Nick Griffin Abuses Poppy

[NickFitz]

The Royal British Legion wrote privately to Nick Griffin asking him to stop wearing a poppy badge as he campaigned for the recent elections.

He didn't, so now they've gone public:

"The poppy is the symbol of sacrifices made by British armed forces in conflicts both past and present and it has been paid for with blood and valour...

"True valour deserves respect regardless of a person's ethnic origin, and everyone who serves or has served their country deserves nothing less … [our national chairman] appealed to your sense of honour. But you have responded by continuing to wear the poppy.

"So now we're no longer asking you privately.

"Stop it, Mr Griffin. Just stop it."

The open letter was printed in Saturday's Grauniad, but I think you'll find the story in all papers now, together with Griffin's self-serving assertion that he (yes, he) is morally superior to the Legion vis-à-vis injured service personnel

[shaunbhoy]

Without wishing to in any way support the BNP, I would just say that the sacrifices made in blood by our Armed Forces were made to ensure that our nation and ALL of it's constituents, continue to have freedom of choice and democratic expression. There were no stipulations placed upon those choices although it is a sad day that so many feel drawn towards bigots like the BNP. However I feel the British Legion might have been better served by maintaining a dignified silence, and not giving the BNP this extra publicity.

[bogeyman]

Nick Fitz Abuses Puppy

http://images.easyart.com/i/prints/r...ale-200167.jpg

[BrilloPad]

Without wishing to in any way support the BNP, I would just say that the sacrifices made in blood by our Armed Forces were made to ensure that our nation and ALL of it's constituents, continue to have freedom of choice and democratic expression. There were no stipulations placed upon those choices although it is a sad day that so many feel drawn towards bigots like the BNP. However I feel the British Legion might have been better served by maintaining a dignified silence, and not giving the BNP this extra publicity.

2 very good points well made. I just wonder if the British Legion letter might make some people think twice about what they have voted for?

BNP are always going to have a handful of supporters : to see them get so many is

[minestrone]

I can only see thousands of potential BNP voters thinking "my dad died in the war and he would not have wanted to see my town filled with immigrants". All of these attacks on the BNP are preaching to the converted and have no effect other than allowing the BNP more air time.

[bogeyman]

BNP are always going to have a handful of supporters : to see them get so many is

I certainly disagree with the BNP on just about every imaginable level, but we do, allegedly, live in a democracy and democracy is a two-way street.

While we're parading our carnival floats of reasoned governance, liberality and political tolerance up one side of Victory Avenue, the BNP and other miscreants will be bowling down on the other side in their Nazi-surplus Panzas.

I hope you're right that they will only ever have a handful of supporters, but the more people's concerns over immigration and preferential access to social services is ignored, the worse this will be.

[Menelaus]

BNP v RBL

I'm disgusted (note: not of Tunbridge Wells) with the association that Mr Nicholas John Griffin is implying for the poppy symbol with the BNP.

Good, reasoned points are made above that people died for the freedom to vote for properly constituted political parties - and that includes the BNP.

Regrettably, however, BNP have shown themselves to be associated with the National Front and other, somewhat less legal bodies (including Combat 18).

What concerns me as a former soldier is this: how many young infantrymen might consider voting BNP? I'd hope very, very few but we can never be sure.