St George's Day row

[rodney59]

See
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4463541.stm

A very valid point
"The Irish celebrate St Patrick's Day, and they get extensions across the country, so why should St George's Day be different?"

Or is this the case of just wanting another holiday?

[Podie]

In the article Mr Moffat said:

"It has really come to something when a proud Englishman can't raise a few flags to celebrate St George's Day."

…or indeed any other day. I once had the dubious pleasure of being called a "racist bigot" and a "BNP supporter" for wearing Union Jack cufflinks...

[titiany]

I personally think it is embarrassing the way this country doesn't disply it's patriotism. No need for an extra holiday - just some recognition for St George's day.

The fact that the St George's Cross flag will forever be intertwined with all things football and Chav is another matter. Kids these days are growing up not knowing the flag as anything other than symbollic of football, which disgusts me.

I know us English are generally undramatic folk, but I always get a twinge of jealousy when I pop across the pond and get bombarded with stars and stripes. Personally I think an over zealous display of flags and banners is tacky, but I can appreciate that the US flag does ACTUALLY represent the people's genuine love for their own country.

The lack of patriotism by the masses in this country needs to be instilled back into us before we get amalgamated into the 'Euro'gang.

[Ecks Ridgehead]

You know, you can be patriotic without waving a flag. There'd still be an England if there wasn't an English flag.

And when all's said and done, it's only a bit of white cloth with a red cross on it. It doesn't actually mean anything.

[TeamD]

Try telling that to the Welsh, Scots, any other nationality for that matter!

>> Edited by TeamD on Wednesday 20th April 16:11

[chris.mapey]

Ecks Ridgehead said:

You know, you can be patriotic without waving a flag. There'd still be an England if there wasn't an English flag. And when all's said and done, it's only a bit of white cloth with a red cross on it. It doesn't actually mean anything.

I suppose in the same way I can call you an onanist without administering the coffee beans hand gesture then? It doesn't actually mean anything ffs...

The flag is a symbol that represents this once great nation. How can you say that there would still be an England without the flag, it has been used in battle throught the ages, as part of the history that makes this nation what it is.

[M@H]

chris.mapey said:

The flag is a symbol that represents this once great nation...

..ravaged, strangled and pillaged by Political Correctness, Guilt, Liberalism, and a perverse political requirement that no-one should feel that they are "better" than anyone else at anything.




(wow.. a Britain based mini-rant from me and I didn't mention the EU farce once ! )

[chris.mapey]

M@H said:

chris.mapey said: The flag is a symbol that represents this once great nation... ..ravaged, strangled and pillaged by Political Correctness, Guilt, Liberalism, and a perverse political requirement that no-one should feel that they are "better" than anyone else at anything. (wow.. a Britain based mini-rant from me and I didn't mention the EU farce once ! )

I did debate where to put the emphasis...

Chris

[bilko2]

I don't understand it either. If you go to Northern Ireland they ahve the paving/corner stones and lamposts painted in red white and blue. Every other house displays a union flag of some description.
Equally in other areas the same street colours are in green white and orange. Ok i know there is more to it than that but it seems strange that we have this inbuilt fear of displaying who we are. ( should you want to ). Would i display a flag outside my house? if it was the norm then yes but otherwise i wouldn't bother. Infact that disturbs me a bit. Why is the nation ( in general ) so apathetic about it's identity?
Where i live it is normal for cars to drive round sporting jamaican hangy things but only rarely do i see the ocasional builders van with the back windscreen blocked out by a dirty union flag.
Something in the tea maybe

Maybe it is genetic, maybe deep inside we are still scared that if we display an identity then someone will invade. As with the vikings, romans etc.
Maybe it's because we are not realy sure who we are in the first place, i mean what is a true briton anyway? ( always asleep in hisory lessons ).

I think national pride is a good thing and i'm not talking immigrants and other arguements. I'm talking roots. If we knew and cared about our roots and had a culture/identity then wouldn't we nurture it?. Pass it on to our children. Wouldn't it breed a certain amount of pride in our identity that would show in our children's education, the way we treat our elders?

Wouldn't it be nice if we as a nation had some of the verve and passion of the Italians or came out in force with a common cause like the Spanish or the drive and pride in our work of the Japanese?

[Ecks Ridgehead]

chris.mapey said:

Ecks Ridgehead said: You know, you can be patriotic without waving a flag. There'd still be an England if there wasn't an English flag. And when all's said and done, it's only a bit of white cloth with a red cross on it. It doesn't actually mean anything. I suppose in the same way I can call you an onanist without administering the coffee beans hand gesture then? It doesn't actually mean anything ffs... The flag is a symbol that represents this once great nation. How can you say that there would still be an England without the flag, it has been used in battle throught the ages, as part of the history that makes this nation what it is.

Quite. Onanistic insinuation doesn't bother me one bit - it's just someone moving their hand around. And quite apart from that, my onanism or otherwise would just be your opinion - and I quite frankly don't care what your opinion is on that matter.

There would still be an England without the flag because if we didn't have a flag the land wouldn't sink beneath the waves, our borders wouldn't shrink to nothing and our government wouldn't change. As you yourself said, it's just a symbol. If previous kings had gone to battle with nothing painted on their shields we wouldn't have a flag at all, but England would still be England.

[Yugguy]

I'm English. I have little Union Jack cufflnks. And sometimes I have a little flag sticker. If this offends anyone, it's their problem.

[deeen]

Ecks Ridgehead said:

If previous kings had gone to battle with nothing painted on their shields we wouldn't have a flag at all, but England would still be England.

Don't agree with this, our flag would be a plain brown rectangle, cos their shields would have gone rusty. And then the Engerland supporters could use dark mahogany fake tan as their "warpaint".

[AlexH]

deeen said:

And then the Engerland supporters could use dark mahogany fake tan as their "warpaint".

Maybe with a nice hint of orange?

Seriously, I completely fail to understand these fkwits who cannot for the love of God distinguish between patriotism and jingoism or xenophobia. There is NOTHING wrong with loving your country and celebrating it, and just because some idiots choose to lean over in jingoism and xenophobia shouldn't stop decent people supporting their country.