To ask my neighbour about England flag bunting?

[nuffinthemule]

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?

No.
I don't know what EDL is.
I've lived a sheltered life I guess.

I just don't see undertones of racism everywhere I go, even if it's there.

I would think, oh, an England supporter.

• I've googled and know now of course

Is it just the flag that is EDL or anything with the St George Cross on it?

It's rubbish like this that give the 'Daily Fail' their fodder!

hakulyt no. My mum has lived in Lebanon most of her life and wouldn't think that. If you come to another country why wouldn't you expect the country flag to be flown (if its allowed)

Outside of sporting and royal events England isn't really a country that goes in for flag displays. So if I saw a St George's Cross being displayed on someone's property it would certainly cross my mind that they might be a bit racist.

Similarly in Ireland if I saw a tricolour being displayed (again, outside of a national sporting event) it would cross my mind that they might have certain republican political beliefs.

I think it's quite sad though that it's seen as racist just because a certain group has used it.

A town I live in now with family has an England flag waving in the town centre and I think it's nice.

Squoosh, what England is this? The England I know does.

I think 'the bit racist' thing is a bit small minded..

I'm happy to be proved wrong and think it would be great to see the flag reclaimed but at the moment that is my initial thought. I think some people are being a bit disingenuous with their expressions of shock that someone might be wary of a house that had a George's Cross on display. Again, outside of royal and sporting occasions what kind of people like flying the flag on a daily basis? The ultra patriotic, and in my experience the ultra patriotic can be a bit racist.

I'm not being disingenuous. I wouldn't fly the flag because I like the outside of my house already. But I would wear it / use it for decoration in a sporting context if DH let me

But I just wouldn't see a flag and assume racism. I have no reason to.

Well, I'm 'ultra patriotic'... Make of that what you will...

hakulyt no. My mum has lived in Lebanon most of her life and wouldn't think that "

Might that be because she has lived in Lebanon most of her life?

Bunting. That well known aggressively racist soft decoration.

I live in London, we see flags from all over during World Cup season. I LOVE it. Racism is not in the display of a flag, it is in actions, and words, and intention. I can support England (I don't) in the World Cup and display all manner of English flag paraphernalia without having a racist thought. Why do you allow EDL to appropriate your fucking flag and turn it into something negative. No other country I have lived in has such a warped view of patriotism

I am utterly amazed that so many Mumsnetters never watch the news, read newspapers,nor generally have absolutely no idea what's going on around them.

You would have to have been living on a small island off the coast of Norfolk with no radio to TV signal, no internet access and no contact with the outside world for years not to know how the EDL and other far right and racist organisations have hijacked the St George Cross.

It would be fantastic if it could be claimed back- but it would take a concerted, organised effort, and I frankly doubt if it's possible.

They have no sole claims over it, and during sporting events waving the st George flag has NO negative ripples where I live. I think you're scaremongering and really need to put the daily mail away. Seriously. I sis as negative as you allow it to feel.

I think you have the wrong paper- the Daily Mail is on the side of the "I see no problem"!

So - a question to all those who said that they happily fly their national flag during sporting tournaments... Do you fly your flag all year round or just during world cup/six nations/Wimbledon etc?
If you take it down afterwards, why? Are you not proud of your country outside those times?

For those still thinking the OP is out of order just google EDL and st George's flag images and you might begin to realise why some people are uncomfortable with the use of the flag.
Anybody who lived in a multicultural area during the heightened racial tension of the 1979's will also remember the NF marching the streets wearing and carrying the Union Jack and the st George's flag chanting racist things and looking for non white people to beat to a pulp. Anybody who read the news during that time should also be aware of how the flag was utilised by these groups.
I think it is very sad that the flag is associated with such things ats he flag is the national flag and belongs to all English people but it is very difficult to move fully from the racist association, particularly for anybody who lived in an area which had NF marches. Ethnic minority groups spent a lot of time in fear and feeling anxious due to the NF and the EDL and the brutality that they often inflicted on non white people.
At football matches NF and EDL members used to take along flags and chant racist abuse whilst holding the flags at both the players and members of the crowd.
A few decades on and the flag is becoming comer widely used by then genera public but we still have the EDL using it in a negative way on their marches.
I understand why some people are uncomfortable with flag waving at times outside of national sporting or commemoration events. I do hope that at some point we will move towards greater acceptance of the flag and send the message that we will not allow the EDL and other racist groups to take away it's real meaning. However, the memories of its negative use are still vey clear in many people's minds, particularly those who lived in certain areas during the 70's and early 80's and we shouldn't be jumping on those people and telling them that they have no right to feel the way they do or that it is people like them who cause problems and bad feeling.
The NF and the EDL have caused the problem and the bad feeling.

1970's (not 1979's specifically).

impatient I was around in the 1970s and feel the same way. Seeing the England flag prominently displayed makes me feel uneasy. I love my country but I associate being English with being quietly proud of our beautiful country, not ostentatiously flag waving.

I wouldn't dream of telling anyone to remove a flag though. Far too polite!

I wouldn't advise anybody to ask somebody to remove a flag.

Also interested to hear from anyone who flies a flag regardless of sporting events. There seem to be plenty who say it's fine but I can't find anyone on the thread who does it and I'd like to hear their reasons.

A friend of dh has one and turned out to be extremely racist, going on edl rallies etc. not really friends now.

Caitlin, you must know the difference between the significances a Union Jack flag has for Edinburgh and Glasgow. I don't recall anyone getting killed in Edinburgh for wearing a Celtic or Rangers top.