'Poppicide' is Back Again

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15563139

What is Poppicide?
Poppicide is on the rise in Northern Ireland after the burning of a Poppy by two delinquent youths. Orchestrated via Facebook, the PSNI in Coleraine have chosen to investigate the matter.Tolerance only goes one way apparently and when funded by local councils, it is considered a fundamental right for the expression of culture. What is the message here? 

Even though the burning of election posters is not addressed we still have a mass outrage at the sacred Poppy. The burning, although regrettable, would have been a relatively short fire and would have resulted in significantly lower costs than that of the 12th Of July.  "I couldn't believe what I was seeing," neither could I Stephen, the fact that police resources, public attention and the BBC have all decided to take exception to this Poppular flower. So what is the big deal with the Poppy?

To make it easier I have put it into two simple points that give equal weight to both dominant arguments:

1.  The Poppy is seen as a symbol that represents or confirms ones support for the British Army past and present.

2. The Easter Lilly is seen as a symbol that represents or confirms ones support the Republican movement past and present.

(Much like the Poppy the The Easter Lilly cannot be worn in the work place but 

with different policies applied via the employment body.)

In the space of 24 hours arrests have been made. Efficient police work by the PSNI is commendable and this is a prime example of how resourceful the PSNI can be when it comes to social networking. So what will this mean in the interest of the public?

Spot the difference? The ritual burning of effigies, Sinn Fein election posters, Bobby Sands banners and Celtic flags/shirts/scarfs etc are a common accessory on many bonfires during the 12th of July. All of which are constructed methodically during the hours of daylight.


So my question is this, why don't the PSNI and the legislative bodies address this across the board? The burning of the Union flag/DUP posters etc should be dealt with the same swift action as those who try to cause offence or incite hatred. However, these 'burning rituals' by very definition, incite triumphalism against opposing political or religious doctrines and in Northern Ireland this is a potent mix. 
The overall result of the inconsistency leads to the very argument regarding acceptable symbols, emblems or rituals. If this was approached with measured and clear guidelines then the politicalization would fail to exist as one camp cannot accuse the other of 'looking more favourably' upon one culture than another. This is a council issue as much as it is a poilicing one.
After thoughts:
Just an after thought on the 'Poppy issue'. Correct me if I am wrong, but would this not be a way of identifying Police Officers from a Catholic background, or more to the point, a way of setting apart police officers working in a certain district, from their colleagues? Surely the Poppy has implications regarding the overall safety of officers, regardless of religion? 
With the rise in dissident activity, would this be a way of identifying and targeting officers? That is the reality that we live in and this issue has yet to be addressed.