[TETENAL]

What is the meaning of this thing?

[faragbre967]

It's a pin for Veterans Day i think.

[dcmacdaddy]

It is a reminder of Remembrance Day when fighting in WWI came to a halt. You know, the whole 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month bit (11:00AM GMT on 11 November 1918).

The significance of the poppy is due to this poem.

In Flanders Fields
by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

[MacNNUK]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

What is the meaning of this thing?

As Brian Conley would say ........

It's a Poppy !

(British Joke)









(It's a Puppet)




Seriously
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-...atch_and_Stone

Left Hand Video Menu

and ...
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/vid..._WW1_armistice

[ShortcutToMoncton]

It's a poppy.

It's celebrated in Canada as well; McCrae was a Canadian soldier (who ended up dying himself before the war ended I think).

greg

[calverson]

That is her breast.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by calverson 

That is her breast.

PoppyGate!

[nonhuman]

Ah, I was wondering the same thing myself. Everyone seemed to be wearing them on the BBC and SkyNews last week, and I had no idea what was going on.

[ghporter]

I'm not that old, but I remember VFW volunteers selling (offering in exchange for a donation) these outside stores all through late October and into November... And as of last Friday, the closest thing I saw was a Disabled American Veterans volunteer with forget-me-nots. This was on an Air Force Base, too! I think it's a damn shame that we forget our veterans, particularly those who have sacrificed so very much and come home to try to find a way to live with parts missing.

Ok, so I get choked up, but I spent a few days at Brooke Army Medical Center a couple weeks ago, and saw a whole lot of guys (and girls) who were recovering from their time in combat. Amputations, burns, bullet wounds... It's pretty harsh to see a 21 year old kid who is learning how to use a prosthetic arm because someone tried to blow him up, especially when MY 21 year old kid is living at home while he's going to college.

So when I see a paper poppy, I do think of Flanders Fields, and all those young people who never went home, along with those that did come home, but will forever be different.

[calverson]

That is the most beautiful thing that I have ever read.

[Laminar]

I feel that way after just about ever ghporter post.

[Andrew Stephens]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

So when I see a paper poppy, I do think of Flanders Fields, and all those young people who never went home, along with those that did come home, but will forever be different.

Yes, the US had it's fair share of sacrifice in the war to end all wars. Take General Pershing (who even had a missile named in his honour). He regarded the signing of the Armistice as a mistake and favoured defeating Germany fully. As a result he ordered an American attack on the last morning of the war that resulted in 3,500 US casualties.

While I am a firm believer in remembrance I do always bear in mind that we are still doing the same thing, day after day, which hollows the sentiments expressed by our leaders somewhat.

[philm]

They are becoming increasingly ubiquitous this year it seems. I noticed that some of the Premier League football teams seemed to have had special strips made with a poppy logo in the centre of the chest. Everyone appearing on TV has them as usual; I noticed on X-Factor that the panellists all had a poppy somehow on their person, with Cheryl having it in her hair and Danni around her wrist.

The numbers from WW1 are so shocking though. I was listening yesterday about an Australian push 'over the top' when they lost something like 5,000 men in eight hours. Lest we forget.

[Maflynn]

Those bring back memories. I've not seen that in years. Not to be labor the point but its a poppy and they used to be very popular here at least when I was growing up. I've not seen any since then however.

[Andrew Stephens]

On June 7th 1917 the allies started the battle of Messines by detonating 455 tons of explosive buried under the German lines over the course of a year previously. Over 10,000 German soldiers simply vanished on the spot.

The big numbers are simply staggering. Thankfully (I think) the biggest outcome of the war was to change soldiers attitudes to being slaughtered senselessly.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I'm not that old, but I remember VFW volunteers selling (offering in exchange for a donation) these outside stores all through late October and into November... And as of last Friday, the closest thing I saw was a Disabled American Veterans volunteer with forget-me-nots. This was on an Air Force Base, too! I think it's a damn shame that we forget our veterans, particularly those who have sacrificed so very much and come home to try to find a way to live with parts missing.

Ok, so I get choked up, but I spent a few days at Brooke Army Medical Center a couple weeks ago, and saw a whole lot of guys (and girls) who were recovering from their time in combat. Amputations, burns, bullet wounds... It's pretty harsh to see a 21 year old kid who is learning how to use a prosthetic arm because someone tried to blow him up, especially when MY 21 year old kid is living at home while he's going to college.

