James McClean has every right not to wear a poppy – all nuance has been lost in the debate

The footballer and his family have opened up this week about the abuse they have received – the simple act of not wearing a poppy is no excuse for a slew of vitriol

The idea of civil debate has been eroded in recent years. As political and cultural discourse becomes ever more entrenched, the level of abuse accompanying discussion of contentious topics appears to have increased in tandem.

This will not be news to James McClean, the Stoke City and Republic of Ireland footballer, who has been receiving abuse for a decade about his decision not to wear a poppy on his shirt.

He and his family have opened up this week about the abuse they have received – with death threats being all too common. McClean has said that he doesn’t believe he has ever truly been in danger, but it takes a toll on him and his family

McClean has explained that he would wear a poppy every year if it commemorated only those who died in the First and Second World Wars. However, the poppy represents all conflicts the UK has been involved in – and, says McClean, because “of the history where I come from in Derry [the scene of the Bloody Sunday shootings in 1972], I cannot wear something that represents that”.

McClean is no stranger to controversy. He was fined two weeks’ wages by his club last year for posting an “ill-advised and offensive” social media image of him wearing a balaclava while teaching his children a “history lesson”. But these views should not be conflated with his reasons for not wearing a poppy.

Nobody should have to suffer abuse for such a decision – with many under the mistaken belief it makes McClean anti-British. The Royal British Legion has said that wearing the poppy is a “personal decision” and it supports McClean’s choice.

“The poppy is a universal symbol that represents sacrifices made in the defence of freedom, and so the decision to wear it must be a matter of personal choice,” the Royal British Legion said in a statement. “To insist that people wear a poppy would be contrary to everything that it stands for. We offer our full support to James for exercising his right to choose not to wear a poppy.”

And this is the crux. All nuance and thought has been taken out of the discussion about wearing a poppy. Having them on shirts and almost anything else is fine, but people should also have the choice not to wear one. Being the one to stand out because of that decision should not open the door to a slew of vitriol.

McClean is not alone in making this choice, even among sports stars, but he does appear to have been a magnet for coverage given he is one of the most high-profile to have spoken out on the issue.

While I do not share McClean’s history, I too don’t wear a poppy. My decision was taken for a much less “personal” reason. I believe the spirit of why poppies are worn has been lost somewhat and that the whole act of wearing one has become overly politicised. I prefer to pay my respects in other ways. I am a member of the Royal British Legion, and I am ready for people to accuse me of hypocrisy for being so while also not wearing a poppy.

In McClean’s case, as with many others no doubt, any sense of nuance is being lost in a stream of abuse. It is maddening. That division between “yes” and “no” is becoming as entrenched (if it wasn’t so already) as in many other areas of discussion. That is a mistake.

If people want to wear a poppy, that is a choice I’m happy to support. I may not agree, but I understand the reasons, even if I believe they have become obscured.

Talking about the issue, as McClean has done (even at times when I’m sure he and his family would prefer not to), is surely a good thing. Abuse is never the answer.