I choose not to wear a poppy for Remembrance Day simply for the reason that they are "disposable plastic" (**See below for reason for quotations). This is not an intentional offense. And neither is my choice to Christmas music or decorate before November 12.
There has been a lot of hooplah this year regarding "respecting your veterans." Yes, okay, if someone spits on your poppy, please feel free to be offended. But not allowing someone to celebrate a different holiday before another passes is suppressing the rights of others. You might as well deny someone the right to celebrate Christmas until Hanukkah is over, too.
Now this is only an observation, but I've noticed a pattern. The only people who seem to be really pushing for obstaining from Christmas until November 12 are those over the age of 60. And not even all of them. This is evidence of a changing world, nothing more. And that's okay! Change is good. Nothing is permanent. And Remembrance Day should evolve to how our world is today.
This whole "white poppy" thing has received a lot of attention. It highlights the shift in our mindsets. I don't necessarily agree with the idea of trying to replace the red poppy with the white. I do, however, love the idea of focussing on maintaining peace rather than mourning for those who sacrificed themselves for it every year. Remembrance Day could be a day to embrace the things that they fought and died for... such as Christmas.
Going back to the poppy... And pretty well any other awareness symbol paraphernalia... I spent more time than I care to admit trying to find how many poppies were produced every year. I finally found an interview on the Globe and Mail that stated that Canada produces 16 to 18 million poppies consistently each year. And that's just Canada! Every year poppies are worn for two weeks then just tossed out. And I find it slightly ridiculous that it is this difficult to find the stats. (FYI the British statistics on poppy production was much easier to find)
We are constantly bombarded with awareness campaigns in modern society, to the point that no one has the capacity to really care about anything. It starts to just depress you that there are so many terrible things to be aware of. We focus on the negative so easily and often. Where are the Bugs Are Cool Awareness campaigns, as opposed to the Endangered Honey Bee? Or the Pets Improve Quality of Life, as opposed to Animal Abuse? Maybe we would want to spread the joy instead of end the suffering. But I still wouldn't wear a "disposable plastic" (There I go again with the quotations.) insect to raise awareness. :P
***The reason that I used quotations around "disposable plastic" (Oops! Did it again!) is because "disposable" is not an accurate description of any plastic. It doesn't just go away. "Biodegradable" or "compostable" maybe. But even those are questionable, as there are often very specific environmental requirements to make it true. No plastic should be considered "disposable" as it harms our planet. Ending up in oceans and the stomachs of unsuspecting wildlife.
http://myplasticfreelife.com/about-me/
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