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Flag waving

TheCatWoman

It seems that the English flag is being used again as a symbol of nationalism, being paraded around the streets by those wanting rid of asylum seekers and placed in gardens.

Do you feel comfortable with it? I don't, for me it's tainted by Neo Nazi's and other fascists, or for football.

In Britain we've never had a habit of flag use and worship like some other countries, mostly seen in America and I wouldn't like us to acquire the habit. 

Am I the only one to find it ironic that St George was a Turk? He supplanted St Edmund as Englands national saint on a whim of Richard the Lionheart, we have lots of native saints to choose from, St Alban, St Edward, St Thomas A'Becket, St Hilda, and so many more often more obscure ones like St Petroc or St Willibrord.

I also feel uncomfortable that as a non Christian the flag is a blatently Christian religious symbol, at least in Wales we have Ye Ddraig Goch, The Red Dragon, nice and mythological and non religious.

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  • In my opinion, as long as things stay peaceful people should express themselves how they wish. 

    I do take issue however when people misuse symbols and flags for nefarious means, which does always seem to happen, eventually.

    I think freedom of expression and perhaps speech is at risk of they are told they cannot put them up, this will only embolden the racist part of the movement, which, if you keep up with the US politics is happening right now and they are heading for autocracy.

    I'm not saying do nothing but it's a delicate situation that cannot be handled with sweeping rules it has to be debated and all parties listened too.

    Things are infinitely more complex than just one issue, usually. Just my two cents.

  • in reply to Gadfly

    I agree, but I wish we were all more responsible and knew how our freedom of speech and expression can make others very miserable (including refugees dying at the sea.)

    When there is hatred, and disregard of veracity, legality, or humanity, we do become quite dangerous.

    Sadly, these days you barely see any statistics or detailed report on the media, you see outrage and quick thinking.

  • in reply to Deleted User

    A very good point, my post was based on the somewhat idealist premise that all parties would come to the table with structured and evidence based debate but, I agree that probably wouldn't be the reality.

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