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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask my neighbour about England flag bunting?

395 replies

nuffinthemule · 30/05/2014 16:12

My neighbour is outside on a ladder attaching England-flag bunting to the lampost outside his house (on the pavement). Is there a sport-related reason for hanging bunting this weekend that I have forgotten about or am I right to be slightly wtf? We live in a very multicultural area and I think it looks a bit aggressive and unwelcoming, although I accept it might not have been his intention. I know the neighbour to say hello to only and although he's always been reasonably friendly I have tbh been keeping a bit of distance as I know other neighbours have fallen out with him. Would you ask him why he is hanging it, do you think? Or am I being paranoid? And if you agree it is a bit dodgy how do I get him to take it down?

OP posts:
MyUsernameIsPants · 30/05/2014 22:14

Apologies Corey - I miss read your post. It clicked as soon as you mentioned 'loyalist' then I got the point of your post Blush

cricketpitch · 30/05/2014 22:15

We had a party at the weekend - loads of bunting - Union Jack and St George. Twenty five or so people - nine nationalities from 4 continents. (And not even all the same colour!!!) Had a great time.

Am sick of people trying to start a witch hunt over racism, (and other things) - seeing it where it doesn't exist.

How have the secret police in certain states maintained their grip? Through people denouncing their friends and neighbours. It made people feel good to denounce others as being anti-American, Jewish, homosexual, for crimes against the party, for being disrespectful to the Leader, for being a communist, a traitor, a witch ... whatever.

if I denounce him then I cannot possibly be a witch, a traitor, racist...etc. This sort of OP smacks of that.

I am not denying that there are racists or that some people have had bad experiences - just that this is ridiculous.

Preciousbane · 30/05/2014 22:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CoreyTrevorLahey · 30/05/2014 22:18

No problem MyUsername - sorry for losing the rag a bit Blush

MyUsernameIsPants · 30/05/2014 22:18

Could it be because you can by bunting and flags for pennies in any 99p shop/poundland AF?

People are not patriotic these days, they're skint.

MmeLindor · 30/05/2014 22:22

Get a grip, Cricketpitch. Secret police? I think you are getting carried away.

Where do you see a witchhunt? The OP asked if there was a football match or other sporting event on this weekend, that would explain why her neighbour was putting up bunting.

Lucyccfc · 30/05/2014 22:22

FFS it's because of people like you that stops people from wanting to celebrate anything English or being patriotic. I have a flag in my window at the moment, because we are big England fans and we are off to Miami in the morning to watch England play Ecuador and Honduras.

I hate all this political correctness. All other nationalities are applauded when they raise their flag, but if anyone English does it, it's seen as something negative.

I can be proud to be English and wave my flag, without being aggressive, disrespectful or racist.

COME ON ENGLAND. xxx

MmeLindor · 30/05/2014 22:27

You know what I find really sad? That posters are berating people like the OP, who is actually worried about others in her neighbourhood. Telling her she is everything that is wrong with this country, and people like her are ruining the fun for others.

Why not get angry at the dimwitted knobs who have co-opted the English flag as a symbol of right-wing politics?

If I see a poster on Twitter, with an English flag on his/her pic, then I give them a big swerve, because from experience they are likely to be abusive twats.

Where is your anger at them, rather than at those who are worried for immigrants in our country?

squoosh · 30/05/2014 22:28

I agree that the OP sounds like a very nice person.

CoreyTrevorLahey · 30/05/2014 22:30

Agree completely, MmeLindor.

cricketpitch · 30/05/2014 22:34

OP said it was aggressive and unwelcoming in a multicultural area and possibly a bit dodgy. She asked if she should ask him to take it down!!!

I didn't say she was secret police - but how many threads do we see which start with "I saw/ heard/ ... possible racism" And the point is that we destroy each other with this attitude.

As I said we had bunting for our street party... and will support our various teams over the World Cup with our own different flags

AnyFucker · 30/05/2014 22:35

Yup
It's not the Op at fault here

cricketpitch · 30/05/2014 22:36

PS - does that make us all racists, thugs and twats - or only the ones who put up English flags?

slithytove · 30/05/2014 22:36

Is it just the flag or anything that represents the st George's cross? Wigs, facepaint etc?

MmeLindor · 30/05/2014 22:42

My point is that she asked if there was a sporting event, that would explain why he was putting bunting up.

Whatever people are saying on this thread, it is slightly unusual to put Union Jack bunting up when there is no special event on. It isn't wrong, or nasty, just a bit unusual.

And because of these idiots, it can be seen as a sign of a certain type of person.

Hakluyt · 30/05/2014 22:42

"Why not get angry at the dimwitted knobs who have co-opted the English flag as a symbol of right-wing politics?"

Absolutely!!!!!

Pixel · 30/05/2014 22:43

I'm starting to think that admitting you are english is enough to get you branded a racist. Ironic really because if we weren't so welcoming and non-aggressive we wouldn't have all these multicultural neighbourhoods would we?

As it happens I do think the flags people put on cars are aggressive, but only because they are very flappy and frighten my horse Wink.

Peacocklady · 30/05/2014 22:45

YANBU
Football aside, what is the message in flying a flag? What is Englishness anyway? What does it say to those who don't feel English but live here?

Hakluyt · 30/05/2014 22:45

"I'm starting to think that admitting you are english is enough to get you branded a racist."

Some new definition of the word "think" that I haven't previously encountered.........

slithytove · 30/05/2014 22:46

Oh it's not racist as long as you are a self hating English person.

Pride in it however... Well you might as well be in the kkk. Maybe that's why Asda designed their flag hood things the way they did.

AllAboveBroad · 30/05/2014 22:46

I wonder if Windsor castle should be made aware of this thread. Would hate Her Majesty to be risking looking racist when they run the flag up....

slithytove · 30/05/2014 22:48

Peacock - you could ask that question of any other country. Why limit it to England.

What is Americanness anyway. What does it say to those who aren't American but live there.

Why is flying the national flag such a bloody problem.

Pixel · 30/05/2014 22:48

Whatever people are saying on this thread, it is slightly unusual to put Union Jack bunting up when there is no special event on

That may be true of bunting but you can buy practically anything with a Union flag on it, from cushions to shopping bags, even a dalek! I bet most people have something with a flag on that they use all the time, special event or not. I know I've got a union jack umbrella because it started raining when we were in London and I quickly bought it from a souvenir stall, also various items left over from the jubilee.

RiverTam · 30/05/2014 22:52

it's the intention, isn't it - flags up for sports or the Jubilee is fine, cheering on your team, three cheers for Danny Boyle blah blah - excellent stuff.

Flags up because you want England to be as white as the driven snow and all the ps and n**s can fuck off home isn't so much, is it? And you are being obtuse if you really and truly don't see that there are people out there who do that - nasty, hateful thugs who no-one in their right mind wants to be living next door to.

Of course it's a shame that our flag has been hijacked, but you can't pretend that it hasn't. I really don't see that the OP deserves all this sneering. Not everyone gives a shit about football and has every England fixture on their calendar.

Peacocklady · 30/05/2014 22:53

Slithy I think the same of other countries.
What is your message in flying an England flag other than sport? Genuinely interested.

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