The Poppy

[Hardy]

Yes - firm grasp on reality there - the party that declared the republic is in fact a unionist party.

Dev was a secret agent for the Brits, you know. He was also a nazi sympathiser.

Your turn.

A Unionist is someone who wants a Union with Britan. FG want this. They also want the status quo with the north under British control. This makes them Unionists.

Sorry - didn't realise you were joking.

FG wants a "Union" with Britain? References please.

If support of the present dispensation in the North defines Unionism, then we're nearly all Unionists (including Sinn Féin).

[lynchbhoy]

But the fact is that while you convince yourself that everyone in the north wears the poppy for the right reason, the rest of us know that a disproportionate number of people (from the one community) in the north wear it, compared to anywhere else why?
Would it be maybe the elephant in the room that you avoid - some unionist/loyalist/protestant people in the north wear it as a "badge of honour" or if you like, a "feck you, we're still here" badge.

I don't have to convnce myself, i know what i think in my head and i can tell you that i could'nt give a flying f**k about putting two fingers up to this or that community. I've bigger issues like paying the mortgage etc to worry about. Whats more i don't honestly know a single person that has this 'that'll show them attitude (maybe i just hangout with well adjusted people).
There probably is some morons out there that were it as a badge, but a majority!! thats just idle prejudiced speculation, those that do though are just the other side of the coin to the poppy haters on here caught up in their own mire of bigotry and prejudice.

...or simply compare the wearing of poppies to that in England, how many and for the duration they are worn.
by contrast the poppy wearers in the north of Ireland would be seen to wear them for much longer duration, and on more of the population  !!
thats real life.
I'd have respect for those ex servicepeople in England but the badgewearing by too many in the north of Ireland wreck it for those who wear them for the 'right reasons'.

Good to hear that the poppy commemorates all in all the wars so our 'Fenian dead' are also commemorated. Might even buy a poppy next year too !!!

Any figures to back that up or is it just more of the same old opinions trotted out as facts again?

maybe take off the blinkers and use the old eyes ...it works for most peopel !!

[delboy]

But the fact is that while you convince yourself that everyone in the north wears the poppy for the right reason, the rest of us know that a disproportionate number of people (from the one community) in the north wear it, compared to anywhere else why?
Would it be maybe the elephant in the room that you avoid - some unionist/loyalist/protestant people in the north wear it as a "badge of honour" or if you like, a "feck you, we're still here" badge.

I don't have to convnce myself, i know what i think in my head and i can tell you that i could'nt give a flying f**k about putting two fingers up to this or that community. I've bigger issues like paying the mortgage etc to worry about. Whats more i don't honestly know a single person that has this 'that'll show them attitude (maybe i just hangout with well adjusted people).
There probably is some morons out there that were it as a badge, but a majority!! thats just idle prejudiced speculation, those that do though are just the other side of the coin to the poppy haters on here caught up in their own mire of bigotry and prejudice.

...or simply compare the wearing of poppies to that in England, how many and for the duration they are worn.
by contrast the poppy wearers in the north of Ireland would be seen to wear them for much longer duration, and on more of the population  !!
thats real life.
I'd have respect for those ex servicepeople in England but the badgewearing by too many in the north of Ireland wreck it for those who wear them for the 'right reasons'.

Good to hear that the poppy commemorates all in all the wars so our 'Fenian dead' are also commemorated. Might even buy a poppy next year too !!!

Any figures to back that up or is it just more of the same old opinions trotted out as facts again?

maybe take off the blinkers and use the old eyes ...it works for most peopel !!

Or you could just give some evidence instead of spouting opinions as facts, works for most people, i believe!!

[lynchbhoy]

But the fact is that while you convince yourself that everyone in the north wears the poppy for the right reason, the rest of us know that a disproportionate number of people (from the one community) in the north wear it, compared to anywhere else why?
Would it be maybe the elephant in the room that you avoid - some unionist/loyalist/protestant people in the north wear it as a "badge of honour" or if you like, a "feck you, we're still here" badge.

