Poppies and conscience

Robin Waterston explains why he will not be wearing a poppy in November

Why do people wear red poppies on and before Remembrance Day? For some, it will be simply to honour the memory of those who – willingly or otherwise – fought and died in wars for Britain. They may have relatives to give a personal dimension to this memory. As a councillor some years ago, I recall attending several Remembrance Day services in which many of those present had husbands or sons serving in the RAF in wars halfway around the world, putting their lives at risk. Emotions came close to the surface. The sombre rituals of the occasion did, I felt, have a supportive effect.

Some wear the red poppy because they know that the Royal British Legion gives practical assistance to ex-combatants and they want to give financial support to this work. There are others who wear one from social convention or pressure to conform. Why do most television newsreaders feel moved to wear a poppy from the beginning of November? Is their job on the line if they don’t? Jon Snow of Channel 4 News has succeeded in resisting this pressure, so it is possible.

Then there are some who wear the red poppy as a symbol of support for the British military in principle. I have a vivid memory of the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was at her height. She saw the peace movement, campaigning against US nuclear weapons to be stationed at Greenham Common, as a dangerous threat. In my view, she deliberately used Remembrance Day as a vehicle to strengthen mindless patriotism and weaken the anti-nuclear movement.

No wonder the peaceniks reacted against the symbolism of the red poppy used in this way. I remember our local peace group at the time producing and distributing our own red poppies with the slogan ‘Remembrance is not enough’ in the centre. They were very popular.

But time moves on, and I don’t believe militarism is a strong motivator nowadays. In none of the ceremonies I have attended was there any glorification of war. Last November, I attended several moving ceremonies commemorating the life and death of one of my ancestors who died in 1917 after founding the Scottish Women’s Hospitals and working with them in Serbia. The organising group was WW100 Scotland, and I was impressed by the spirit of their events. They asked: ‘What can we learn from all this?’

Why do people wear white poppies? The Peace Pledge Union argue that there is a need to commemorate all who suffer in war, including civilians and all combatants. The white poppy, with the word ‘Peace’ at the centre, is intended to signify this wider vision. However, it does appear to be reactive. It originated in opposition to the red poppy, and can be read as a statement that ‘I care more about peace than you do’. To counter this, some people wear a red and a white poppy, but how this symbolism is interpreted by members of the public is difficult to know. Nowadays, more and more people do not wear poppies at all. I think this is healthy.

This year, 100 years after the end of that catastrophic war, with all the commemorative work that has been put in, maybe it is time to let the poppies fade into history. Yes, let us remember the tragedy of war and the sufferings of so many, let us work tirelessly for a more peaceful world, but let us do so all year round. So, I will not be wearing a poppy this November.

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Comments

This article speaks to my condition.  I don’t wear either poppy. I worry that the anti-war protest movement can look aggressive and decidedly unpacific, and the same with white poppies.  Quakers have been at their best working for peace with quiet processes, while strident protest alienates potential sympathisers.  It has also sometimes puts us on the wrong side of history.  For example, Quakers campaigned throughout the 1930’s against rearmament in the face of the threat from Hitler.

By frankem51 on 4th November 2018 - 8:13

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