them.

Like it or not for many on this island the poppy has political British Unionist symbolism. Take the Irish flag for example, it consists of three colours, one of which, orange, supposedly represents the protestant plantation influence on our country - I don't see or expect unionists up the north to embrace this symbol.

That's not radically different from my own view. I guess it's more of an issue for the people who are 100% against what the British government and it's military institutions stand for.

LordSutch

No (I'm Irish)

Morlar wrote: »

The poppy however, as you know, is not worn exclusively to honour the dead of WWI.

Thats quite correct, the poppy was 'as you know' originally worn to commerate the dead from the Great War, and since then it has come to be a symbol for all war dead, and not just those who fell on the poppy fields.

Fratton Fred

SWL wrote: »

Firstly the Easter lily which you were happy to ridicule commemorates the individuals and not the "force" who opposed a foreign force occupying their Country. A political ideology that will or never would occur in Britain.

The rest of your post is simply propaganda and waffle; you need to stop using Sky news as a source of information.

Btw members of the Irish Army are in Afghanistan have been for a couple years teaching the Brits and the US how to disarm road side bombs.

Edit:
The search and rescue example is also false both the UK and Irelands zones for rescue overlap, so when a British rescue crew rescue someone on a boat usually the first stop is Ireland to drop off the causality and collect fuel there are maps available on the internet. I am not going to post them as it’s off topic.

Ireland got its own citizens out of Libya some went with the RAF because the Irish could not get permission to land. I am pretty sure UK and other European citizens were on board the Irish jet.

Sadam eviction from Kuwait had nothing to do with the UK humanitarian relief or as you put it stepping up to the plate. Everyone was there for oil simple as that.

Does “persuading government s to step up to the place in terms of Global commitment” include starting three wars in three different countries in less than 10 years all in the name of defeating terrorism? Only to find that the terrorist are more likely to be British citizens living in the UK. 7/7 is a chilling example.

I wasn't ridiculing the Lilly, I was ridiculing Lilly fascism, it was in reference to Poppy fascism that is often expressed in the uk.

As for the rest......it might be a good idea to start smelling some coffee.

Cork boy 55

tune on the topic from
President Mulqueen


Britazi Cult of the War Dead

slapbangwallop

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I wasn't ridiculing the Lilly, I was ridiculing Lilly fascism, it was in reference to Poppy fascism that is often expressed in the uk.

As for the rest......it might be a good idea to start smelling some coffee.

Lily =



Lilly =

Chuck Stone

LordSutch wrote: »

Thats quite correct, the poppy was 'as you know' originally worn to commerate the dead from the Great War, and since then it has come to be a symbol for all war dead, and not just those who fell on the poppy fields.

I hate the way that war was called 'great' and how those who had their bodies torn to pieces by bombs, bullets and bayonets are described as 'the fallen' as if they'd just tripped and grazed their knees and then it was over.

ejmaztec

slapbangwallop wrote: »

Lily =



Lilly =

Lilly seems to be quite popular with a number of people in this thread, but we keep quiet about it so as not to be accused of grammar-nazism.:P

jpm4

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I hate the way that war was called 'great' and how those who had their bodies torn to pieces by bombs, bullets and bayonets are described as 'the fallen' as if they'd just tripped and grazed their knees and then it was over.

"Great meaning large or immense, We use it in the pejorative sense." Simpsons have a quote for everything

Dyr

Ah is it west brit season already? Seems to start earlier every year :mad:

partyguinness

For the people who have posted to say that the poppy represents the futility of war, that is absolute nonsense and either they are deluded or think the rest of us are.


It is a symbol of British military emperialism. It also glorifies the so called "Great War" and I will tell you why..

Over the past 2 days I have stopped and read three "Great War" memorials in my locality in the West Midlands, they all use the following words: "glory"; "glorious" and/or "glorious dead" and various combinations thereof. I am willing to bet that 99.9% of memorials throughout the UK contain the same words about the glory of the dead.

If the British truely believed in the futility of war they could have followed the German and Japanese examples and expressly outlawed the waging/declaring of war into their Constitutions.

That would have been the greatest memorial to the soldiers who died.

But of course the military is big business in the UK and must be sustained.

If the British people want to wear pieces of plastic that resemble poppies to make themselves feel better or to resolve some collective historical guilt, let them at it.

In fact, I think every 11th November at various ceremonies, an official apology should be read out from the British Gov apologising to the families for sending and conscripting thousands upon thousands of young men to a pointless and cruel death for absolutely no reason whatsoever......yeah right...!

philologos

No (I'm Irish)

partyguinness: Surely this is about toleration. Personally I don't expect or require you to respect the poppy. I accept your liberty to differ with me. I more than likely won't be wearing the poppy this year, but if I got one I would, not just because of where I live and work now.

I think the main point of it is to respect the dead at war. That's what I take from it. To respect all who have died in war.

You're entitled to view it as you like, but I don't believe you are entitled to dictate to other people as to how they should view it. Why can't you just tolerate it like I and others tolerate your position?

Edit: Also your logic is flawed. Just because someone wears the poppy doesn't mean that they have to agree with the British Legion or with the British Government in entirety. By wearing the poppy which I have done in the past in Ireland, I'm not representing Britain, I'm representing the pain and suffering of war in all forms.

JohnIRL

Think of it this way:

Should the British commemorate people who fought for the Nazis?

What's the difference? Both caused horrific suffering.