Remembrance Sunday- what do you think of the Tower of London poppies?

Are you talking from experience? Or just trying to make yourself being controversial to make yourself more interesting?

I can assure you that it means absolutely nothing to me how controversial or interesting I'm seen as being. I'm just trying to say what my personal moral views are regarding public commemoration of major wars.

I'm perfectly entitled to my opinion, aren't I?

Reply 21

MatureStudent36

5

Original post by Muulka

I can assure you that it means absolutely nothing to me how controversial or interesting I'm seen as being. I'm just trying to say what my personal moral views are regarding public commemoration of major wars.

I'm perfectly entitled to my opinion, aren't I?

It's not commemorating a war. It's an act of remembrance for those who have died in war.

It may have missed you by, but there was no jingoism at the cenotaph. No victory speeches. Just rememberence by former service personel, their friends and their family's remembering.

Reply 22

Muulka

Original post by MatureStudent36

It's not commemorating a war. It's an act of remembrance for those who have died in war.

It may have missed you by, but there was no jingoism at the cenotaph. No victory speeches. Just rememberence by former service personel, their friends and their family's remembering.

No jingoism, no. But no attempt to come to any meaningful resolution to change attitudes and stop adding more to the piles of names.

And no mention of the people killed from other countries. It's not jingoism. It's a much more insidious form of nationalism. The sort of nationalism that makes people sign up to fight in the first place. There's no questioning of the reasons for sending the fallen to their graves.

I hope you see my reasons for objecting to these remembrance ceremonies. I don't necessarily expect you to agree, but I trust that you will try to see my point of view

Reply 23

MagicNMedicine

20

I am not keen on it to be honest.

I don't think a time-limited tourist attraction like this is the right tribute. It becomes something everybody rushes to do, and so you have to jostle people to see it, it ruins the quiet and reflectiveness that you need to pay remembrance to war.

I think it's good as a work of art, but the problem is it's too elaborate for these purposes, the attraction is the art itself. They should have done something simple and permanent where people could go to at a time that suited them to pay their respects.

I wouldn't like standing in a graveyard with a load of other tourists jostling to take pictures, which is why I don't like this as a tribute.

Reply 24

username1467365

18

Haven't seen them in person either but I think they look really good.

Reply 25

indigobluesss

20

Original post by MatureStudent36

Not if it's your money that you've used to buy one.

Regardless of who bought them it's still a waste of money imo

Reply 26

MatureStudent36

5

Original post by R Dragon

Regardless of who bought them it's still a waste of money imo

Well you're entitled to your opinion.

Members of the armed forces have fought and died to give you the luxury of your own opinion.

Reply 27

subjunctivehistorian

16

Original post by Muulka

Because utterly belies the reality of the war. People around this time talk of sacrifice, heroism and patriotism. But the fact is that that is a total lie. Sacrifice? More like butchery. Heroism? Shell shock and horror. Patriotism? Conscription.

The poppies at the Tower give off an aura of peace and tranquillity. Nothing to do with the horror of the undermining they did in the trenches or sitting in a bunker hearing the shells land around, getting closer and closer...

To understand my feelings properly, you should read this poem by Siegfried Sassoon:
http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/siegfried-sassoon/on-passing-the-new-menin-gate/

You're welcome to take part in all the pomp of modern-day remembrance, but it is not for me.

I completely agree with you. 'It's not lest we forget, it's lest we remember.' :biggrin:

Reply 28

username402722

19

I saw them about three weeks ago and they are a beautiful and thought provoking sight. I would have liked to buy one to take to the grave of the one relative who died in the first world war but they have all been sold.

Reply 29

Quiet _One86

16

Original post by barnetlad

I saw them about three weeks ago and they are a beautiful and thought provoking sight. I would have liked to buy one to take to the grave of the one relative who died in the first world war but they have all been sold.

Theres always next year.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Remembrance Sunday- what do you think of the Tower of London poppies?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you