Today is the day we remember those that have fallen and the brave sacrifices made in past wars. Each year over 50 million poppies are distributed throughout Britain as part of the commemoration, having long been the associated symbol for Remembrance Day. But in recent years many people have actively chosen not to wear them. So why are people objecting to such an enduring symbol of sacrifice?
I admit I have my own reservations about wearing the red poppy. Personally, my fear is that the poppy has become twisted into a mark of jingoism – a problem that I think has progressively worsened over the last few years. With links to the arms trade and growing commercialisation, (in 2014 The Royal British Legion were attacked over their sponsorship of the national poppy appeals by the UK’s leading arms company – BAE Systems) the very essence of what the poppy truly represents is being besmirched. In 2012, a newspaper investigation forced the then president of the Legion, Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely, to resign over allegations that former commanders were using their connections to lobby on behalf of arms companies.
It is this drive for profits that has enabled wars throughout history and today to ensue. These arms companies are horrifically and perversely associating the remembrance symbol with the justification of war, reinforcing the acceptance of military power in current wars. In one of the Royal British Legion’s campaigns, children wore t-shirts displaying the words “Future Soldier” on them – a term I feel that subverts the very intention of what the day symbolises. Soldiers in WW1 and WW2 did not sacrifice their lives in order to breed a new generation of soldiers to take their place. Their sacrifice was made for peace, not war. The poppy is supposed to be worn in order to say never again, not sign up.
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Harry Leslie Smith, a 92-year-old WW2 RAF veteran, has not worn a poppy since 2013 because he believes “the spirit of [his] generation has been hijacked” by latter-day politicians to “sell dubious wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed one of his articles it is clear to see that his remarks are ones to tell people, not of the nostalgia of war, but to understand the true costs of war.
Smith’s also elaborates further on why he doesn’t wear the poppy in his Guardian article:
“It is unfortunate that too many in this present age look upon these men as cowards whose objections to battle are best forgotten. But I believe it is important that we remember those who dissent in a time of war even if we believe our struggle to be true and just. How a nation treats those who oppose their war aims is the true measure of its enlightenment.”
It is a humbling reminder from a man who fought himself that Remembrance Day should not just be about appropriating and remembering the heroic efforts of soldiers in order to recruit. Smith reminds us that we must not ignore the realities of war, the glimmering, noble sheen placed upon it is nothing but a façade and those who fought rarely did come out unscathed. The reality then should be that The Royal British Legion must not just remember those who fought, but should remember all those who were damaged as well – war can never be glorious and in a society that is all too willing to invoke violence, it is a powerful message that needs to be heard.
(Photo Credit: www.bbc.co.uk)
Before you assume that I am writing this without understanding the enormity of the sacrifices made by soldiers, I think it is important to say that my own grandparents fought bravely in WW2. Having spoken to my grandmother about my own misgivings, she reminded me that the reason she wore a poppy was not to glorify war, but to make sure that people remembered the atrocities. The poppy to her was a symbol to remind us of the senseless massacre of millions of people in muddy fields, helpless civilians, pacifists, war doctors, protesters, children and those changed irrevocably by the horrors of war.
The symbol should remain just that – a symbol of remembrance. A remembrance of the horrific sacrifices made. A remembrance of those who came back and those who did not. A remembrance of those affected today and in the past by war. We must not allow it to be glorified. We need to remember what “courage” truly stands for. It is not just for those that stood bravely and fought, it is also for those who stood and opposed.
So I will wear my poppy. But instead I will wear it as a sombre reminder of the lives lost from all aspects of war. And I will wear it with pride. This year, remind yourself why and who you are wearing it for.
Lest we forget.