A poppy is
a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae of
the order Papaverales. It is the source of opium, from which is derived heroin,
both of which continue to have an impact on human societies. But we are
concerned here with quite another kind of impact. In the England of today, Remembrance
Day, also known as Poppy day, commemorates the First World War. The BBC offers
a succinct explanation: “Poppy seeds which had lain dormant for many years in
the battlefields in northern France bloomed with vigour after the earth was
disturbed, becoming a symbol of new life and loss. A Canadian doctor called
John McCrae posted to the front wrote a poem entitled "In Flanders
fields" which served as the inspiration for people to wear artificial
poppies as a sign of remembrance. These are now sold on behalf of The British
Legion, a charity dedicated to supporting those serving in the armed forces and
former soldiers.” [1]
However,
the British Legion does not appear to restrict the connection of the poppy only
to the First World War, “Every poppy helps us to support the British Armed
Forces past and present, and their families.” [2] That presumably means that
wearing the poppy indicates the wearer’s support for all acts of the British
Armed Forces since the inception of these forces. This is not entirely free
from contention, for the British Armed Forces, although replete with anecdotes
of honor, bravery and chivalry, such as must set every adolescent heart racing,
were also involved, directly or indirectly, in a couple of questionable incidents:
e.g., the slave trade in Africa [3], the invasion and occupation of foreign
lands and subjugation and exploitation of peoples [4], the Jallianwala Bagh
massacre [5], and the firebombing of Dresden [6]. Ironically, one set of
engagements of the British Armed Forces actually bears the name “opium” [7].
Then there
are a couple of further complications. Indian-looking troops fought on both
sides of the British Empire, and specifically also in World Wars One and Two. Must wearing the poppy necessarily condemn one
of those groups of Indian-looking troops as traitors, one fought for the Crown,
far from the land of their birth, and one for that land’s self-determination? Germany
and Italy were on the other side in recent battles. Is it in good taste to
flaunt the poppy in the faces of our European Union trading partners, on the
streets of London, on the flight to Berlin, at an FAO conference in Italy? Let
us not forget that the British Armed Forces were not always made up of
volunteers. May we thank them too for our freedom, who did not act quite freely,
without it being a travesty?
Remember
also that the famous poem seems to commemorate exclusively those of the
Christian faith (“…between the crosses, row on row….”), ignoring those of other
persuasions who also died for King and Country, or whatever they supposed they
were fighting for. It is also not merely a paean to solemn remembrance, for it
explicitly asks for the conflict, the same conflict that lead to the dead it
remembers, to continue (“Take up our quarrel with the foe”), presumably
resulting in yet more dead.
But England
has also been a beacon of liberty, and the view might be held that much of this
was a long time ago, and the poppy now represents freedom and quality of life,
at least for those who live in the British Isles, some Scottish and Irish
opinions on independence notwithstanding. Indeed, the individual testimonials
that the British Legion chooses to broadcast appear to support this view [8].
However, that
does not appear to really hold true. Apparently, it is possible to get arrested
for expressing an opinion concerning the poppy. In the twenty-first century, in
the UK, and by “arrested”, I mean “have police knock at one’s door after sunset”
etc. [9]. This incident led to the
famous reaction, "What was the point of winning either World War if, in
2012, someone can be casually arrested by Kent Police for burning a poppy?” [10]
It’s not
just actively burning a poppy that can get you into trouble – just not
conforming by not wearing one can leave you ostracized or open to nasty
threats. Indeed, we seem to have reached a stage where people are afraid not to
wear a poppy. [11]
Some,
however, are brave enough to express a minority opinion: "Come 2014 when
the government marks the beginning of the first world war with quotes from
Rupert Brooke, Rudyard Kipling and other great jingoists from our past empire,
I will declare myself a conscientious objector. We must remember that the
historical past of this country is not like an episode of Downton Abbey where
the rich are portrayed as thoughtful, benevolent masters to poor folk who need
the guiding hand of the ruling classes to live a proper life.....We must
remember that the war was fought by the working classes who comprised 80% of
Britain's population in 1913...Too many of the dead, from that horrendous war,
didn't know real freedom because they were poor and were never truly
represented by their members of parliament." [12]
These words
represent belief in individual liberty and intellectual integrity. It is
lamentable that the poppy today obviously does not stand for these values, given
the viciousness of the attacks against those who choose not to wear one.
Perhaps an
interim solution is to wear two poppies, for those who must poppies wear, with
the second one enclosed in a circle, with a chord cutting across it,
representing support for also those who choose not to wear a poppy.
___________________
References:
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/events/remembranceday/
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_empire
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jallianwala_Bagh_massacre
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars
A selection:
“…that I remember and that I am proud of my
fellow Service men, countrymen and all those who fell during the War”
“…in Remembrance of those Service men and women
who have died since 1914 to keep us free and safe.”
“…to remember those who have fallen in the
fight for our freedom and for those that continue to ensure our freedom today”
“…as a symbol of Remembrance for those that
have made the ultimate sacrifice, our fallen.”
“…the sacrifice of our troops, past and
present, allows us to live the lives we lead today.”
“…to remember the people that have given their
lives for us to live currently in peace.”
“…to remember with gratitude all those who
serve to defend our nation, past and present.”
“…The poppy represents the suffering caused by
wars and conflicts…….Finally, it is a way of giving thanks for the sacrifices
of our forefathers so that we can lead the comfortable lives of today”
“…. Three generations of my family fought to
give me the freedom and quality of life that I enjoy today and that shape daily
life.”
[9] http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/12/arrested-poppy-burning-beware-tyranny-decency
[10] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9671394/Burning-poppy-photo-Man-arrested-for-posting-image-on-Twitter.html
[11] http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/17/david-mitchell-remembrance-poppies-television
"It means that people on TV, and appearing
in public in general, will come to wear poppies primarily to avoid disapproval
– in fact they're undoubtedly doing so already.....'Lest We Forget' will be
reduced to the level of remembering to check your flies are done up....It's
wonderfully humane and moving if everyone wears a poppy – but only if they
don't feel they have to, and wouldn't fear not to."
[12] http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/poppy-last-time-remembrance-harry-leslie-smith
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