11th November 2003

Last evening, in place of their regular meeting, members of the Sedgemoor Peace Group laid a wreath of White Poppies on the Peace Memorial in Kings Square, Bridgwater.

Formed in 2002, the Sedgemoor Peace Group came together to oppose and campaign against the invasion of Iraq. The group has held discussions and hosted talks throughout the year on subjects including; Injustice in the Middle East, the Arms trade, they organised the successful ‘Give Peace a Dance’ day held at the YMCA and they continue to uphold and promote the Christian tradition that war is evil.

The Group agreed at their last meeting, that laying a wreath of white poppies would be a fitting conclusion to their first year of activities.

Recalling the days following the immediate aftermath of the First World War, when the public sentiment for “Never Again” and “No More War” was at its strongest, the White Poppy came to represent the renouncement of support for any war under any circumstances.

Commenting on their action, a Peace Group member (Charles Graham) explained that “War is not a biological necessity, it is an invention of so-called civilised societies, and we have a choice as to whether we use this invention or we invest our resources and intellect in a way that would settle international disputes without resort to horrendous violence. The white poppy represents the belief that there is a better way of solving disputes than killing strangers”.
Another member (Christine Costello) added “some of our members lost grandfathers in the Great War, and more people have lost relatives and friends in the 300 or so wars since then. I think we have a responsibility not to betray those who have been killed in the name of Peace and to try and make Peace a reality for their sakes as well as ours”.

The idea of an alternative poppy, dates back to 1926, and just a few years after the red poppy came to be used in Britain. A member of the No More War Movement suggested that the British Legion should be asked to imprint 'No More War' in the centre of the red poppies and failing this; pacifists should make their own flowers.

In 1933 the Co-operative Women's Guild produced the first white poppies to be worn on Armistice Day (later called Remembrance Day). The Guild stressed that the white poppy was not intended as an insult to those who died in the First World War - a war in which many of the women lost husbands, brothers, sons and lovers.

The inscription read;
FOR ALL THOSE - who have died or are dying in wars - who have died or are dying because resources that could have fed or housed them have been wasted on war and war preparations - who will die until we learn to live in peace. WHEN SHALL WE EVER LEARN?