So when I see a paper poppy, I do think of Flanders Fields, and all those young people who never went home, along with those that did come home, but will forever be different.

this is a really beautiful post.

[Peter]

Originally Posted by philm 

They are becoming increasingly ubiquitous this year it seems. I noticed that some of the Premier League football teams seemed to have had special strips made with a poppy logo in the centre of the chest. Everyone appearing on TV has them as usual; I noticed on X-Factor that the panellists all had a poppy somehow on their person, with Cheryl having it in her hair and Danni around her wrist.

The numbers from WW1 are so shocking though. I was listening yesterday about an Australian push 'over the top' when they lost something like 5,000 men in eight hours. Lest we forget.

it's BBC policy for everyone to have to wear a poppy.

[mattyb]

There have been a few progs on French TV recently regarding WW1. The numbers are simply staggering. 1.4 million French dead. 3 million injured. In the first hour of some battle they lost 10,000 men. The population of France was about 40 million in 1914 from a book that I have. It is said that the height of the average French male dropped by several centimeters due to the lack of healthy young men in the population.

Lions led by donkeys. Nothing ever changes.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

I'm not that old, but I remember VFW volunteers selling (offering in exchange for a donation) these outside stores all through late October and into November...

Up in Michigan the vets offer them every year still. Even if you don't have cash for a donation they would had them out at stores.

[richwig83]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

What is the meaning of this thing?

Did you really not know what the significance of wearing a poppy was??

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by richwig83 

Did you really not know what the significance of wearing a poppy was??

There's a whole world of people beyond your borders, my friend.

Welcome to the internet.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

There's a whole world of people beyond your borders, my friend.

Welcome to the internet.

Inter-net?

[Paco500]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Inter-net?

It's this series of tubes...

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Paco500 

It's this series of tubes...

Now you're talking my language!

[calverson]

Meh. The information superhighway.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Now you're talking my language!

The language of lurv.

[calverson]

Reminds me of that song by The Cure:

"now we're all the same..."

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Up in Michigan the vets offer them every year still. Even if you don't have cash for a donation they would had them out at stores.

That's good to hear, in part because that's where I remember seeing them. I grew up in the Downriver area, and it's surprising how much of one's attitudes are set by the way people behaved "back then."

[TETENAL]

Thanks a lot for explaining the meaning of it!

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Up in Michigan the vets offer them every year still. Even if you don't have cash for a donation they would had them out at stores.

It's because they're all slowly being converted to Canadian

[red rocket]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I'm not that old, but I remember VFW volunteers selling (offering in exchange for a donation) these outside stores all through late October and into November... And as of last Friday, the closest thing I saw was a Disabled American Veterans volunteer with forget-me-nots. This was on an Air Force Base, too! I think it's a damn shame that we forget our veterans, particularly those who have sacrificed so very much and come home to try to find a way to live with parts missing.

Ok, so I get choked up, but I spent a few days at Brooke Army Medical Center a couple weeks ago, and saw a whole lot of guys (and girls) who were recovering from their time in combat. Amputations, burns, bullet wounds... It's pretty harsh to see a 21 year old kid who is learning how to use a prosthetic arm because someone tried to blow him up, especially when MY 21 year old kid is living at home while he's going to college.

So when I see a paper poppy, I do think of Flanders Fields, and all those young people who never went home, along with those that did come home, but will forever be different.

I’m thoroughly sick of this military glorification. There hasn’t been a justifiable war for over sixty years. Anyone who has willingly fought, or is fighting, in subsequent and present one-sided conflict scenarios on the side of the mythical Western ‘democracies’ (pluto/corporatocracies in reality) is part of an aggressive martial imperialist machine, no more. This leaves three types of soldier-currently-alive mentality types: (1) bully type, (2) in denial type, (3) imbecile type.

And no, I don’t care if you ban me for this, and you can stuff your ****ing infractions up your arse, as well, it’s not as if I’m going to read them.

Militant bastards, using past war casualties to justify war in general is depraved and subhuman.

Let’s face it, you don‘t even know the meaning of valour. Your tears are hypocritical.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

It's because they're all slowly being converted to USA-lite

Fixed.



