Flying The Flag

[Jah Lush]

Yanlizkurt has his/her national Turkish flag flying as a signature to his/her posts. If I was to do the same with the Cross Of St George (not, I hesitate to say, that I have any intention of doing so) would people assume I was some sort of overly patriotic, jingoistic, right wing bigot? Or someone that takes pride in thier own flag? Or what?

Answers please.

[Fear 'n boozin]

erm, bigot. obviously.

[mockney piers]

Of course you Nazi!!

On which note I have to say I'm a bit uncomfortable with that. I like the clean look of the forum, so many others are rendered unreadable by moving gifs and ridiculous emoticons and all sorts.

Hence why I kept the fave albums as neat as possible, otherwise things become frankly unusable.

 

[SeanMacGabhann]

I avoid flags myself - and mine isn't as associated with "overly patriotic, jingoistic, right wing bigot"s as some others (rightly or wrongly)

I'll support my country's team when it's playing (not a problem next year now - tch) as I like football and it's tribal - but flags (of any country) are appropriated by all sorts of people I'm not happy with.

Where my parents lived when I was born has nothing to do with me - the world is (thankfully) a far bigger, better and more interesting place than that place so associating myself with a flag doesn't appeal

And IF England don't qualify tonight then you can bet that the people who get very aggressive to foreigners in the West End or wherever WILL be decked out in their flag.

[Fear 'n boozin]

I agree with mp on the large signatures on the forum. eek.

[Brendan]

It is a pity that St George?s flag has been hijacked by extremists. I don?t think anyone should have to feel apologetic for being proud of being English.

- This coming from someone from 2 very un-English backgrounds. But I have made a conscious choice to live in England and feel it would be downright rude not to lend my support to the national sense of identity. Even if supporting their sports teams has made me age prematurely.

[Nero]

I think some people might think you were a nationalistic yob, but more, probably, would just think you were a bit barmy and not understand why you'd want to do it.

And when people say 'I'm proud to be British/tall/ginger/black' it bugs me. How can you be proud of an accident of birth? Be glad and pleased, but not proud. I think it's ok to be proud of your achievements, but not something you have absolutely no control over. What say others? Nero

[mockney piers]

What have you done Jaaaaaaaaahh!?!!!?!!?!!

ps agree with SMG

 

[Brendan]

Wot?s this then? Proposed designs for a new flag for England?

[Fear 'n boozin]

thought I'd turned off the signature! arse.

I'm not against flags, or waving them at sporting events or national occasions, or whenever eles it is one waves ones flag. Adds a bit of colour to the occasion. fun to do. probably gives one a sense of belonging too.

I think it's sad that the flag of st. george (and I'm sure other flags in other countries) are associated with idiots, but I don't see why the rest of us shouldn't wave them guilt free. And I have to disagree with sean, when england loose tonight, yes, the rabble will be waving union jacks, st.georges etc, as well as chelsea, millwall and west ham flags, but so will most other fans. the ones who shurg, say 'well, it was going to happen' and then go home. f the flag has nowt to do with it.

I dont look like that.

[Jah Lush]

Sean, you always seem to come up with the good answers and I agree with what you say there. Not that I entirely agree with you all the time on other things. That would be boring. But am I the only person that finds people waving their national flag a little...pathetic and....ooh... erm a tad offensive. I suppose it depends on the type of person doing the flag waving and for what reason doesn't it?

[mockney piers]

There is something charming about these big old England fans trotted out at big Footie events with "Throcking Utd" or "Badgersfield Ladies U21" scrawled on them.

I think I've one of them somewhere too I took in chicago a couple of years back; a little more tastefully shall we...

 

[Brendan]

What country is it that has that black and white checkered flag? They always win the grand prix.

[atila the gooner]

Why should you feel you have to justify yourself for attaching a flag of St George to your messages. Go for it. We should all be proud of our roots.

