November Chills

[Sweder]

Slipped out for a silent five this morning, heavy skies adding to my gloomy mood. I’d spent the first waking hour of my day listening to the madness that is our modern world. I'm seriously thinking about junking Five Live for anything other than sport; the political coverage is at best tabloid and at worst hysterical.

Peter Snow, Channel Four newsman and respected journo, has elected not to wear a commemorative poppy whilst reading the news. He wears one in private, but in keeping with his policy not to support other institutions (such as breast cancer charities or NSPCC) he has resisted pressures from his C4 bosses to brandish the flower on screen.

There is of course a furore breaking out amongst the chattering classes.
Is it PC to wear a poppy, or to not wear one?
Does wearing a poppy indicate that you support war, that you condone slaughter?
Are those ‘non-wearers’ disrespectful to our fallen countrymen and women?
Will we offend visitors and the immigrant populace by our acknowledgement of our military, both past and present?

Frankly I don’t give two hoots.
All I know is that millions of men, many of them barely old enough to vote, were sent to fight and die in the muddy trenches of Belgium and France in WWI. In the blood-soaked fields of Flanders, Ypres and the Somme poppies grew, becoming a symbol for new life after appalling death, of remembrance for the fallen and hope for those left to mourn. Many of my countrymen wear poppies at this time of year not to glorify or condone warfare, but to remember friends and family who died in the service of our nation. It’s a personal choice. But whether you agree of disagree with this public show of remembrance, don’t let the ubiquitous PC hounds twist its meaning to further demean our traditional values.

As often happens the run this morning cleared my head. The blood pumped through my veins, the cold air nipping at my ears as I bounded homeward through the very fields where centuries ago men fought for the liberties we enjoy today.

The world wasn't made in a day
And Eve didn't ride on a 'bus
But most of the world's in a sandbag
The rest of it's plastered on us

[SIZE="1"]Anon. First published in 'Wipers Times', 12th February 1916[/SIZE]