The War on Remembrance Day Poppies
The regressive left has no hesitation in expressing their disdain for our symbols of national unity and commemoration. For Australians there is no day more sacred than ANZAC where we honour our war dead and those serving in our armed forced. Thankfully Australians express their disgust when someone on the left disrespects this day, this was demonstrated by the reaction to Yassmin Abdel Magied’s Lest We Forget tweet for which she was so traumatised by the backlash she left Australia.
Remembrance Day on 11th November to commemorate the end of World War One in 1918 is also another day for us to honour our veterans and war dead. Although it has largely been eclipsed by ANZAC Day in Australia (it is not a public holiday) a minute’s silence is still observed at 11am and services are held at war memorials around the nation. Remembrance poppies in Australia are sold at major retail outlets with the money raised going to the Returned and Services League to assist current and former serving members of the defense force and their families.
In the United Kingdom Remembrance Day is considered to be their national day to honour their veterans and fallen soldiers. It is because of its importance as a national day that the left over there have stepped up their attacks on both the day and more specially the selling and wearing of Remembrance Day poppies in recent years.
Various leftists in the UK have declared the poppy racist because it only commemorates British soldiers who are mainly white, many of whom committed war crimes of their own and do not honour all those who died in war including civilians. The poppies have also been accused of glorying war and drumming up support for new British military deployments. The left has even gone as far as selling their own white pacifist poppies (interesting that they chose white) which claim to promote peace and memorialises those lost in all wars.
These leftists of course misinterpret why citizens participate in war commemoration days, it is not to glorify war but to remember the horrors of war. Everybody is saddened by the fact anyone is killed in war hence why we remember the fallen and we offer to provide assistance to their families left behind. This is the respectful thing to do. The proposition that the left insinuate that the we are celebrating white men killing brown people is simply disgusting.
The disrespect of selling and wearing white poppies was highlighted by Colonel Richard Kemp of British Legion who sell the Remembrance Day poppies in an appearance on Good Morning Britain “The red poppy is a commemoration of all those people who made the ultimate sacrifice in war and they not only serve to commemorate but they also raise funds for the families of war dead. The White Poppy on the other hand is a left-wing political symbol. The funds don’t go to help anyone but the organisers. They are an insult to the war dead and deprive people of the funds they need”.
It is not just your usual leftist commentators and activists who have attacked Remembrance Day in the UK. FIFA banned the England and Scotland national football teams from having the Remembrance Day poppies emblazoned on their uniforms because they deemed it a political symbol. Every year English club football teams have poppies emblazoned on their uniforms during the matchday nearest to the 11th November. Even this is resisted by some players, the highest profile one being James McClean who plays for Premier League Club West Bromwich Albion on the count of his Irish background.
Islamic extremists have also only been too eager to disrespect Remembrance Day with British Muslim Emdadur Choudhury setting fire to a poppy when he was present a protest at a commemoration service for British soldiers where the protesters chanted “Burn British soldiers, burn in hell’. He was fined only £50 after being charged with a public order offence. He receives a free council flat and almost £800 a month in state handouts, the small fine outraged veterans’ groups.
Many view the UK as a politically correct cultural relativist modern dystopia, as demonstrated by the fact it nearly has monthly terrorist attacks and migrant sex gangs are rampant. So, it is pleasing that they are at least resisting this assault on one of their most sacred and honourable traditions, let us hope that as many Brits as possible (including migrants) buy and wear their poppies with pride on 11th November.
