REUSABLE SHOPPING BAG PRINCESS
November 4, 2009 - 11:12am
A whiter shade of peace
The arrival of November brings with it a gradual crescendo of bright red dots against ubiquitous dark winter coats, as passersby mark Remembrance Day. The red poppy, created in the 1920s, originally referred to the First World War though it’s perennially infused with new relevance as conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan rage on today.
In school I would obediently pin a poppy to my school uniform tie, but I always felt some discomfort with this tradition. While I wanted to acknowledge the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers who died in conflict, I didn’t want to take it as a given that war was the way to resolve those conflicts. The red poppy seems to be predicated on the belief that war is necessary. This assumption and the accompanying humility expected of red poppy wearers doesn’t leave much room to question whether war has a place as a primary problem solving tool. Going to war has become such a giant, expensive, sprawling machine that it’s difficult for ordinary people to speak out against it; increasingly, their objections are drowned out by the million-dollar tank engines.
A few years ago, a radio interview alerted me to the White Poppies for Peace movement. Wearing a white poppy expresses a hope to end all wars, and the belief that there are better ways to resolve conflict if we all commit ourselves to creating them. The Cooperative Women’s Guild began distributing white poppies in the 1930s, and today a small but loyal population of pacifists around the globe pins them on every November. White poppies were also meant to offer inclusion; the original activists felt that the red poppy bore too much of a specific connotation to the British military. The white poppy recognizes all victims of all wars, respectfully including soldiers in that classification.
Princess, you're raising important questions and I encourage everyone to consider them. But I have to disagree with your comment that the "red poppy seems to be predicated on the belief that war is necessary". The red poppy reflects the reality that war has happened and that brave men and women have made sacrifices when it was necessary - men and women who didn't start the wars and would have certainly preferred that the wars didn't happen. It recognizes that there has been and still is war.
I think that by reminding us of those sacrifices and the horror of war, the red poppy helps us all to think about why war is best avoided and encourages us to do our part to find other ways to solve differences.
this is an interesting conundrum. to honour or to profess an intent.
I recently came back from Sarajevo, where I saw the horrors of the Serbian seige from 1992-1995. When rebuilding, the Bosnians intentionally left remnants of the destruction and strife.
It made me realize the importance of remembering a time of living through hell.
Maybe it's a small-scale comparison, but deliberately looking at things that remind me of a difficult past help me work diligently to ensure that I do what I can to prevent similar angst in my future.
For that, I need both the red and the white. Contemplating the past and wishing for a peaceful future keep me grounded in the present.
Great article. Thanks for sharing.
Right on Princess! A thoughtful essay. I was led to follow the links you provided and investigate the white poppy campaign and the Peace Pledge Union, and read the story of Dick Sheppard, the man behind the peace pledge. Compelling! Inspiring! Thank you!