SNAFU

It seems that Pierre Bourque of Bourque Newswatch posted a poppy on his web site as a sign of respect for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom (hat tip to Kathy Shaidle of Relapsed Catholic). Naughty Pierre Bourque. He subsequently received this piece of bureaucratic bullsh**t from the appropriately named Bob Butt of the Royal Canadian Legion.

...the poppy is a trademark of the Legion and anyone who wants to use
it has to apply. Otherwise it would be all over the place. There are numeorus
[sic] examples where it has been used for sales and other purposes. As it is not
in the public domain and because it is a registered trademark of the Legion the
organization is taking every step it can to protect it (and I do mean every
step). All this can be avoided in the future if you ask to use it on your site
and you get the proper approval. Sorry, I know your heart and many others are in the right place.

Unfortunately we have to protect this image or lose its use as a symbol
of Remembrance. -Bob Butt, Director of Communications for the Canadian Legion

Pierre Bourque's heart was indeed in the right place. The same cannot be said for brains of the executive of the Royal Canadian Legion.

This son of an RCAF air gunner and grandson of WWI Canadian army veterans says phooey to you. (Never thought I'd ever say that about the Legion.) Note to Legion HQ. Your guns are pointed in the wrong bloody direction . It is considered tacky and is generally fatal to the advance to fire at your friends and allies.

An old mililtary adage applies here. "Regulations are for the guidance of the wise and the direction of the stupid."

John the Mad CD Major (Ret'd)