What Shall We Burn?

Flags? Qur'ans? Bibles? Guys? Burning stuff can cause mixed emotions.

A teenager got into trouble this week for posting on Facebook a picture he took of a poppy being burned. I don't get it. The people who gave their lives for freedom made that sacrifice so we could let idiots post pictures of themselves being stupid. It's a free country. If someone is offensive we ignore them or disagree with them. I don't think we want poppy burning to be deemed an incitement-type offence. We should remember them, but it is not that we must.

I have trouble with offending people over poppies. I was once accused of being grossly offensive for wearing a white PPU poppy alongside my red one.

My Dad hated poppies and all the '...creeps who turned out to march but had never seen friends die next to them.' He preferred to switch the TV off on Remembrance Sunday.

I have begun to hate the early-poppy-wearing season that starts on the last Sunday of October and the (here's a joke) fascists who take you to task if you don't wear one.

Anyway it occurred to me that sometime in the next couple of months I shall probably be burning some palm crosses and making my oil-enriched potion for ashing. Now how would it be if I posted a picture of the cross-burning, normally a private ceremony?

I remind everyone that it is not in my gift to offend you. That gives me too much power. Offence is something you choose to take. You don't have to.