Students at a university in Northern Ireland are proposing a motion to ban the selling of poppies in their students union, saying it is a "divisive initiative". Queen's University Students' Union is to vote on Wednesday on whether to implement the controversial motion, which has been proposed by student and Sinn Fein activist Sean Fearon, according to the Belfast Telegraph. The motion states: "This Council recognises that the Students' Union is an inclusive and neutral space for all students at Queen's University and therefore must offer a politically neutral environment regarding issues of the past to avoid offence and a sense of exclusion." It urges the union to end the Poppy Appeal "in the name of peace, inclusivity and progressivism". Cliona McCarney, who is a member of the SDLP, told the Belfast Telegraph she believed the motion is "very unhelpful". "We are voting against the motion, it's not out of any great love for the symbol of the poppy, it's just the fact that the motion is discriminatory against a large section of students," she said. "The union is constitutionally mandated to be a safe place for all students, and if we take the right away, where does it end?" Last year the council joined other student unions across the UK to ban Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines song being played anywhere on the premises due to its "anti-female" content." The poppy appeal is an annual event organised by the Royal British Legion, a charity which raises funds for armed forces and their families. Last year, students were up in arms after the University of London Union banned its student leaders from representing their peers at a Remembrance Day service. Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy has even weighed in, saying her former union's decision makes her feel "ashamed".
Excellent to see them using their democratic right that all those men fought and died for. Freedom and liberty in action. Wonderful stuff.
The problem with the Poppy appeal is that is no longer about helping the worthwhile charity ... It has been hijacked fro political point scoring and a symbol of nationalism! This year, I shall still give a donation but wont be wearing a poppy...
Puritans. A poppy makes an ideal cover for your dog's ringpiece. Out of remembrance season, you can use one of these handy stickers instead. please log in to view this image
Without getting into the whys and wherefores of this it is no real surprise that Queens would find itself at the centre of something like this when you look at the demographics involved. My mate's wife was there in the late 80s and said it was an "interesting" place to be as a student. What I find far more astonishing is that a Student union in London should be able to ban its leaders from attending a Remembrance Day Service. Have to agree with Pud on this one although I do still wear one.
Our Revenge Will Be In the Laughter of our Children - as they ban the Poppy from the Universities they now dominate
I was gonna say the burd, but looking at the picture again I`m a bit worried about where her thumb has been ...
It's quite nice to see students actually doing something potentially controversial for once. Years ago students were far more political and were always at the forefront of antiestablishmentarianism.
I agree - years ago it was Vietnam, the arms race, apartheid etc etc. Now they only seem to care about anything when they have to pay more on their grants.
