People just getting things... wrong

There was, on the anniversary of Armistice Day, a protest by the group calling themselves Muslims Against Crusades in central London. They burned a poppy.

I support their right to peaceful protest, of course.

But burning a poppy is a bit of a schoolboy error, really. The problem is, if you want to be taken seriously you need to do something a bit smarter than allying yourself with the Nazis. Sounds a bit of a strange thing to say, perhaps, since as far as I know the Nazis weren't in the habit of burning poppies. However, the poppy, although it is worn in remembrance of the fallen in all military action, has a very strong association with the second world war.

To burn a poppy indicates that you don't support the people who fought against Nazism... whoops. Even if you feel that way, don't expect us to listen to anything you have to say if you go ahead and tell us! To support the Nazis and all they stood for is to abandon any hope of being taken seriously. Your call.

We must also consider that the poppy appeal has nothing to do with political issues. To burn a poppy in protest against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is rather akin to desecrating a fire-fighter's grave because you don't agree with the jail sentence handed out to the arsonist whose handiwork killed him.

Someone protesting with a match is never going to be taken very seriously in this country, even when they've already thrown petrol over you. You can't burn an ideal, just an idol. Most people in the UK tend to consider the former above the latter. "Sticks and stones...", etc.

I wonder if anyone will have pointed that out to the lads standing in the freezing cold with only the warmth of a burning poppy to stave off frostbite. A bin full of broken placards usually gives off much more heat...