Red, White Indifferent
Negotiating Remembrance in Canada
or
A debate as old as 1933.
In a sea of red, they’ve reappeared once again: the white poppy in the name of peace. But how important is the colour of your poppy and why is there more than one to begin with?
Birthed in Flanders Fields
Every November, you see hundreds of people walking around with a poppy on their lapel, but does anyone really stop to think about what it means, or do they wear it because they think they have to? Is it still a powerful symbol, or has it been reduced to a controversial piece of plastic?
In 1915, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae wrote the very famous poem, "In Flanders Fields," beginning the history of poppies as a symbol of remembrance. The red poppy was first given out in 1920 to mark the sacrifice that people had made in war, as the Royal Canadian Legion says, a "visual pledge to never forget." On June 30th, 1948, the Legion trademarked the poppy to protect the sacredness of the Poppy as a symbol. It is widely worn by Canadians from all walks of life.
Johnathan Vance, a War Scholar and Professor with Western University is a strong supporter of the red poppy, he argues "I think for one day out of the 365 we can afford to just focus on the military and losses. I don’t think that stops us from for the rest of the year doing what we can to uncover and bring to light and interest people in this much broader range of experiences.”
A Peaceful Revolt
The white poppy has been around since 1933 when the British Co-operative Women’s Guild began selling white poppies for peace. For many, the white poppy became a symbol of grief honouring both the civilian and armed force losses. From 1933 to 1945, the white poppy was heavily distributed before tensions following the World Wars began to drop off. The white poppy made its largest resurgence heading into and following the height of the Cold War, but has had several smaller resurgences. The white poppy has always been controversial in Canada due to a perceived connection with left-wing politics. It also stands in technical violation of the trademark held by the Royal Canadian Legion for the red poppy.
Matt Moire, a former educator, defends his decision to wear the controversial piece; “To me, the white poppy represents two things: that’s the sacrifice that veterans have made—I don’t think you necessarily have to have a moral judgement about the soldiers or the conflicts they’re in to recognize the sacrifices they made—as well as recognising that war 99% of the time is probably immoral and not fought for the reasons the government and media like to tell us.”
A Changing History
In recent years, many people have argued that the red poppy glorifies war and they reject Veterans as heroes. People have refused to wear and even defaced poppies as symbols of war protest, while others have donned the white poppy in revolt. "I have problems with people who wear the poppy as a fashion statement or because 'I'm required to do this,'" said David Olivier, a war history professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. "You're not necessarily thinking about the actual meaning behind it and that itself, to a certain degree, is discouraging."
There are now rules and etiquette surrounding the poppy, such as what times of year you can wear it. The money raised from donations fund veterans in financial distress as well as medical equipment, research and home care. The money raised for white poppies is donated to Tides Canada, though it is unclear what programs it funds.
While statistics on the number of Canadians who wear the white poppy are not available, the Rideau Institute, who largely backed the 2013 re-emergence, handed out all of the 2500 white poppies it produced. Also, an article printed by the Halifax Herald states that roughly 11,000 Canadians wore the white poppy in contrast with the estimated 18 million red poppies worn.
Clips From the Larger Negotiation
CBC Radio: This segment focuses on public opinion of the White Poppy in Northern Ontario.
Youtube; Sharon Campell discusses the significance of both the red and white poppy.
Global News discusses the controversy surrounding the 2013 White Poppy reemergence.
Royal Canadian Legion promotional advertisement explaining the impact of the poppy fund on veterans.
Picking a Side
It’s becoming clear that the colour of your poppy says something about you as a person; whether you’re vilified as a supporter of war and violence for your red poppy or crucified for your passavist preaching for pinning the white symbol to your chest, one thing has become apparent: the poppy doesn’t mean what it used to. It is a contentious symbol, one which must be debated by the public. While the red poppy once stood as a symbol of national pride and thankfulness (and indeed there are those who will argue it continues to), it has also taken on a negative light and is continually challenged by those who choose to wear the white poppy or no poppy at all.
There are also concerns over the relevance of the poppy, there were certainly no poppies blooming on the dessert sand of Afghanistan, Canada’s longest and most recent war.
When November rolls around, what will you wear? What will you say if someone asks you why? Who and what does your poppy represent?