Actually, it has been that way my whole life.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by red rocket 

I’m thoroughly sick of this military glorification. There hasn’t been a justifiable war for over sixty years. Anyone who has willingly fought, or is fighting, in subsequent and present one-sided conflict scenarios on the side of the mythical Western ‘democracies’ (pluto/corporatocracies in reality) is part of an aggressive martial imperialist machine, no more. This leaves three types of soldier-currently-alive mentality types: (1) bully type, (2) in denial type, (3) imbecile type.

And no, I don’t care if you ban me for this, and you can stuff your ****ing infractions up your arse, as well, it’s not as if I’m going to read them.

Militant bastards, using past war casualties to justify war in general is depraved and subhuman.

Let’s face it, you don‘t even know the meaning of valour. Your tears are hypocritical.

Militant? Me? No, not at all. I am not glorifying anything. But just riding in a truck is NOT something that should get a person blown up. And when the bad guys actually come from far off lands to blow up our guys who are just riding in trucks, that really sucks. And when they manage to horribly maim the ones they don't obliterate, that sucks a whole lot more.

And I invite you to visit a place called the Center for the Intrepid, here in San Antonio, Texas. There you will see people horribly burned, with missing limbs, with some really grave physical and emotional problems (all from being blown up by the bad guys). But you will not find people who act like their lives are over. They went into their service with their eyes open and when it came down to it, they did what they felt was right. Not what YOU feel.

So it's just fine that you really abhor the fact that other people put their lives on the line to defend you from foreign threats. Just don't spit in their eyes, ok?

[Railroader]

Here's one thing I don't get. People who are so "anti"-X. They focus a lot of energy on things they hate. They rarely talk positively about anything. They proclaim their hate to all the world proudly. I just don't get it.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Here's one thing I don't get. People who are so "anti"-X. They focus a lot of energy on things they hate. They rarely talk positively about anything. They proclaim their hate to all the world proudly. I just don't get it.

Would you say that you are "anti"-those type of people?

[Railroader]

I'm anti-Laminar. You know what I don't get? You.

I'm glad you caught both of me "get" posts.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by philm 

The numbers from WW1 are so shocking though. I was listening yesterday about an Australian push 'over the top' when they lost something like 5,000 men in eight hours. Lest we forget.

That's nearly all of them, jesus.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Here's one thing I don't get. People who are so "anti"-X. They focus a lot of energy on things they hate. They rarely talk positively about anything. They proclaim their hate to all the world proudly. I just don't get it.

I'm not sure if you can say that many positive things about war to be honest.

[Railroader]

It is often good for the economy. But not this time unfortunately.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Fixed.

Actually, it has been that way my whole life.

Hey now...we're the ones who ubiquitously wear poppies on November 11 remember....

greg

[Railroader]

Looks like Michigan culture has properly infected all of Canada. But then, don't more people live in Michigan than in all of Canada? Note: we do not say "eh?".

I am of course JOKING people! Da yoopers say "eh?".

[brassplayersrock²]

noticed a lady wearing one today.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by red rocket 

I’m thoroughly sick of this military glorification. There hasn’t been a justifiable war for over sixty years. Anyone who has willingly fought, or is fighting, in subsequent and present one-sided conflict scenarios on the side of the mythical Western ‘democracies’ (pluto/corporatocracies in reality) is part of an aggressive martial imperialist machine, no more. This leaves three types of soldier-currently-alive mentality types: (1) bully type, (2) in denial type, (3) imbecile type.

And no, I don’t care if you ban me for this, and you can stuff your ****ing infractions up your arse, as well, it’s not as if I’m going to read them.

Militant bastards, using past war casualties to justify war in general is depraved and subhuman.

Let’s face it, you don‘t even know the meaning of valour. Your tears are hypocritical.

I've been waiting over a day to compose a calm (somewhat) rational response to your post. I think Glenn already put much of your nonsense in its proper place but I want to ask you to think about your comments.

I agree with you that there "hasn’t been a justifiable war for over sixty years"* but that should in no way cause you to criticize the soldiers who get sent off to war. If you have a problem with the way war has become an extension of "an aggressive martial imperialist [political] machine" then by all means attack the political system that chooses to send soldiers into harm's way for questionable purposes.

