Poppy outrage (1 Viewer)

[Mitch]

Currahee...

Have to say I almost wet myself with that response!!!!. I know why your response is as it is I have a wife from the US and she goes from very mild and polite to like a banshee when she watches people burning the stars and stripes or such stuff as we are talking about.

Just outrageous and unaceptable behaviour and I am sure many comments today at the story mirrored your own but were not so elequently put into words. I think whats worse, more so in the UK than the US, I would say, is patroism and pride in ones country is almost seen as a dirty word when it should be anything but.
Mitch

 

[Spitfrnd]

True, but then again, I was employed and professionaly trained by our federal government to kill people whose viewpoints were not in the interest of said government- murder all the same- and I'd put more faith in my assessment of who should/shouldn't get whacked than the clowns in DC.

That disturbing enough for you? Even more so- I live 30 minutes from you- better sleep with an eye open.

Well I know you are Kidding Chris but just for the record, I think we were trained to kill foreign nationals with whom we were at war. I don't recall that we have ever gone to war with anyone over a view point or for expressing an opinion, however contrary to our interest. I think we also took the same oath about the constitution, which does indeed include the bill of rights and all the amendments so wacking those with whom we disagree would not seem to fit with that somehow.

 

[DMNamiot]

Very true Bill, but the oath states "all enemies foreign and domestic" so the question is where is the line on domestic enemies?

Still we dont have to listen to then and if our press wouldnt give them the time of day we would not be discussing them right.

Dave

 

[damian]

The press loves these fanatics. As Peter says they are more interesting than the normal people. So a handful of fanatics burn a Poppy a national flag. Just ignore them and make sure the police keep a quite eye on them. But if you give them newspaper headlines well you feed it. I don't have much time for our so called free press. They are smut merchants by and large. I have yet to read a story that I was in some way involved with or a witness to which the press have got factually right so Lord knows when it comes to stories in which I am not in any way involved.

 

[trooper]

Dr. D-

Just plant two in the chest and one in the head of the chucklehead "adults" and be done with it. .

Chris, you must remember that in these times of economic stress that everyone must make savings. Don't waste ammunition, one in the head is quite sufficient.

 

[Louis Badolato]

The Islamic fanatics who threaten to bring down the British Government and impose Sharia Law have a right to freedom of speech. The British Government has a right to deport people who exercise that freedom of speech to threaten the violent overthow of their government. By all means, let both sides exercise their rights.

And just for the record, I am not anti-islam. The vast majority of muslims are decent law abiding people. I am anti-fanaticism. I don't care what your race, creed, nationality or what have you. If you are so fanatical that you believe only your opinion matters and you have a right to threaten the freedom, lives, safety and property of others, you have reneged on your membership dues in the human race. At that point you are the enemy of decency and democracy, and if Chris wants to shoot you, I'll gladly pay for the ammunition.

 

[Spitfrnd]

Very true Bill, but the oath states "all enemies foreign and domestic" so the question is where is the line on domestic enemies?

Still we dont have to listen to then and if our press wouldnt give them the time of day we would not be discussing them right.

Dave

Yes Dave but it says nothing about suspending the constitution to do that and we can not listen to those b*****ds by just changing the channel. However, I do agree about the press; if they had acted the way they do now in 1776, the wording may have been a bit different.

Of course I find the message of those "protesters" odious but it is a different thing to say we should prohibit anyone from the right to say something, however offensive. Various governments over time have done that and the results were never pretty and certainly not what most democracies are expected to provide for their citizens.

 

[thebritfarmer]

The Islamic fanatics who threaten to bring down the British Government and impose Sharia Law have a right to freedom of speech. The British Government has a right to deport people who exercise that freedom of speech to threaten the violent overthow of their government. By all means, let both sides exercise their rights.

And just for the record, I am not anti-islam. The vast majority of muslims are decent law abiding people. I am anti-fanaticism. I don't care what your race, creed, nationality or what have you. If you are so fanatical that you believe only your opinion matters and you have a right to threaten the freedom, lives, safety and property of others, you have reneged on your membership dues in the human race. At that point you are the enemy of decency and democracy, and if Chris wants to shoot you, I'll gladly pay for the ammunition.

Well said Louis.

 

[Combat]

True, but then again, I was employed and professionaly trained by our federal government to kill people whose viewpoints were not in the interest of said government- murder all the same- and I'd put more faith in my assessment of who should/shouldn't get whacked than the clowns in DC.

That disturbing enough for you? Even more so- I live 30 minutes from you- better sleep with an eye open.

There is some irony that you apparently share the same distrust of our government's decisionmaking skills as the protesters you believe should be shot down.

 

[Gazza]

Interesting comments on this thread; my observations:

The tabloid press and certain TV stations just love this nonsense – it enables them to write bad news, scaremongering and create division. Why do they not focus more on all the positives – 2m more Poppies sold in 2009 than 2008 and year-on-year record amounts raised for the British Legion, all during a recession?

Since when did 50 insignificant people warrant so much publicity? As Damien says they feed off the oxygen of publicity. Why should any Brit feel embarrassed by this? The vast majority of people in this country do care and support the troops - go and stand with a Poppy collecting tin for two hours and you would see what I mean.

The Poppy appeal is about remembering the sacrifice people made for our freedom so, like Doug, I do not agree with what they say but they have a right to. Killing, deporting or putting people in the stocks because you disagree with them is a slippery slope.