I don't have to convnce myself, i know what i think in my head and i can tell you that i could'nt give a flying f**k about putting two fingers up to this or that community. I've bigger issues like paying the mortgage etc to worry about. Whats more i don't honestly know a single person that has this 'that'll show them attitude (maybe i just hangout with well adjusted people).
There probably is some morons out there that were it as a badge, but a majority!! thats just idle prejudiced speculation, those that do though are just the other side of the coin to the poppy haters on here caught up in their own mire of bigotry and prejudice.

...or simply compare the wearing of poppies to that in England, how many and for the duration they are worn.
by contrast the poppy wearers in the north of Ireland would be seen to wear them for much longer duration, and on more of the population  !!
thats real life.
I'd have respect for those ex servicepeople in England but the badgewearing by too many in the north of Ireland wreck it for those who wear them for the 'right reasons'.

Good to hear that the poppy commemorates all in all the wars so our 'Fenian dead' are also commemorated. Might even buy a poppy next year too !!!

Any figures to back that up or is it just more of the same old opinions trotted out as facts again?

maybe take off the blinkers and use the old eyes ...it works for most peopel !!

Or you could just give some evidence instead of spouting opinions as facts, works for most people, i believe!!

it aint just me - plenty of others on this thread have also outlined how little the poppy is worn by comparison to the badge wearing loyalist/unioniits in the north of Ireland !
so may be take of the blinkers and the sectarian/bigoted  ones too and see the bigger picture !

dont beloieve all you read is the old phrase, you cant beat seeing things in reality !!
Though the likes of you see feck all with yer heads in the sand (or up yer holes!!)
Have a nice delusional weekend!

[delboy]

So no evidence, opinion presented as fact (a few liked minded people holding the same view is not evidence) and an attempt to label me bigotted/sectarian, same old tatics, its amazing what passes for debate on here.
Have a good weekend, hope your visual senses aren't accosted by any nasty poppies, we wouldn't want it ruined would we 

[Evil Genius]

...or simply compare the wearing of poppies to that in England, how many and for the duration they are worn.
by contrast the poppy wearers in the north of Ireland would be seen to wear them for much longer duration, and on more of the population  !!
thats real life.
I'd have respect for those ex servicepeople in England but the badgewearing by too many in the north of Ireland wreck it for those who wear them for the 'right reasons'.

Haven't time to respond to all of my "avid readers"  , but I cannot let the above tripe pass.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8333733.stm
As regards how long NI people wear their Poppy, it simply cannot  be any longer than those in GB, since the RBL starts selling them on the same date throughout the UK. This year it was 22nd October. Indeed, depending on what day/dates  Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day fall (how many weekends etc), the onsale date is always  approximately 3 weeks before 11th November.

As for there being so many more (Unionist) Poppy wearers in NI than in GB, that is patent balls. Last year, 26 million  Poppies were sold throughout the UK. Therefore, unless the 1 million Unionists in NI were all buying a couple of dozen each, by the time you discount that proportion of the UK's 60 million inhabitants who are foreigners/immigrants etc, with no knowledge of or interest in the Poppy, then it must mean that near enough every other person in the UK bought one.

Of course, that prompts the question why it doesn't always seem that way. Partly this will be because many will only buy theirs on Remembrance Sunday or in the lead up to Armistice Day. Or speaking for myself, I bought one reasonably soon after they first went on sale, pinning it on the Lapel of my overcoat.
However, it and the coat hung on a peg in the hall for most of the next fortnight, since I was more concerned with the donation than the display, and so couldn't be bothered to switch it to whatever I was wearing any time I went out.

Anyhow, I understand and respect why many people decline to buy a Poppy, or even object to it: that should be their right, without comment or prejudice.

I just wish those of us who do choose to wear the Poppy were accorded the same freedom and respect, without others* casting their own petty and prejudiced motives on us, as though we were all "fenian-hating, Fu ck-You Brits" etc,  solely preoccupied with flaunting our Britishness in the face of our neighbours.


* - When it comes to "others", you know (or should do) who you are, and after reading some of the bitter and vitriolic posts on this thread, the rest of us now know who you are, too...

