In the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day, like millions of other Canadians, I wore a red poppy on my jacket to signify remembrance of those who fought and died for our freedom. This tradition started following World War I, which we only wish could have been the War to End All Wars, but has grown to encompass World War II, Korea, and the various peacekeeping missions in which our military has become involved.
Although, like so many others, I don’t support the current mission in Afghanistan and the role that Canada is playing, I do strongly support our troops and want nothing but the best tools for them to safeguard their lives and eventually bring them home safely to their families. I cannot find any reasonable excuse to give to the families whose father, mother, sister, brother, husband or wife does not come home.
Remembrance Day has always held special significance for me. My father and grandparents lived though the occupation of Holland during World War II and I have always been aware of the connection between that country and Canada, since our soldiers played such a large part in the liberation and rebuilding. Mollie & I are also fortunate to still have her grandfather with us, who was a pilot during that war. During our trip to the Netherlands this year we visited the Canadian War Cemetery and the National Liberation Museum in Groesbeek, places that I had visited with my father five years ago. I’m a firm believer that we should have a national statutory holiday on November 11 in honour of our Veterans, those fallen and those still with us.
A few weeks back, a Scottish friend at work was wearing a white poppy on his jacket. When I asked what it was about he said it was a British Peace Poppy, which commemorates all the victims of war. It includes the soldiers, but is not just about them.
From this web site,
The White Poppy symbolizes the belief that there are better ways to resolve conflicts than killing strangers. Our work, primarily educational, draws attention to many of our social values and habits which make continuing violence a likely outcome. From economic reliance on arms sales (Britain is the world’s second largest arms exporter) to maintaining manifestly useless nuclear weapons Britain contributes significantly to international instability. The outcome of the recent military adventures highlights their ineffectiveness in today’s complex world. Now 89 years after the end of the ‘war to end all wars’ we still have a long way to go to put an end to a social institution, which in the last decade alone killed over 10 million children.
I honour our Veterans at Remembrance Day and at any opportunity throughout the year. And I can think of no better way to honour their sacrifice than to eliminate the need for soldiers in future to make the same.
Next year I want to find a white poppy to wear.
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Wow….very interesting…I had no idea there even existed a white poppy, never mind the meaning behind wearing it.
I agree whole-heartedly with the concept…it is NOT just the soldiers who sacrifice, who should be remembered for their sacrifice.
Victims of any war…every war…can be found among women, children, the elderly and more, in not only the war-torn country itself, but also in the family of the soldiers that are left behind when these brave men are away fighting, perhaps never to return home again…these are victims of war too…indeed, the very most innocent ones, to be sure.
I, too, will be searching out the white poppy next year to adorn my lapel.
Did you find one?
The white poppy was created after ww1, mainly by relatives of those killed in the “great war” who wanted to work to ensure that there never was another great war….
they then resurfaced in the 90′s brought around by the peace movement in the uk…
they are hard to get hold of even in the uk.. we had to go to the local peace shop in the city where we live to find them.. they are certainly not on general sale on the streets…
its also amazing peoples response when you wear one.. the poppy sellers glare or shout, the older population glare, the younger population tend to ask you about it and where they can get one…
they are generally only available in the uk, but there is a place in canada, listed here..
http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/outlets.html
you will also notice that there is a white poppy laying ceremony in ottowa each year….
hi
I was looking for a picture of the white poppy as I support peace, and came across your article on Google. How wonderful it was to read it, as I am a Quaker & pacifist and wear the white poppy every year. Thank you for putting this on the web, along with the poem. It is an inspiring piece and gives the full definition of the white poppy. It is much better to jaw jaw, than war war. I believe there is always an alternative to war and you have to explore every opportunity before descending to it. I am also glad to stated that the poopy commerates all war dead. I expect you have found a source for your white poppy, they are always available from Quaker shops in England, however I don’t know about Canada. Peace is the only true way to freedom and we are only free when the last person has laid down their guns & weapons and we can walk the streets safely without fear of attack.
Thanks for this, as a peacemaker I am deeply invested in nonviolent alternatives to war, and this time of year can be difficult since the need to recognise the cost of war somehow becomes divorced from questions about why there is war at all.
In Canada one can also get a red badge (or button as they call it here) from Mennonite churches that says ‘To Remember Is To Work For Peace’.
Mennonites are nonviolent peace churches and are big supporters of Christian Peacemaker Teams, my organisation.
I will wear one of these badges because I don’t have my white poppy.
If anyone asks you about it, you can tell them that 90% of casualties in modern war are civilian.