Flying your countries flag for the footie

[Ruth Mills]

It's getting to be like that here in the US, also. Christmas vacation is now called winter break, Easter vacation is now called spring break. God forbid, Christianity 'offends' anyone. It's just sickening what has become of this country, in the name of 'political correctness'. :cry:

I know... both the UK and US have had predominantly Christian cultures for hundreds of years... and surely you can call a holiday a "Christmas holiday" without forcing people who aren't Christians to celebrate Christmas?

Personally, I'm really interested in other cultures and religions, and believe that people should have the right to practice whichever religious or spiritual path they choose, provided that it doesn't infringe on anyone else's liberties. So it's fine for someone to build a mosque in my town, for example, provided that they don't then expect me to convert to Islam, and it doesn't impact on my rights to go for an alcoholic drink at the pub across the road. And as long as they're treated by the local council in exactly the same way that a Christian group would be if building a new church. Likewise for a Sikh temple, etc, etc...

 

[*sarah*]

omg its just madness! I will probably be down in redditch when the footies on as my bf is from there I would not think folk were being racist toward me with shirts on and flags out what a load of rubbish! I'd even don an englans shirt myself for the banter lol (I am a 1/4 english anyway as my grandads from Torquay! and have 2 sisters from newcastle! )xx

 

[Ruth Mills]

My car has an "England" air freshener shaped like a bulldog with a painted George Cross on his face... if anyone dares tell me that's racist, I'll say that it's because I'm really fond of bulldogs (and other breeds of dogs with "smushed up" faces, like our little Pug, of course)...

 

[Mrs Geek]

Dear All - I apologise. When I wrote about Minx and St Georges (English Flag) I hadn't read the whole thread. Could someone please explain to me why flying the English (St Georges Cross Flag) is racist? Is it racist to fly the Union Jack too?

What I love about the USA is how proud they are of their Stars & Stripes flag. We have a flag holder on our house - whenever anyone came from the USA to stay my mum and dad always flew the Spangled Banner. I was mortified as a teenager but now think it is a cool idea!

Why can't we be patriot oursleves without being accused of being racist? I dont' understand it at all.

Can someone explain it in easy terms for me? As an aside - Minx are making Union Jacks too as well as White with Red Metallic Cross minx... is there a more politcally correct one???

What a load of bo**ocks!!

 

[wendy malley]

omg its just madness! I will probably be down in redditch when the footies on as my bf is from there I would not think folk were being racist toward me with shirts on and flags out what a load of rubbish! I'd even don an englans shirt myself for the banter lol (I am a 1/4 english anyway as my grandads from Torquay! and have 2 sisters from newcastle! )xx

It is madness, its the fools who make the rules.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Dear All - I apologise. When I wrote about Minx and St Georges (English Flag) I hadn't read the whole thread. Could someone please explain to me why flying the English (St Georges Cross Flag) is racist? Is it racist to fly the Union Jack too?

I think some of it comes from far right groups such as the BNP having "mis-appropriated" the Union Jack for their own ends... so that the Union Jack (and also the George Cross) perhaps becomes associated in people's minds with far right groups (and hence racism).

Then you have the "politically correct" brigade who have a fetish for applying social engineering so that minority groups are artificially elevated above the majority - which is essentially being racist against the majority of British people - but you'd get shot (metaphorically) for suggesting so. For example, you can't get Arts Council funding unless you can prove that the stuff you want the funding for caters for specific minority groups; even if it's the best art, photography, theatre, dance, etc, in the world, you won't get the money unless you tick all those politically correct boxes.

Consequently, the "politically correct" brigade would almost certainly associate flying the Union Jack or the George Cross with having an affinity with far right groups, and hence bash you for being racist - when you're actually being patriotic or supporting your country's football team - neither of which have anything to do with racism.

I'd place a fair bet that if people were actually allowed to express pride in our country (e.g. by flying the flag), then there'd be much better social integration and a lot less anti-social behaviour. Whereas at the moment, it seems like you're branded a racist for daring to take pride in our country!!!

 

[Mrs Geek]

Thank you Ruth for such a concise and easy to understand answer.

