It is hard to be critical about ‘The Legion". Since 1921 it has provided much-needed succour to members of our armed forces and their families. The brilliantly-devised annual Poppy appeal continues to raise huge sums for the men and women who protect us all.
The Legion’s obsequiousness to our grotesque monarchy is a problem for those of us who are not prepared to grovel before our hideous “royal” family. Ironically, The Legion is quick to "out" weirdos who appear at Remembrance and other events sporting fake uniforms and medals and yet the “royals” have turned such cosplay falsity into an art-form. Here’s “King” Charlatan III proving the point:
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[Curiously, one member of this hereditary mafia who did win, and is entitled to wear, a Falklands Medal is the disgraced, Andrew - formerly known as “Prince”.]
The Poppy is such a wonderfully powerful symbol that ludicrous lefties have tried to hijack its success with the “White Poppy” (and similar) for deluded peaceniks to don. Presumably if we all wave these at the likes of Mad Vlad Putin, tyrants and mass-murderers will soon lay down their arms and take up crochet instead.
But we are not alone in feeling a little queasy when November approaches and the start of what seems to be an annual competition by individuals and organisations to show who cares most about our veterans. Indeed the first manifestation of this is the outbreak of Poppy-wearing WEEKS before Remembrance Day - even, or especially, on the BBC. Auntie literally employs underlings to stick poppies on anyone going on air.
Every village is in competition with its neighbour to produce ever more gross displays with ever greater numbers of poppies so that huge red gashes now spew from the tops of church towers and across graveyards. The ailing/failing mainstream media seizes on this fetishisation of remembrance to try and regain some relevance. The unfortunate trend has reached its apogee with the Disneyland of Death known as “The National Memorial Arboretum”.
The poignancy of the Poppy is well-expressed by The Legion itself. It is meant to be a humble symbol above political and religious sectarianism. Tell that to our politicians who use remembrance events to parade their own alleged credentials as caring people. The run-up to Remembrance Day is a chance to preen and, indeed, to have a right good laugh. This applies across the political spectrum. But witness, for example, the events in the corrupt Labour Dictatorship of Sandwell in recent times as described in the Sandwell Skidder blog.*
The War of the Wreaths.
Sandwell - near the bottom of every deprivation league table going after half a century of total Labour control - witnessed an appalling incident actually at a Remembrance Day ceremony in a nasty place called Wednesbury. That town had a pecking order when it came to political wreath-laying whereby a representative of the party in government nationally laid the first tribute. Once, when the Tories were in power. a local Conservative stepped forward to do the honours. This was too much for a frightful, self-important tosser called Cllr Peter Hughes (Labour). He took the view that as the Labour dictatorship controlled the sh*thole Borough, he should lay the first political wreath. And so, to the amazement of all present, he barged in front of the Tory with complete disregard for the meaning of the ceremony and got the Labour wreath on the memorial first!
Oops, we’ve missed the photo op!
Sandwell Labour publish dozens of photos every November showing Councillors posing to remember those we have lost or who suffered egregiously during military service. There is no call for solemnity on such occasions and Councillors can have a laugh whilst enjoying the photo ops. Here’s Labour’s Liz Giles seeing the funny side [sic] of the occasion:
[And see further below.]
The Sandwell Labour Councillors are mostly thick as two short planks and sometimes forget that they are supposed to be using Remembrance Day for political propaganda. Thus, on one notorious occasion, having forgotten to get some snaps taken, they took the wreaths back off a war memorial and posed for pics before re-laying them!
Hijacking the Legion’s Poppy Appeal
Now Labour in Sandwell is also hijacking the Legion’s own Poppy appeal - incredibly, with The Legion’s consent! Once again there is no need for solemnity when grabbing The Legion’s stall and here Labour MP Sarah Coombes (West Bromwich) and Labour Cllr Pam Randhawa are seen clowning and having a high-old time.
Worse still, MP “Sicko” Sarah - incredibly - thought it appropriate to bring her own advertising pop-up banner along to promote herself at The Legion’s stall! Sick or what? Here she is with the offending item:
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Incredibly, The Legion actually allowed this grotesque and disgusring pantomime via its local representative (who, to be fair, had done a good job before this shaming degringolade). It is entirely coincidental that he tried, a while back, for a Labour nomination to a Council seat in a ward which is now in Sicko Sarah’s constituency.
Send them naked to the battlefield
By the way, Sandwell Labour voted en masse for a showboating motion trying to stop the local government pension money from being invested in the UK arms trade. Apparently they “love” our armed forces but don’t actually want them to have any, er, weapons (or, at least, British-made ones).
And Nationally …
The ceremony at the Cenotaph each year has always been a big day for our preening “royals”. It seems appropriate that, usually, our Prime Minister should attend if s/he is inclined to do so but then a rag-tag band of opposition “leaders” also turn-up. We cannot let this piece finish without mentioning the absolute national insult of terrorist-lover, Jerry (aka Jeremy) Corbyn, attending this national event (at the time representing the Labour Party). Some of the fallen being remembered were killed by his pals in the IRA. He did then, and still still supports terrorist groups across the globe. Rather than honour our forces his style of wreath-laying is this, honouring Palestinian terrorists in Tunisia.
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We say:
Maybe The Legion can’t stop such national outrages - but it should make its views known. And to use a recent political slogan, it needs to “take back control” of the Remembrance Day events in which it is involved. Please do not let politicians tarnish the Poppy and commandeer your fundraising efforts (often run by marvellous volunteers).
Lest we forget:
James Reece (aka John Pugh) - killed-in-action near Delville Wood, France, 1916 - no known grave.