The new premier of Quebec has been taken to task for pinning her poppy (a flower found in France) on with another French flower symbol: a fleur de lis. THE HORROR!
Trying to keep the flimsy mass-produced politically-necessary accessory from flying off one's clothing is a national past-time in early November.
Is it really so contentious to suggest that it is time the way we acknowledge our remembrance of veterans got a refresher? There are two French women to thank for our lapel poppy traditions, according to the Legion site. An American teacher, Moina Michaels, working overseas was inspired, in 1918, by John MacCrae's poem, to make a personal pledge to always wear a poppy for remembrance. Madame Guerin, visiting from France two years later, learned of the custom, and decided to use handmade Poppies to raise money for the destitute children in war-torn areas of the country.
The Veterans' association adopted the idea in 1921.
So the lapel poppy serves two purposes. One, it is a quick visual reminder of the powerful poem and of all the sacrifices and work offered by those who've served. Even my die-hard peacenik friends honor and respect the poppy and our veterans.
But let's not forget -- this is also a fundraiser. And here is my fundamental problem with the program. Until 1996, the poppies were made in workshops by vets. It was an income generator. However, now the production is outsourced.
The environmentalist in me is annually appalled by the flimsy plastic materials, that seem to cling to a design tradition that ENSURES they will fly off easily, and the most dedicated wearer will eventually be badgered into ponying up donations for 3 or 4 a year, assuming they only wear them November 1 to November 11.
A few years ago, there was an investment into revamping Remembrance Day. The 2 Minutes' Silence program was initiated, and at that time, you could buy a proper lapel pin poppy. I think it ran about 7,8 dollars, a bargain regardless since it would likely last at minimum a full season. That died quickly. The distribution and production system of the Legion does not support a proper retail approach.
So, while for endless months we are bathed in a wash of pink as the breast cancer marketing machine plows through our retail environment like a rosy steamroller, our veterans are relegated to little plastic containers, begging for donations in exchange for this plastic planned-obsolence poppy, rendered almost meaningless apparently by something as small as choosing to attach it with another pin.
Don't our veterans deserve better than this? Surely we can at least explore a way to incorporate the official poppy into some other collateral, bring them a better rate of return, and NOT seed municipal cenotaphs across the country with discarded plastic flower-representatives that will join the cigarette butts and tim's cups in decorating the countryside our hard-won freedom has given us?
My dad was a vet, and in his honour, I say, they DO deserve better.