I think it's appalling that once again 'the powers that be' allow minorities to make the rest of us feel unsure about something that should feel natural and we should feel proud to do.

That's when I think Spain and their rules have got it so right. People of all religions / walks of life can get to live in Spain - if they abide by Spanish laws. If they dont like the laws tough they abide them or they can leave Spain and move elsewhere.

Guess where they move to!:?:

 

[wendy malley]

I suppose its too much to hope for that there may be a geek in NO 10 who could print this of and leave it on the PM's desk-just to set the man straight. x

 

[deanosnana]

I think it's appalling that once again 'the powers that be' allow minorities to make the rest of us feel unsure about something that should feel natural and we should feel proud to do.

That's when I think Spain and their rules have got it so right. People of all religions / walks of life can get to live in Spain - if they abide by Spanish laws. If they dont like the laws tough they abide them or they can leave Spain and move elsewhere.

AMEN! It'd be like me going into someone's home and totally disregarding their rules. I would NEVER do that.

From my experience, I have seen certain ethnic groups express pride in their race. I have NO problem with that. But, when I express pride in my ethnicity, I'm called a racist. I honestly don't get it! Frustrating, to say the least!

 

[Mrs Geek]

Maybe we need to bring back the slogan 'Proud to be British'....

 

[Ruth Mills]

Thank you Ruth for such a concise and easy to understand answer.

I think it's appalling that once again 'the powers that be' allow minorities to make the rest of us feel unsure about something that should feel natural and we should feel proud to do.

That's when I think Spain and their rules have got it so right. People of all religions / walks of life can get to live in Spain - if they abide by Spanish laws. If they dont like the laws tough they abide them or they can leave Spain and move elsewhere.

Guess where they move to!:?:

Yes, you're so right there! Everyone choosing to live in Britain should abide by British laws. And no-one should be made to feel bad because they want to show their pride in this country.

By all means, people should have the freedom to belong to and practice whatever religion they want to - but in doing so they mustn't break any of the country's laws or interfere with or harm any other people.

However, in my opinion, it's not religion that's intrinsically wrong, it's *fundamentalism* (of any kind) - blindly following a set of teachings without questioning the validity of them, or things like how relevant they are to modern life (especially if written hundreds of years ago before the advent of modern science), and how they impact on other people. Especially when you believe that yours is the only way, and everyone else's beliefs are wrong.

If I were to visit another country with a vastly different culture to the UK, then I'd expect to abide by that country's laws and be sensitive to their customs. Likewise for people visiting or choosing to move to the UK. That's only fair.

 

[Mrs Geek]

Yes, you're so right there! Everyone choosing to live in Britain should abide by British laws. And no-one should be made to feel bad because they want to show their pride in this country.

By all means, people should have the freedom to belong to and practice whatever religion they want to - but in doing so they mustn't break any of the country's laws or interfere with or harm any other people.

However, in my opinion, it's not religion that's intrinsically wrong, it's *fundamentalism* (of any kind) - blindly following a set of teachings without questioning the validity of them, or things like how relevant they are to modern life (especially if written hundreds of years ago before the advent of modern science), and how they impact on other people. Especially when you believe that yours is the only way, and everyone else's beliefs are wrong.

If I were to visit another country with a vastly different culture to the UK, then I'd expect to abide by that country's laws and be sensitive to their customs. Likewise for people visiting or choosing to move to the UK. That's only fair.

Agreed... and just remembered - the old slogan was British... and proud of it!!

 

[Ruth Mills]

AMEN! It'd be like me going into someone's home and totally disregarding their rules. I would NEVER do that.

From my experience, I have seen certain ethnic groups express pride in their race. I have NO problem with that. But, when I express pride in my ethnicity, I'm called a racist. I honestly don't get it! Frustrating, to say the least!

Yes, it's stupid! By being proud of who *I* am, it's not dissing anyone else or suggesting that I'm in any way better than them.

That, in my view, is what distinguishes patriotism from racism. Patriotism is saying that I'm proud to be British. Racism would be implying that I was in some way superior to other ethnic groups - and that's where the problems start, in terms of people assuming they should have greater rights over ethnic minorities, or that ethnic minorities should be treated as second-class citizens or persecuted.

