Silently wearing a poppy without decrying conflicts is immoral
■ The Taoiseach is wearing a ‘shamrock poppy’. The British prime minister and most other UK politicians will be wearing the usual red poppy.
The unionist factions in the six counties have applauded Leo Varadkar for his “recognition” of all Irishmen (and, maybe, but not necessarily, women) who died during the Great War.
Some nationalist politicians have remarked that the shamrock poppy is a “divisive symbol”.
How these politicians can be so trite and insular and can continue to shed crocodile tears for the deaths of millions of workingclass people for the political aspirations of the imperialist powers of the early 20th century is beyond understanding.
Wear a poppy, be it shamrock or red, but do not remain silent; do not just stop at showing a symbol.
Explain what your symbol represents; explain that countless millions of ordinary workingclass people were conscripted to kill each other for the intended benefit of those sections of society, be they in England, Germany or Ireland, who wanted to benefit financially upon the bodies of the fallen.
To wear a poppy, of whatever nature, without openly, and without reserve, decrying the immoral nature of the reasons for the conflict, is in itself immoral and not worthy of respect for the wearer. Harry Charalambou