[lynchbhoy]

So no evidence, opinion presented as fact (a few liked minded people holding the same view is not evidence) and an attempt to label me bigotted/sectarian, same old tatics, its amazing what passes for debate on here.
Have a good weekend, hope your visual senses aren't accosted by any nasty poppies, we wouldn't want it ruined would we 

I dont have any problem with the poppy in England - as I know that all the people wearing them are genuine. Living in England for a long time does help out in that regard!
Deny it all ya like but you cant beat visual evidence as much as youd like to deny it !

its just that the people in the north of Ireland are not all that way and your posts denying this just seem like the usual loyalist/unionist apologetic nonsense for such.

as for the nonsense that evil gaafan has just posted - typical - I suppose I should have said proportionally per population, but even then his usual stats that look great but never address the actual point or give decent content in formulating an answer (just a diversion) - the proof is looking at the crowds of people in English streets.
Poppies are not as obvious proportionally and popies appear and are worn long before they appear on English streets and are apparant long after the English based folk have stopped wearing theirs. ........apart from the TV people that is !

[delboy]

So no evidence, opinion presented as fact (a few liked minded people holding the same view is not evidence) and an attempt to label me bigotted/sectarian, same old tatics, its amazing what passes for debate on here.
Have a good weekend, hope your visual senses aren't accosted by any nasty poppies, we wouldn't want it ruined would we 

I dont have any problem with the poppy in England - as I know that all the people wearing them are genuine. Living in England for a long time does help out in that regard!
Deny it all ya like but you cant beat visual evidence as much as youd like to deny it !

its just that the people in the north of Ireland are not all that way and your posts denying this just seem like the usual loyalist/unionist apologetic nonsense for such.

as for the nonsense that evil gaafan has just posted - typical - I suppose I should have said proportionally per population, but even then his usual stats that look great but never address the actual point or give decent content in formulating an answer (just a diversion) - the proof is looking at the crowds of people in English streets.
Poppies are not as obvious proportionally and popies appear and are worn long before they appear on English streets and are apparant long after the English based folk have stopped wearing theirs. ........apart from the TV people that is !

Deny what  , there is nothing to deny except your opinion  Thats not a debate its just you making claims with nothing whatsoever to back them up, 1 out of 10 must try harder!!

I can't even begin to decipher the goobledygook you've written about it being acceptable in england but not in NI, something about people living there a long time, iis their lifespan longer or something  what nonsensical point are you trying rather badly to make.

[Zapatista]

Sorry - didn't realise you were joking.

FG wants a "Union" with Britain? References please.

If support of the present dispensation in the North defines Unionism, then we're nearly all Unionists (including Sinn Féin).

I don't want to get into a debate about it as it's no big deal. They are entitled to be Unionists if they want to. Unionism is not the dirty word many think it is. It's ok for FG to be Unionists as it is for them to be right wing. They don't need to be defended for wanting the 6 counties to remain under British control.

I don't think SF are Unionist. I'd say they're the opposite.

[Eoghan Mag]

Was in the National Museum in Dublin this week and I had to leave the cafe early for fear that I would stick the boot into 3 chaps who walked in the former Collins Barracks wearing poppies. It took a lot of restraint. Scum bags is all those lads are.

[Hardy]

Sorry - didn't realise you were joking.

FG wants a "Union" with Britain? References please.

If support of the present dispensation in the North defines Unionism, then we're nearly all Unionists (including Sinn Féin).

I don't want to get into a debate about it as it's no big deal. They are entitled to be Unionists if they want to. Unionism is not the dirty word many think it is. It's ok for FG to be Unionists as it is for them to be right wing. They don't need to be defended for wanting the 6 counties to remain under British control.

I don't think SF are Unionist. I'd say they're the opposite.

Or, in other words, you were talking bulldung.

[ardmhachaabu]

So your come back is that this is an internet forum and therefore you should be allowed to make all sorts of claims and not have to back them up with any evidence.
That's fair enough but without any evidence to back them up, they are essentially worthless.