So at one end of the scale, you'd have racism, where ethnic minorities are treated worse than a country's indigenous people, and at the other end of the scale, you have political correctness, where ethnic minorities are treated better. Neither approach is fair in my opinion... the only truly fair approach is to treat everyone *equally* irrespective of the colour of their skin, the religion they choose to follow, who they choose to fall in love with, etc... but at the same time, ensuring that people's needs are met.

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

My neighbours have been out all day today hanging flags up and draping bunting across from their side to ours... I shall be going out to buy some when I am off work and doing the same.
I think its bloomin madness that we can't be proud of who we are and show that!
Many more problems they need to look at such as homes for the homeless... and Jobs for the jobless etc etc... instead of wasting time moaning about flags!

I am not the most clued up person when it comes to politics and things like that, but even I can tell this is just bonkers !

 

[steve@nouvatan]

well I have a welsh football hating fan off egg chasing (rugby) loving girlfriend ... was that a racist comment ... My local indian takeaway is run by a couple of great Pakistani lads who are totally football mad!! they are doing world cup barbecue deals .. raw meat marrinaded and delivered to your door on match days ready for the BBQ , they have advertised it with a flyer with the 3 lions logo and st Georges cross.... they are devout muslims but proud to be English Pakistanis,
My bet is no one will find there Flag bearing marketing racist
I grew up in a very Asian area of Manchester i can swear in fluent urdu
This Politically Correct attitude is because a minority of white British are afraid to upset ANYBODY !! who is not british,Because they have never inter acted with them, if they actually had Asian friends Jamican friends Turks Eastern Europeans ect
They would realise that they came to Britain because they admired this great nation and wanted to be part of it !!
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN LOL !!!

 

[mrs o]

I cant imagine being Irish -that one day we will be told that we cant celebrate St Patricks day!The parades,the Guinness,the flags and the craic(fun -to the non Irish geeks!) But the writing is on the wall

We would, or could ,never impose our heritage in other countries-its welcome ,because of all the expats around the globe want to be part of it.Everyone it seems has a connection to Ireland.
And the same if not more so,can be said about the UK- everyone it seems has a Granny or brother or relation or mad Auntie living in Britain proud to be British, and all the UK expats will be cheering them on with flags etc.
My own husband (a Spurs supporter all his life) and all his football ( mainly Liverpool) mates are so sad Ireland didnt get into the World cup- (blame Theirry Henry and quote husband-we were just ****e)If we did there would be flags all over the place
however they are 100% supporting England and if there was any hassle whatsoever with flags altho i cant see them with Union Jacks( but you just try and tell then they cant) there would be murder!
With all the doom and gloom we,ve had whats wrong with a bit of joy and patriotism and waving your flag?
Its ridiculous,that you cannot .

 

[Ruth Mills]

This Politically Correct attitude is because a minority of white British are afraid to upset ANYBODY !! who is not british,Because they have never inter acted with them, if they actually had Asian friends Jamican friends Turks Eastern Europeans ect
They would realise that they came to Britain because they admired this great nation and wanted to be part of it !!
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN LOL !!!

Talking of flying the England flag...I was walking back home yesterday and saw a taxi with England flags on it... driven by an Asian man. I'd love to see the police stop *him* for being "racist" for flying the England flag. They sure would have to eat their words!!!

 

[CGritt]

hi, i hate football but my husband loves it!

Even tho i hate footie I think it is wrong, why not be able to show support for your country?

I live on a British Military Camp based in Germany and am 10 min drive from Holland! I see the point there if going out and about... might cause trouble but not racism. Also Germany & Holland are BOTH appearing everywhere with their colours in forces everywhere you go, does that mean i can kick up a fuss saying it offends me? lol that would be pointless

We too have been ordered that we are not allowed to hang flags from windows, cars etc but to be honest i think the whole English community on camp are just gunna stick two fingers up and say 'Get Lost, We ARE supporting where we come from'. It's only a game after all .......

Rant and rave over now.....hahaha