Dear Editor,
My great-grandfather was born in Taunton in around 1870.
He left Somerset for Guernsey where he married and had a family.
His daughter, my grandmother, lived through two world wars.
Having always lived in peacetime, it is hard for me to imagine what that was like for her.
Every year I wear a poppy with reverence, gratitude and pride.
The Royal British Legion poppy is a symbol of remembrance to honour those who gave their all for our freedom.
It also raises funds to support veterans and their families today.
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This year there is an attempt to sell a 'Palestinian poppy' for political purposes.
When I read about this, I thought of my family roots in the South West of England, very far from Palestine.
The Nazis got as far as Guernsey; the south of England was in their sights.
The special meaning of the Remembrance poppy should be respected.
This Remembrance Sunday, I hope Royal British Legion poppies will serve as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by our forebears in the wars of the last century.
The poppy is not a political statement.
It is a promise that we will remember.
Yours,
Stephanie Bennett
Twickenham
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