So what you are saying is your opinion is the only one of worth? Good for you then 

That's very generous of you to say that some people don't wear the poppy as some sort of fingers up to you, and that its only the small minded Northern Unionists that do (is there any southern ones anyway? whats with adding the northern?) and a majority at that. Yet another mind reader on here that would give Derren Brown a run for his money, i swear the talent on here is wasted.

The point I am making is that first of all, in my experience of this time of year it's always the same people wearing one - not all northern unionists wear one - the ones who do, again in my experience, are using it as a badge of their Britishness
Is it more than a coincidence that most of those people who I have based my observations on would be from Loyalist working-class areas as opposed to comfy middle-class areas ? Unionists from middle-class areas tend not to bother - it's either they have no relatives killed in the wars or they couldn't give a toss and I reckon it's the latter - they are more concerned with paying the mortgage and making sure daddy plays golf on saturday mornings while mommy has afternoon tea in the church hall on sunday afternoons

Also, I am not trying to be insulting or be a WUM, just telling it like I see it

The rest of your post wasn't worth commenting on, just letting you know 

[pintsofguinness]

So no evidence, opinion presented as fact (a few liked minded people holding the same view is not evidence) and an attempt to label me bigotted/sectarian, same old tatics, its amazing what passes for debate on here.
Have a good weekend, hope your visual senses aren't accosted by any nasty poppies, we wouldn't want it ruined would we 

Head in the sand

[The Watcher Pat]

...or simply compare the wearing of poppies to that in England, how many and for the duration they are worn.
by contrast the poppy wearers in the north of Ireland would be seen to wear them for much longer duration, and on more of the population  !!
thats real life.
I'd have respect for those ex servicepeople in England but the badgewearing by too many in the north of Ireland wreck it for those who wear them for the 'right reasons'.

Haven't time to respond to all of my "avid readers"  , but I cannot let the above tripe pass.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8333733.stm
As regards how long NI people wear their Poppy, it simply cannot  be any longer than those in GB, since the RBL starts selling them on the same date throughout the UK. This year it was 22nd October. Indeed, depending on what day/dates  Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day fall (how many weekends etc), the onsale date is always  approximately 3 weeks before 11th November.

As for there being so many more (Unionist) Poppy wearers in NI than in GB, that is patent balls. Last year, 26 million  Poppies were sold throughout the UK. Therefore, unless the 1 million Unionists in NI were all buying a couple of dozen each, by the time you discount that proportion of the UK's 60 million inhabitants who are foreigners/immigrants etc, with no knowledge of or interest in the Poppy, then it must mean that near enough every other person in the UK bought one.

Of course, that prompts the question why it doesn't always seem that way. Partly this will be because many will only buy theirs on Remembrance Sunday or in the lead up to Armistice Day. Or speaking for myself, I bought one reasonably soon after they first went on sale, pinning it on the Lapel of my overcoat.
However, it and the coat hung on a peg in the hall for most of the next fortnight, since I was more concerned with the donation than the display, and so couldn't be bothered to switch it to whatever I was wearing any time I went out.

Anyhow, I understand and respect why many people decline to buy a Poppy, or even object to it: that should be their right, without comment or prejudice.

I just wish those of us who do choose to wear the Poppy were accorded the same freedom and respect, without others* casting their own petty and prejudiced motives on us, as though we were all "fenian-hating, f* ck-You Brits" etc,  solely preoccupied with flaunting our Britishness in the face of our neighbours.


* - When it comes to "others", you know (or should do) who you are, and after reading some of the bitter and vitriolic posts on this thread, the rest of us now know who you are, too...

Just because they are sold from the same date doesn't mean everyone wears them from the same date.. I may buy a poppy 3 weeks before remembrance Sunday but not put it on until that morning.

[Olaf]

So no evidence, opinion presented as fact (a few liked minded people holding the same view is not evidence) and an attempt to label me bigotted/sectarian, same old tatics, its amazing what passes for debate on here.
Have a good weekend, hope your visual senses aren't accosted by any nasty poppies, we wouldn't want it ruined would we 

I dont have any problem with the poppy in England - as I know that all the people wearing them are genuine.

Remarkable stuff   Really quite remarkable.