I don't wear my heart on my sleeve.
Nor do I wear my poppy on my lapel.
Partly that's cos I hardly have lapels these days but also because I find they pin so insecurely they, like fallen Autumn leaves, quickly become litter.
I donate my money to the Poppy Appeal in support of those who have given so much, be they forced to serve or volunteered, but I leave the poppy with the vendor for the next donor.
So I'll brook no outrage or condemnation from the Far Right who want to 'weaponise' the wearing of the Poppy as a symbol of the 'patriot.'
I'd go further and question the hypocrisy of some far right politicians and prominent columnists who flaunt flashy Poppy brooches or other blingy pieces of designer jewelry with a Poppy theme. When I wore a bog-standard Poppy, it meant I'd donated money to the Appeal - I wonder how much have they given to the charity?
#KGBeebies is claiming that some are outraged that the Poppy is being associated with Palestine: 'Bloody foreigners should keep their filthy mitts off our national Poppy symbol...' As ever, #GBeebies fails to identify these individuals (perhaps it's mostly the staff at GB News?).
But Palestinians see the Palestinian Poppy as a national symbol.
It's almost enough to make me want to donate again and this time wear my Poppy: kill two Right-wing Shibboleths with one stone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_symbols_of_Palestine
Philip C James