Remembrance Without Religion

Up until last year, there was a rather simple Remembrance Parade held at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in November. People would gather, old submariners would fall in, Laurence Binyon's words would be spoken the Still would be piped, silence observed, wreaths laid and then a Tot taken, Last year a vicar came in and led the service. For me the simplicity and elegance disappeared with the imposition of the religious ritual and the, for me, meaningless biblical words and prayers and this became just another remembrance service.

I suspect many will be used to the religious service  and be happy to continue with the familiar format. I wonder if there are others out there, though, who would appreciate a secular gathering, one where people might have their own thoughts and be able to remember those 5300 and others without religious overtones.

If there are, please get in touch.

Its for Remembering not for villifying

I had it in mind to try and write something about the wearing of poppies.  Trouble is, the i beat me to it. And here's that link again :)

Like many other people, I simply wear a poppy at this time of year because I want to, with my reasoning being that I can support the work of the Royal British Legion and mark the sacrifices made by millions in times of conflict.  It is my 'choice'. The governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have put in place some restrictive laws over the years but we remain, to all intents and purposes, a free country, a country where the individual can pretty well do as much as they like, say what they like, wear what they like, to choose.

And the reason that they can do this is because those same governments have opted to resist the intentions of others to impose their wills upon us and others. Hence, the wars against the German alliances in the First and Second World Wars, Malaya, Aden, Borneo, Northern Ireland, Falklands - and so on.  Freedom means choice and we should be able to make our choices without fear of rebuke from others. Today I saw my first poppy 'fascist' on Facebook. There are many who, shall we say, nag others to wear poppies but this is the first time I've seen someone implying the wearing of a poppy is pretty much mandatory.

Another year passes and still I find it insulting, the amount of people that are not wearing poppy's (sic)! Yes we are a multicultural nation, but when you live here you respect our traditions and remember all that gave their lives so we could have a better one. I for one will always respect it and I'm immensely proud of them all. - DO

Implicit in this statement is the idea that many non-poppy wearers are not indigenous as the BNP calls them and ignores the fact that a large percentage of the indigenous populace also doesn't wear them. It is possible to respect something without having to wear a badge to prove it.

I wish I could write as eloquently as Simon Kelner who has this piece in the i today, whilst an old (military) colleague posted this on FB:

Poppy supporters, please stop politicising the poppy as a nationalist or Christian symbol. It's not. Support the poppy, but for the right and historic reasons. This xenophobia (look it up) over our poppy just has to stop. Please, Just Remember! If you need a cross to bare (sic), the answer's in this sentence ;) Ta. - PG


It's pretty depressing to see the many corrupted versions of the poppy on eBay associated with political/sectarian groups.

In Laurence Binyon's 'For The Fallen',

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.