Still European

[MrsBrunch]

Does anyone know why people are putting this on their FB profile picture?

Obviously when we left the EU we didn't leave the continent, we are still part of europe. Is it because some people think we aren't or something?

But the people who identify as Europeans are still European and they still live in Europe.

Those who wanted to still live in a country that is part of the EU no longer do so. They still live in Europe though and they are European.

Those who wanted to still live in a country that is part of the EU no longer do so. They still live in Europe though and they are European.

Yes, we are not stupid and we understand all of that. However, we have had our rights as EU citizens removed, which many of us are very angry and unhappy about. So we may choose to highlight the European aspects of our identity because they are still important to us.

Because among those who voted leave believed they were voting 'out of Europe' or voting to 'cut ties with Europe'. They had, apparently, greater affinities with the US. They claimed to have more in common with US culture than European culture.

In effect, they wanted to leave the European continent if that were possible. And I'm only half joking. The anti-European sentiment mixed with the anti-EU sentiment was and still does reek. Just check out the record comments on the latest French/Macron bash on the lovely DM.

So yes, to state 'still European' makes sense to me in that light. It emphasises that though we are no longer in the EU were are still and always will be European.

I meant to add: still be and FEEL European

@AlexaShutUp

Those who wanted to still live in a country that is part of the EU no longer do so. They still live in Europe though and they are European.

Yes, we are not stupid and we understand all of that. However, we have had our rights as EU citizens removed, which many of us are very angry and unhappy about. So we may choose to highlight the European aspects of our identity because they are still important to us.

Of course, but that's not what the OP is talking about, is it? (Or is it?)

Lots of people so not understand "all,of that though". They think Europe and the EU is the same thing. I wouldn't call them stupid though.

Anyone with that as their status obviously does understand that though Meringue. OP was pretending to misunderstand for some reason but people with it as their status obviously understand.

Brexiters spent 40 years moaning about Europe so if they think I'm just going to shut up about it now they can fucking well think again.

I wasn't pretending to misunderstand @lurchersrule although you can continue to insist I was if it pleases you. Yes we are still European. I just didn't think it needed to be stated as if some people thought we weren't.

Okay, so you thought that people were helpfully putting that in their profile pictures on the off chance that someone who thought leaving the EU meant leaving Europe would see it and be corrected? How odd.

@lurchersrule

Okay, so you thought that people were helpfully putting that in their profile pictures on the off chance that someone who thought leaving the EU meant leaving Europe would see it and be corrected? How odd.

Exactly! I thought it was odd too.

Of course, but that's not what the OP is talking about, is it? (Or is it?)

MeringueCloud, you seem as disingenuous as the OP.

Remainers think they have some kind of moral and intellectual superiority over leavers, and they like to signal this on social media as a badge of honour.

Good luck to them

@AlexaShutUp

Of course, but that's not what the OP is talking about, is it? (Or is it?)

MeringueCloud, you seem as disingenuous as the OP.

No, but I find it annoying when people call the EU "Europe". It is not the same thing.

@Haggertyjane

Remainers think they have some kind of moral and intellectual superiority over leavers, and they like to signal this on social media as a badge of honour.

Good luck to them

Er.... no. We're just pissed off that we've had our rights ripped away from us against our will as a result of such a Mickey Mouse knife edge "referendum" What's not to be pissed off about?

You won, we lost, we're going to keep "moaning" because we're angry!

Funny how brexiters always rely on this sneery "they think they're cleverer than us" bull 💩. Don't you have anything more enlightened to to say? 🤔

Of course it isn't the same thing, MeringueCloud, but do you always take everything so literally? It's pretty obvious what people mean.

EU citizenship was hugely important to a lot of people. They are merely expressing their regret at what has been lost and emphasising their wish to retain close ties to Europe despite Brexit.

The vast majority of people fully understand the basic fact that Europe and the EU are not one and the same...and those of us who don't understand this are very unlikely to be the types to put "still European" on their FB status anyway!

The only FB picture I’ve seen it on belongs to a couple where one of them is a Brit and the other is from a mainland European country.

@AlexaShutUp

Of course it isn't the same thing, MeringueCloud, but do you always take everything so literally? It's pretty obvious what people mean.

