We’re getting near Remembrance Sunday, which is to quote the Royal British Legion ‘an opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life’. This, supposedly being a free country, means we get to remember in our own way, with some people attending large city and town services, others attending smaller local services and, in my case, remembering quietly and privately. Not everyone feels the same way, though. Social media is full of groups, which are often a cover for people with more extreme right wing views and there are some places which, leading up to Remembrance Day and including it that deny entry to people not wearing a poppy. I am not sure demanding that people remember in a certain way and are forced to wear a poppy sits easy with people who have defending our freedoms but particularly since the advent of the internet that’s certainly how it feels.
In any event, the last thing I am going to do is remember because some shady Facebook group tells me to. I am quite capable of doing that myself, thank you very much. But some of these groups really do concern me. One theme which is popping up everywhere is this one from a group called Ontario Proud:
Drill down through Ontario Proud and you soon discover an unpleasant right wing group with dubious views, not least about Covid and vaccines. I’d describe it as clickbait because the overall premise of the picture is bollocks. Here’s why:
- No one has ever described the poppy as racist.
- No one has ever said the poppy is political
- No one has ever said the poppy is disrespectful
- Quite frankly, I do not need a ‘simple but vital reminder’ from anyone.
What we have here, pure and simple, is a cynical attempt to stoke up a negative reaction to something quite innocent and to add to the myth that people are too easily offended these days, the implication being that Ontario Proud is standing up against them. And here’s another thing: if anyone is daft enough to regard the poppy as racist, political and disrespectful they way to deal with it, in a free country, is by weight of argument. That there is no one to argue with about it speaks volumes.
I regard the Royal British Legion as one of our great charities and I usually buy a poppy or a badge and I always make a donation. I can do that because I am free to do so. If I choose not to, that’s my business and not that of any old numpty in cyberspace.
By all means post the usual ‘I’m proud to wear my poppy – share if you agree’ posts if you think your Facebook friends need prompting of Remembrance and all that goes with it but just remember compulsion does not equal freedom. If that’s how we remember those who served and gave sacrifice, I’m not sure if we are getting the whole point.