I lived in Washington, DC for just shy of 14 years and during those last few years I would drive up Georgia Avenue to get to Silver Spring, MD and go right past Walter Reed Army Medical Center. And there would be people like you out there, protesting the troops being treated there for their war injuries. They would stand on the corner opposite the main gate of the complex waving signs and shouting slogans at the hospital and vehicles coming and going at the hospital. Every time I drove by there I could count on seeing some soldier with a prosthetic arm or leg (or legs) walking on the sidewalk near the main gate. But not once did I ever see a soldier confront these protesters in any way. It would just sicken me (like really make me feel sick to my stomach) to drive by there and see these people hurling abuse at the soldiers when they should have been down at the White House hurling their abuse at the leaders who sent those soldiers into harm's way. I was angry about the Iraq War and marched in a number of protests before the war and once after it started. But I directed my anger at those who made the decision** to send our troops into the cluster-f*ck that was Iraq, NOT at the soldier's who got sent there.

All I ask is that the next time you see a soldier in uniform, stop and think about what this soldier is willing to do for you, and for all of us. Just stop and think about what you would do to help defend your country. Would you be willing to give up an arm or a leg? How about both your legs? Or maybe an eye or your hearing? Or a big chunk of your brain leaving you with limited mental faculties? Or how about your life?

I think You need to spend some time in Washington, DC at the WWII Memorial before taking a quick trip across the Potomac to Arlington National Cemetery. You need to see those who chose to defend this country, both the living and the dead, and learn to appreciate what it is they have been willing to do for us. Because you need to understand that "it is for us the living to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they who have fought have thus far so nobly advanced. . . . It is for us to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us . . . that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."


*Apart from the "war" in Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks. Of course, that was never a full-fledged war as our leaders quickly decided to go after their main geo-political (not military) objective, which was in Iraq.


**As far as I am concerned, George W. Bush earned himself a very special place in Hell for diverting this country's efforts from Afghanistan to Iraq after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. He had the whole world's support for invading Afghanistan and eliminating the Taliban and Al Qaeda and he squandered that support, and the lives of many US soldiers and Iraqi civilians, by diverting our efforts into Iraq. He has the blood of thousands of US troops and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians on his hands because of this decision. I wish for him an eternity in Hell spent watching all those killed in Iraq being buried, watching the loved ones of US troops and Iraqi civilians weeping and wailing at the deaths of their child/sibling/parent/spouse.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Well this thread has gone happy places

[Railroader]

I am happy with the thread. Ignorance was eliminated, Idiocy exposed.

[Sayf-Allah]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Militant? Me? No, not at all. I am not glorifying anything. But just riding in a truck is NOT something that should get a person blown up. And when the bad guys actually come from far off lands to blow up our guys who are just riding in trucks, that really sucks. And when they manage to horribly maim the ones they don't obliterate, that sucks a whole lot more.

When was the last time a US soldier got blown up on US soil?

[linger]

Originally Posted by Sayf-Allah 

When was the last time a US soldier got blown up on US soil?

Should we be? I think the fact that that doesn't happen often is a good thing. Not that it should matter were said soldier is, but what he or she was fighting for when they were killed.

[Sayf-Allah]

Originally Posted by linger 

Should we be? I think the fact that that doesn't happen often is a good thing. Not that it should matter were said soldier is, but what he or she was fighting for when they were killed.

It would help. Because if you would just once have to fight on your own soil you'd no longer go to war in foreign lands unless absolutely necessary.

[linger]

Originally Posted by Sayf-Allah 

It would help. Because if you would just once have to fight on your own soil you'd no longer go to war in foreign lands unless absolutely necessary.

Ah never-mind. Had I known what you were attempting to do, I'd not have taken the bait. We had a civil war here once I believe I read about it a few times BTW.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Sayf-Allah 

When was the last time a US soldier got blown up on US soil?

I'll take the bait.

Pearl Harbor?

My great-uncle is still missing his leg from that one.

I hope all of our wars are fighting on foreign soil from now on. Defending our allies and coming to the aid of those in need.

Perhaps you like wars to be like the last time the US was attacking on its own soil? Cowards flying airplanes into civilian buildings in the heart of our biggest city? Is that your kind of war?