| Product: |
Patriotism |
| Date: |
11/05/06 (106 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Proud to be English
Disadvantages: Can be hijacked by those with an agenda.
I thought that it might be an opportune time to start a discussion on this topic as with a world cup fast approaching we are soon to see an abundance of English flags bearing the cross of St George all over cars and house windows as well as the rather unsavoury sight in my opinion of people wearing my countries flag as a pair of shorts something I find both distasteful and insulting.
Growing up the flag of St George has always had right wing conertations in my mind as it was often only seen being held aloft by some skin headed yob uttering vile words of racist hate surrounded by a group of policemen who were the only thing standing between him and his cohorts getting the beating that they deserved.
It has probably only been the past three or four years that I would ever have considered flying the flag and expressing my pride in my country and to be honest that change in mind set has been bought about by sport and in particular the success of our rugby team in the World Cup. Rather than those images at a football match with the associated tendency for violence at the rugby world cup you had the image of a bunch of well behaved English people prepared to fly the flag without any hint of violence or aggression.
For me patriotism is not about colour or ethnic origin it is about a pride in being English and the heritage that it brings. I like the fact that in this country we get the flag out only on certain occasions rather than the more expressive approach of those in the States where often in schools there is a pledge of allegiance to the flag every morning. In this country there is an understated way in which we are patriotic in a very self depreciating way. It is not about feeling superior more a confidence in the history of the country and the fact that we live in a democracy which is well established.
All we need now is a football World Cup win free from any crowd trouble and a chance to be even more proud of our country.
Summary: Debate on patriotism
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Last comments:
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- 13/05/06 My hubby (who's Indian like me) is a HGV driver and is proud to sport a St George's flag on his car and has a portable one he uses when he switches between his HGVs. On return to the yard one day last week, a supervisor told him that a manager made a comment that someone was driving around in one of their vehicles with a St George's flag and it might be deemed racist and they had to find out who it was to ask them to remove it. When the supervisor told him it was my hubby, the manager was speechless. Hubby was highly amused that people take things so seriously that a flag showing your support for the National team in the World Cup can get so caught up in political correctness! Funnily enough they didn't ask him to remove the flag :) |
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- 11/05/06 Not sure you fully expanded the possible areas of this category, although I whole heartedly agree with every word written @:-) |
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- 11/05/06 You are right the flag needs to be rescued from being hijacked by dubious right wing organisations. As our esteemed colleage below puts it, in a ever growing multi cultural and diverse society its difficult to know what it actually represents any more.What it means to oon person is not what it means to another. |
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