Seriously? This is news?

Ok, I'm no great fan of Stephen Harper. Frankly, I think he's creepy, and it goes beyond his politics. Look into his eyes (if you dare) and marvel at the soul-less hollowness that greets you. He's got the hair of a Republican.

I don't like him.

His politics suck.

That being said... give the guy a break about this poppy thing. Jesus. How did the story even become news?
For those of you living out of the shadow of what I'd like to dub "Poppy-gate" (because it's just that knee-jerky), the story goes like this.

Harpsie-doodle was frolicking in Toronto this week, and before heading into a news conference about a potential non-confidence vote on the Liberal government (no wonder he was feeling so frisky!), his advisor suggested that he remove the maple leaf pin that was holding his poppy in place because the Legion doesn't like it when people wear them that way. Harper explained that this was the only way he could keep the poppy on, but the advisor didn't want him seen publicly wearing the poppy incorrectly.
Well, Harper decided to be funny (oh god). He asked the advisor to get him a pin that would work, and quipped that the legion "only had 80 years to perfect the technology.”
The advisor, who I assume is familiar with PC humour, laughed and said that no-one disagreed with him.

Now. Who cares, right?
Well, he was wired for the press conference, and all the reporters heard the comment. It's on tape, so apparently it's a big deal.

I saw one veteran on tv say he was shocked and hurt by the comment, and that he'd never heard that complaint before.

I'm assuming its because he's too busy selling poppies to repeat buyers.

Now, I've never TOLD a veteran that I've lost my poppy. After all they've been through, they don't need to hear me bitching about losing a poppy.

I picture the conversation like this:

"Hello sir. I need to buy another poppy. I keep losing mine!"

"You lost your poppy? I LOST MY LEGS!"

And then out of guilt I buy the whole box. So go my guilt ridden imaginings,

Even so, in the harsh light of reality, I lose poppies all the time.
And you can't tell me that they don't know. They wear the poppies themselves. Which proves to me that they DO know. Because poppies ALWAYS fall off. Always. And when they're not falling off, they're pricking your hands.
But you have to have your poppy. If you don't have your poppy, you're a heartless jerk.

And so I buy them, wear them, lose them and replace them. But I've learned that I should not joke about that cycle, because it would be disrespectful.
Apparently the freedom of speech the veterans fought for has caveats.