EU citizenship was hugely important to a lot of people. They are merely expressing their regret at what has been lost and emphasising their wish to retain close ties to Europe despite Brexit.

The vast majority of people fully understand the basic fact that Europe and the EU are not one and the same...and those of us who don't understand this are very unlikely to be the types to put "still European" on their FB status anyway!

"Take everything so literally"?

Words have meaning. Lots of European countries are not in the EU. Europe isn't the EU. They are not the same thing. Your ties with Europe have not changed.

Lots of European countries are not in the EU. Europe isn't the EU. They are not the same thing. Your ties with Europe have not changed.
Yes, and that point is the one that those of us who wished to remain in the EU wish to emphasise. That although we have been dragged out of the EU we are still proudly European. Those on the other side are those who have talked of "leaving Europe" and tried to spin this as a good thing. I wear my Still European tshirt as a comfort to myself and a fuck off to the jingoistic twats who think we have "left Europe".

Your ties with Europe have not changed.

My ties with Europe absolutely have changed. I have lost the right to live and work in large swathes of the continent.

You are being ridiculously pedantic and you know it.

To be honest, you would have thought with Brexit being 'done' leavers would now be happy as they have got what they wanted (whatever that was...). But no, they now have to quibble over why those of us who didn't want this aren't jumping up and down with joy and are daring to express our sense of being European in whatever way we can. There's no need! You won, so get on with revelling in your sovereignty, counting your fish and doing all the things you have apparently been unable to do while we were in the EU. But don't expect people who never wanted this to be happy and don't underestimate the strength of feeling many have about it.

As others said, it yet another way for people to show how they feel about Brexit. Living with a former-UKIP, former-Brexit Party, now Reform councillors who take up a lot of our local area spaces, there were a lot a lot of posts about the government finally following the people's will and all that as if we're going to be able to radically change everything.

On one hand, if it makes them feel happy to express themselves that way, it's bit a niceness for them.

On the other, it's been weird for me to see far more Brits who don't live in the UK or Europe using them than UK or Europe-based Brits. I know it's just an odd coincidence, by numbers it's almost certainly the other way, but I don't know - it felt weird, double because it kinda just rubbed in as an immigrant sitting in the citizenship ceremony queue months on that I'm never going to be that and there are still a lot of people who think I'll never be really British, definitely not European, even having lived here my entire adult life. It's just an odd situation I'm in and it's left me feeling out of place. Like when the referendum was happening, and since I didn't have a vote, I could only support Remain from the sidelines (and be really annoyed how poorly the campaign was run), smile and get on with it, and now there again with so many political ideas that become associated with Remain now being so closely tied with having a European identity.

But don't expect people who never wanted this to be happy and don't underestimate the strength of feeling many have about it.

Yes, quite.

The Brexiteers got what they wanted. They don't get to control what we feel or how we choose to express ourselves.

Christ, you'd think the brexiteers would be satisfied enough with their "triumphant success" to distract them from complaining about the losers expressing their regret. I mean, you lot got what you want, so try not to be such poor, mean-spirited winners and try to be understanding of those who didn't get what they wanted.

@2magpies1pigeon

European in spririt, feeling we have so much in common with fellow Europeans, etc, etc.

It's interesting you should say that, because I've never really felt that way. I've never felt like a European per se. We know far more about the politics of the USA than we do about the politics and political leaders of countries in Europe, for instance. The media and the way news is reported must be responsible for that I guess.

Obviously I can't speak for others, but I do wonder how many people in the UK 'feel' European despite living, as we do, on an island which is not physically connected to other countries in the continent of Europe. (Yes I know NI is in a different place on this one).

there are still a lot of people who think I'll never be really British, definitely not European, even having lived here my entire adult life.

I know, BiBabbles, but there are many of us who will be happy to consider you British when you finally get a date for your citizenship ceremony. If nothing else, I hope that the last few months has helped to demonstrate the massive contribution that immigrants make to our country - from the EU and beyond.

I don’t think it’s about logic, it’s about emotions. Some people are really sad about what’s happened and express their feelings. They don’t ask for lecture in geography, they are making their views known.
Why they do this? Well, what else they can do?