I seem to recall Southwark council stating that it might prosecute residents of the borough for flying the flag of St George, during Euro 2006 ( I think) as they fely it might cause offence to other nationalities. As usual they got it totally wrong, one rule for one group and one rule for another. I notice that they said nothing about prosecuting other residents who might want to fly flags of other nations, I suppose they assume that it is only the flag of St George that can upset people.

[Fear 'n boozin]

now, is that a photo of a bunch of nice people having fun, or drunken yobbos waiting for a ruck?

[and is that you with the stevanage flag mp ;op]

[SeanMacGabhann]

I said "if" not "when" ;-)

And absolutely, most people carrying the flags will be fine and dandy and go home without any bother.

But then again many people attending will enjoy the game without flags too...

Edit: Ahhh how nice Jah - cheers.

[Keef]

It's a sad thing, but basically the type of place where you see St George's cross hanging outside houses is The Brook Estate or Middlepark Estate in Eltham (I know, I have to visit these estates). Now the majority of people living here are lovely, nice people, who would only fly the flag out of pride in their footballing nation.

However, it is, at the end of the day, Steven Lawrence country, and there are some nasty gits living around there! A good friend of mine is a policeman who covers the Brook estate, and he tells me every house put on the market there belongs to a black or asian family, and there are very few of these families left around there.

Bloody shame! I hate walking around these places.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ooh Keef you took the steam out of my next post! -

That's what I was going to say - and spot on....

Of course it isn't the flag that CAUSES these things but it has become an umbrella for people with a less that outward-looking view of the world. Nor is England alone of course. Many countries are blighted by the same disease. But everywhere it exists, these people gather around their flag....

[Jah Lush]

I don't blame them for wanting to get out of a place like that Keef, if I had some violent, right wing, racists living around me giving me grief I'd want to move too. Bastards!

[mockney piers]

"now, is that a photo of a bunch of nice people having fun, or drunken yobbos waiting for a ruck?"

I didn't spot any trouble, but then I left the game, went to an open air concert and had a meal in a nice restaurant (with terrible service obviously, I think the waiter had an issue with the English).

There was plenty of trouble on the way over. I got an Air India flight that was delayed long enough for a bunch of England Shirt clad thugs to be drunk enough to be mouthing loudly about how the pane was full of effing p*kis trying to take our jobs, and generally not being ambassadors for our nation.

Don't book an Air India* flight next time you ignorant c*nts!!

Proud of that? You're having a laugh.

*I felt pointing out the obvious inaccuracy would have been a futile and unappreciated exercise in pedantry and may well have resulted in my being beaten senseless. We reported them instead and got the most vocal one shoved in a room to sober up. He missed his flight ho ho ho.

*edited for hand holding purposes*

[Fear 'n boozin]

I know, but it's clearly when!

I think it's sad that we all feel this way. We seem to be stuck on football here. Flags are waved at other events, I doubt anybody has problems with them then (rugby springs to mind), but I suppose football is the national sport. I'd say the majority waving flags aren't trouble makers, and that the flag is immaterial. Thugs can only claim the flag for themselves if we let them (a bit simple I know). Why should I feel bad about a flag (be it national, or for my local team) because some wankers use it too? And I bet it's a weird english thing that we do so well. Doubt other nations have quite the same attitude.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/109/434182096_86ae61ff77.jpg?v=0

I bet this image doesn't stir up 'oh, look at 'em thug' emotions.

too big a photo pants. sorry.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Mockney - did you copy and paste some text from somewhere else into the post and miss some?

[Jah Lush]

I don't mind people flying their flags and having a little pride in where they come from it's just, as has happened with the Flag of St George, it has been misappropriated and associated with moronic behaviour and right wing bigots.

[mockney piers]

I think F'nB and I seem to be having our own conversation...don't mind us.

[Jah Lush]

I don't mind Mockney. You're in the lounge. Do as you please. *Waves the red, gold and green with one hand and a white flag in the other.*