Chuffed to see that the flags will fly in Downing Street today to celebrate St George's Day...Yes, I know that's the Union Flag, I'm flying...it's right that the flag of our nation, the United Kingdom, takes precedence over the flag of St George!
Personally, I prefer the Union Flag, of which the red cross of St George is a part. Sadly, over the past generation, we've allowed the flag of England to be hi-jacked by hard-right extremists.
For too long, it's become a symbol of hate, all too often a associated with trouble, skinheads, football hooligans, thugs and the BNP rather than tolerance and all that is the real Englishness in the 21st Century.
(And if the BNP are supposed to be the British National Party, why is it they associate so closely with the flag of St George and not the British flag?)
Seeing decent people grab back the flag of St George from the nutters who try to steal it for their own ends is both welcome and long overdue...!
I'm proud to be English, proud to be a Brit and proud to be a European.Well-worth celebrating hope rather than hate.
3 comments:
I have to say that I disagree ... all those people that supported England in the World Cup or in Rugby or in Cricket would probably disagree.
I am glad when I see Englishmen who are proud of their English nationality and status. I remain baffled by the assumption that the flag has been appropriated by some of our less than savoury political groups and parties ...
I think hijacked is as good a word as any.
Outside the context of big sporting events, the flag of St George will, it seems to me, inevitably conjure up images of the BNP.
Go on youtube and search for St George. A significant proportion of the search results will be videos put up by the BNP or by self-proclaimed BNP supporters.
That is how the BNP have very cunningly (whether by design or by chance) stolen the symbolism of the flag.
'tis a shame.
Well said Evan. It's a Labour smoke screen designed to alienate the public against certain parties.
Post a Comment