Having had grandparents and uncles who fought in the two World Wars and other relations who served in other conflicts during the 20th Century and beyond I do not have a problem with the Poppy Appeal, the wearing of poppies and particularly the donating of money to what is in my opinion one of the real 'worthy' causes of our times. It is hard to write this at the end of a week which has seen yet more deaths in Afghanistan and the increasing sense that we are witnessing our own Vietnam as public opinion appears to be changing on the rights and wrongs of the war but I am heartily sick of the way that the BBC acts as a moral nanny on the subject of the public display of poppies.
It's bad enough that during the last week of November we have to suffer Children in Need when the overwhelming urge to quote Paul Whitehouse in the Fast Show, "Children in need? Let 'em bloody stay in need," as the old concept of giving to charity is replaced by being made a social pariah if you don't laugh at one of the terrific wheezes that is thrust at you as you walk down the High Street.
It was during Question Time on the night Nick Griffin appeared that we got this years first sight of everybody in front of the camera wearing a poppy, the second week in October! I can remember when poppy sellers didn't even appear until the Monday before Remembrance Day, these days I'm afraid I'm all poppied out because everytime I switch on the television everybody from Gary Lineker to the Pope is wearing one, okay maybe not the Pope but Alan Hansen who is obviously the Pope's representative on earth.
Come on BBC get things in perspective, five weeks of on-air poppy wearing is too much surely.
6 comments:
Long, over a week, BEFORE that...but you know it had to be a politician.
The Telegraph in that article I link to says it's a good thing but I'm with you, it's even become a "sport" to notice the first one...demeans the spirit because you can bet that most of the politicians have their assistant/secretary/aide buy it for them.
So sad, and as you say it's the "emotional mafia" that makes it happen.
I'm glad I'm not alone on this it is as you say demeaning the spirit.
The link to the Telegraph didn't work but I'll try it again later.
It just took a long, long time to load, don't know why because the code is correct but I just tried via Google and it took just as long!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/6340077/The-first-poppy.html
Do you look at old posts? get an e-mail reminder?
If you do tehn you'll read this and have a look here I have commented (in fact I comment more on the Guardian than anywhere else these days...except maybe yours and my blogs!)
link didn't work!...usually Blogger tells you to correct the code but this went through....
try AGAIN
I get an e-mail and I looked at the article and comments. Well done, sneaking into the enemy camp and doing a hit and run job!
I have to be honest I found Wooton Bassett this week a little too organised and less spontanenous. What was a small town's show of respect is quickly becoming Mediaville.
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