Monday, June 07, 2004
TALK ABOUT GUILT-RIDDEN
The BBC reports:
Of course, it is perfectly okay for just about everyone else from anywhere else on the planet to wave theirs -- and sometimes right in the face of the English.
By the way, below is the flag they are talking about. (It is not the same as the Union Jack, at the top of this page). This flag represents England only -- not the entire United Kingdom:
The BBC reports:
They are everywhere. It seems you cannot go down any street at the moment without seeing cars, shops, houses and pubs festooned with St George's flags.On a story like this one KNOWS immediately, which way the BBC is leaning:
But are these patriotic displays just an indication of support for the England squad in Euro 2004 or do they represent something else?. . .
. . . BBC News Online tracked down some flag bearers and non-flag bearers in Birmingham to see what they thought about the trend.Ah, yes, we've been waiting for this:
Geoff Marlow, owner of Kings Heath Photo Centre, said he will be hoisting a huge flag above his shop in the build up to Euro 2004.
"I'm all for it, it's our flag so why shouldn't we be entitled to fly it, you wouldn't go up to Scotland or Wales and tell them not to fly theirs. . .
. . .Non flag-bearers Tina Chauhan, 22, an administration clerk from Moseley, and Ali Azam, 22, a security worker from Moor Green, said they feared it could be used by some to incite racism.And, the professional "But" crowd is given the last word:
"There can be problems with it and that needs to be pointed out," Tina said . . .
Andrew Houseley, director of the Commission for Racial Equality Midlands, said he was concerned that some people felt threatened by the increase in flags on display in public.It is amazing. What is REALLY frightening is that the English cannot even comfortably wave their own flag, without someone lecturing them on how it must be somehow inappropriate to do so. Good grief.
"We understand how the flag could instil fear as it has been hijacked by racists in the past," he said.
"But, the only way to remove this fear is to reclaim the flag from the racists who wrongly claim to be the only keepers of the flame of Englishness." . . .
Of course, it is perfectly okay for just about everyone else from anywhere else on the planet to wave theirs -- and sometimes right in the face of the English.
By the way, below is the flag they are talking about. (It is not the same as the Union Jack, at the top of this page). This flag represents England only -- not the entire United Kingdom:
Talk about guilting an entire people and country. If Americans think they are professionally guilt-ridden, I have to say that, frankly, as bad as it is at times in the States, when it comes to this we really have no idea . . . ¶ by Robert, Monday, June 07, 2004
