You may have noticed that there has been a rash on national flags appearing up and down the country.
Our area is mercifully free of them - there, I've nailed my colours to the mast, as it were. I love it when the flags all briefly appear everywhere on celebratory occasions; the last Queen's jubilee celebrations for example, or even as decorations at fetes and carnivals.
But I am suspicious of the motives behind this current craze for tying them on lamp posts along the roads. I'm not sure I want that particular kind of gung-ho Britishness thrust in my face. It just doesn't seem - British - to me.
The flags were everywhere as we drove to the next town yesterday. The traffic was slow enough for me to see that a good proportion of the flags had been tied on upside-down. Now if you are going to involve our national flag in pushing your patriotism into the faces of everyone passing by, the very least you could do is ensure that put the flags up properly.
Do they realize that flying it upside-down is recognised as a distress signal? It's all to do with the positioning of the broader white stripe.
As for whether it is properly called the Union Jack or the Union Flag - it appears both names are correct.
Everything is explained here.
Perhaps their thinking is in distress and they need some help. ~ skye
ReplyDeleteProud as I am to be Canadian I don't think I'd like to see our flag tied on to light posts. That being said...ever since the trouble with Pres. Trump began more folks are displaying the flag in front of their homes. Stores are putting large signs (Maple Leaf) on any display of Canadian products too. The emphasis is on buying Canadian.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is that the people putting up the flags in UK claim to be merely expressing the Britishness, but there is a threatening tone of racism in all it's forms in this pseudo patriotic display. The appearance of Canadian flags in Canada carries a completely different message.
DeleteAngela has left a new comment on your post 'Friday 10 th October - Union Flag or Union Jack?':
ReplyDeleteEntering Norwich from the west there is a long stretch where all the lampposts bear flags. At least ¼ are upside down. Worse, driving through Lincolnshire en route to visit family, there is long run of them, and many have STOP THE BOATS emblazoned across the middle. In my lift, I have yards of patriotic bunting, made for some celebration in the 90s and fetched out since for jubilees, VE day and coronation stuff. But im less keen to use it at the moment...
I agree, our flag has been hijacked by brainless political thugs.
DeletePs once again my fingers caught delete instead of publish so I copied and pasted your comment, sorry 😞
DeleteIt's concerning when we have to think about the motives for flying flags. It is sad to see the English flag debased and associated with far-right activists and racists. I fear the Union flag is facing the same fate.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing it happening when visiting in NI; white lines and kerb stones over-painted red white and blue along the roads, and it being too dangerous to speak out.
DeleteOur US flag has been coopted by fascists, so I put an image in my blog now and then to show it's my flag, too, see.
ReplyDeleteIt's working out how to reclaim symbols which have been grapped by extremists. You're right, it's my - our -flag too. I want to say 'you don't speak for me, your views are not mine'.
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