Why I choose to wear a white poppy
Friends will know that at this time of the year, I am usually to be found wearing a white poppy. Several people have asked me why so, rather than explaining to each person in turn, I thought I would put together this brief explanation.
The simplest answer is that I wear it to honour my Grandad. Unlike many people of my generation, neither of my granddads served in World War Two. The first, Grandad Albert, was a pipe-fitter in a factory, and was therefore in a reserved occupation. The second, Grandad George, was called up for active service, but refused, claiming that, as a Christian and a Church-goer, he felt military service to be incompatible with Christ’s command to ‘love your enemies’. In those days of compulsory conscription, those refusing to fight would be forced to appear before a tribunal. Some would be assigned a non-combative role in the forces, with many becoming ambulance drivers. Others, such as my grandad, were ‘absolutists’, refusing to serve in the forces in any capacity. By the end of the war, about 5,000 men and 500 women had been charged with offences to do with conscientious objection, and most of them were sent to prison. A further 1,000 or more were court-martialled and given prison sentences for refusing to obey military orders.
At my Grandad’s trial, he was asked why he would not serve as a soldier. With the backing of his Church minister, he argued his case, saying that whilst he would be prepared to die saving lives, he would not take another man’s life, in any circumstances. As a result of this, he became a firefighter in his home town of Southampton, which suffered severe aerial bombardment during the war.
Grandad’s story and his pacifist stance has followed me throughout my life. I am proud to be related to a man who stood up for his beliefs, at personal cost, and who believed, ultimately, that other people’s lives were worth risking his life for. At the same time, I also acknowledge the huge sacrifices made by those who have served in the forces. I understand that my freedom has been bought at a huge cost to human life - on all sides. I mourn the fact that wars still go on, and when I hold the minute’s silence on November 11th this year, I shall be all wars, past and ongoing. I shall be thinking of all the casualties, on all sides, both military and civilian, and praying ‘Never again’.
I normally buy (and wear) both a white and red poppy, because I believe both are of value. The money from the red poppy goes to help those who have been left injured through military service. The red poppy has also become an important national symbol for peace and a collective memorial for all those who have died or been injured in wars past and present. However, it is the white poppy that I choose to display most prominently because this is in keeping with my view that war and military might is not the answer to the world's problems.
The following is taken for Peace Pledge Union’s website: “White Poppies symbolise the conviction that there are better ways to resolve conflict than through the use of violence. They embody values that reject killing fellow human beings for whatever reason. Nearly 100 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 that even in the last decade has contributed to the killing of millions. From economic reliance on arms sales to renewing and updating all types of weapons, the UK government contributes significantly to international instability. The outcome of recent military adventures highlights their ineffectiveness and grim consequences. The best way to respect the victims of war is to work to prevent war in the present and future. Violence only begets more violence. We need to tackle the underlying causes of warfare, such as poverty, inequality and competition over resources. A temporary absence of violence is not enough. Peace is much deeper and broader than that, requiring major social changes to allow us to live more co-operatively.”
See more at: http://www.ppu.org.uk/whitepoppy/index.html#sthash.GCWBpJcg.dpuf