Wear Your Poppy With Shame!

It is probably an age thing!

I can understand the Welsh Political Twins antipathy towards the Poppy Symbol, but they are a lot younger than me. I was born 14 years after the end of WWII. The Cenotaphs in Dolgellau, Barmouth, Cilfynydd, Ludlow, Trawsfynydd and Minsterly don't just have names on them they have the names of real people who my parents and grandparents really grieved for, and for whom I still feel a duty of rememberance.

Y Prifardd Hedd Wyn, the Welsh language icon of War loss was my paternal grandfather's cousin. Wilfred Owen, probably the best English language War Poet, was my maternal grandmother's cousin. The words of these two relatives are still used and abused in remembrance.

Armistice Day / Remembrance Sunday is an emotional day for me. My family tree is full of names of fantastic people who I would have known had they not been butchered and damned in the two world wars. So I wear a poppy in respect and remembrance of them!

But think about it! What is poppy money for?

A Charity that supports disabled ex-service personnel!

Why do those who have served King and Country need to depend on charity for support?

Shouldn't the government that recruited them, conscripted them and deployed them pick up the tab for disabled service personnel?

The fact that I have to put a couple of quid into a charity box to buy a poppy, in order to ensure that disabled soldiers are looked after is a shameful reflection on the UK's policy of care for its war heroes!

The Poppy isn't a Symbol of Pride, it is a Symbol of Shame! Shame that a charity is doing what the government should have a moral duty to do!

The Cost of Remembrance

There is much debate on the Scottish blogosphere about the decision by the Scottish Parliament that poppy wreaths laid by MSPs today can be claimed for out of parliamentary expenses. Most think that claiming for wreaths is insensitive and a shame on those who do so.

Others make the counter argument that an MSP isn't laying the wreath in his own right but in an official capacity as a representative of the people, and therefore the people should pay.

I could accept the public service on behalf of the constituents argument if only one wreath was laid on my behalf by one of my public representatives. But it appears that the chair of the parish council, my county councillor, the mayor of the county council, my constituency Assembly Member, 4 regional AMs, my MP, four euro MEPs, the First Minister, the Secretary of State for Wales, the Prime minister and the Queen (and possibly others) can all lay wreaths on my behalf out of the public purse. This is over representation.

The parish council should lay one wreath on my behalf as a parishioner. Any other public representative who thinks that laying a wreath is the right thing to do should do so in his or her own name and out of his or her own pocket*.


* NB I should point out, in fairness, that despite the fact that all of these people CAN claim the cost of wreaths, because they are laying them as representatives of the people few actually do so.