Let's Avoid Making the Humble Poppy a Far-Right Symbol
Perhaps I have been unaware, but neither I nor my friends knew that the symbolic poppy has been taken over by the far right. Neil Mackay highlights this in his article, The poppy has been hijacked by the far right – this is why I won’t wear it (November 6).
My recently deceased father survived the Normandy landings. His father was injured at Passchendaele by shellfire and was evacuated to the Netley receiving hospital on Southampton Water. Despite doctors’ efforts, he refused to have his legs amputated. After treatment in 12 other hospitals, he returned to Passchendaele, fighting in all weather while still wearing his kilt. When he died, he still carried shrapnel near his spine and had a wound large enough for a fist to enter his buttock.
Neil Mackay: "Why I can't risk wearing a poppy this year"
My mother’s boyfriend was lost with all hands when HMS Kite was torpedoed in 1944, a fact my father shared with me only recently. This loss affected her profoundly throughout her life. Such stories reflect the dedication and courage of those who fought to defend our democracy and country.
My father instilled in us the importance of supporting the Earl Haig Fund and wearing the poppy with pride. I remember him standing at attention, tears in his eyes during the minute’s silence every year on the eleventh day of the eleventh hour of the eleventh month.
Author's summary: The poppy, a symbol of sacrifice and remembrance, must not be co-opted by far-right groups, but honored with the dignity due to those who fought for democracy.
Would you prefer a more formal or conversational tone for the summary?