The police in the UK when confronted with these demonstrations rightly take a softly, softly approach. Why? Because British Bobbies beating these demonstrators would play into the hands of the fanatical propagandists; who would post it all over the internet. Instead the police simply arrest them all the following day – as they did after the Luton demonstration – with no media noise.

Some people have written that they should not be allowed to stay in this country or be deported – to where? Unfortunately, they are British citizens. Some of this does read anti-Muslim in my view.

This is not the first demonstration against British Troops. Last Saturday at a Celtic football match a massive banner was unveiled in the stands by white, Christian Scots (I suspect with more than 50 people involved) that read:

"Your deeds would shame all the devils in Hell. Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. No bloodstained poppy on our Hoops."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/9168655.stm

NB. For those not familiar, in Glasgow, Celtic and Rangers are the 2 main football teams; there has historically been a sectarian divide – Celtic Catholic and Rangers Protestant; hence the reference to Ireland.

Gazza

 

[Scott]

Interesting comments on this thread; my observations:

The tabloid press and certain TV stations just love this nonsense – it enables them to write bad news, scaremongering and create division. Why do they not focus more on all the positives – 2m more Poppies sold in 2009 than 2008 and year-on-year record amounts raised for the British Legion, all during a recession?

Since when did 50 insignificant people warrant so much publicity? As Damien says they feed off the oxygen of publicity. Why should any Brit feel embarrassed by this? The vast majority of people in this country do care and support the troops - go and stand with a Poppy collecting tin for two hours and you would see what I mean.

The Poppy appeal is about remembering the sacrifice people made for our freedom so, like Doug, I do not agree with what they say but they have a right to. Killing, deporting or putting people in the stocks because you disagree with them is a slippery slope.

The police in the UK when confronted with these demonstrations rightly take a softly, softly approach. Why? Because British Bobbies beating these demonstrators would play into the hands of the fanatical propagandists; who would post it all over the internet. Instead the police simply arrest them all the following day – as they did after the Luton demonstration – with no media noise.

Some people have written that they should not be allowed to stay in this country or be deported – to where? Unfortunately, they are British citizens. Some of this does read anti-Muslim in my view.

This is not the first demonstration against British Troops. Last Saturday at a Celtic football match a massive banner was unveiled in the stands by white, Christian Scots (I suspect with more than 50 people involved) that read:

"Your deeds would shame all the devils in Hell. Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan. No bloodstained poppy on our Hoops."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/9168655.stm

NB. For those not familiar, in Glasgow, Celtic and Rangers are the 2 main football teams; there has historically been a sectarian divide – Celtic Catholic and Rangers Protestant; hence the reference to Ireland.

Gazza

 

[Sans Culotte]

When I was a child & would see a person/persons acting out in public, my mother used to say, "look away or you'll just encourage them." I want to see the poppy wearers, not the others being discussed in this thread. I believe that we vastly outnumber the right-to-be-idiots in any event. They have their rights & I have mine; I do believe that's what all we vets fought for.

 

[Spitfrnd]

When I was a child & would see a person/persons acting out in public, my mother used to say, "look away or you'll just encourage them." I want to see the poppy wearers, not the others being discussed in this thread. I believe that we vastly outnumber the right-to-be-idiots in any event. They have their rights & I have mine; I do believe that's what all we vets fought for.

Well said mate; I think that's what I fought for too.

 

[glossman]

The Islamic fanatics who threaten to bring down the British Government and impose Sharia Law have a right to freedom of speech. The British Government has a right to deport people who exercise that freedom of speech to threaten the violent overthow of their government. By all means, let both sides exercise their rights.

And just for the record, I am not anti-islam. The vast majority of muslims are decent law abiding people. I am anti-fanaticism. I don't care what your race, creed, nationality or what have you. If you are so fanatical that you believe only your opinion matters and you have a right to threaten the freedom, lives, safety and property of others, you have reneged on your membership dues in the human race. At that point you are the enemy of decency and democracy, ..........

I think Louis said it very well with anti-fanaticism as the keyword.

Whenever fanaticism rears it ugly face anywhere in the world, it disrupts the fabric of that society to the extent that peace and security are compromised. The danger of fanaticism (of any kind) is its uncanny ability to influence and convert ordinary people to the cause, no matter how radical.

What is the solution? There are no easy answers to a very complex issue. As it is not appropriate for this forum, I shall desist. But suffice to say, shooting them is not the way to go.

Raymond.

 

[Napoleon1er]

Please listen to this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj3n02CQJiU&feature=related
I just can not fathom the depravity that corrodes these wicked soles! I am not English. I am from the U.S., but do not support everything we do. But I am the first to thank every man, woman, and child who has risked their life for me and my ancestors. I want to go to Saint Cyre in Paris, and serve in the French Foreign Legion. That picture of the guardsman...words can not express! In the U.S., as someone said, people surround funerals and say the deaths are the punishment for ***s. What the F***ING HELL is wrong with these people!!!! I heard that some bikers helped the families by making a circle around the funeral, and not letting the others through. Now how 'bout our Neo-Nazis? In Germany, they have laws against their s**t, it horrifies me, especially since I HAVE JEWISH ANCESTRY.
Just watch the song-it will make you happy