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?

Okay. That's pretty unusual. Every time I've been to a tip level match bags were examined and pretty much anything that could be tgrown onto the pitch taken off you.

Not doubting what you say by the way.

An English flag in England... Aggressive?

This is surely some sort of wind up/reverse AIBU by UKIP or EDL to try and make people get angry about a slating of the English daring to fly their own flag?

Compos likewise. I didn't mark it as unusual as I have nothing to compare it against!

There is something badly wrong with people who find something racist/agressive in our flag. If you were in the USA you would be laughed off the street and in most of Europe pride in nationality is a good thing. Britain has allowed our flag to be used by the BNP and other racist thugs as a symbol. The way to combat this is for all of us to hang out a flag and take back our national pride.

There is something badly wrong with people who find something racist/agressive in our flag

If the only people you encounter who display a flag are racist and aggressive, then it's pretty reasonable to associate that flag with racism and aggression. That isn't something "badly wrong" with the people experiencing the racism and aggression, that's something badly wrong with the people perpetrating the racism and aggression.

This was the case with the England flag for many, many decades. It's only very recently that this has changed, and people displaying a George cross might just be football fans, whereas for years it was just thugs doing so.

If you have never experienced racism, thegreylady then lucky for you. Please don't slur those who have.

I like that black piratey Cornish flag and the lovely green Devonian one too.Going through materials now to make mixed bunting of them all for al the exciting summer events

I am African and very twee,sorry!

graylady did you read my explanation of why I get a reflex reaction of fear when I see a house flying a flag. You do realise that it's an involuntary reaction don't you? I did say in my post that I wished it didn't make me feel that way and I do try and not act on my feelings. Why does this mean there's something seriously wrong with m

Oops posted too soon. Do you really think it's strange to react with fear to something that reminds you of being stoned.

Sorry I just read the original post :( mea culpa. I am always doing that.
I still think we should be able to celebrate our cultural diversity and our Britishness. Everyone whose home is in Britain should be able to fly the flag when there is something like the World Cup or the Olympics and if we all did it then it wouldn't be frightening at all.

And no I am lucky never to have experienced racism or felt it in the slightest. I lived in Sierra Leone for a few years and am proud that my ds has godparents from that culture. My dil is Muslim and she has never had any negative experiences over here and nor have I when I visit her family.
I do know there are nasty small minded bigots in every country and they should not be allowed to hijack the flag.

Try living in Liverpool...

Amen, if you are in Liverpool, which I am and passed that house regularly (and know one of the extended family members) you will know why it is decorated in that manner.

I thought WTF the minute I read this thread, when it started, but then I'm aware of what is happening in the country and England was playing it's first friendly and the weather had been nice, so BBQ's, house get togethers were staring that week.

Some people live in Vacuums.

I dont think hanging England flags is appropriate as it offends other races and do we really need to be having tacky flags everywhere jut for the stupid football. Nobody cares about the world cup anyway as I doubt England will even win. I think all the idiots who put these England flags up on their vans and houses are just racist scum using the World cup as a disguise to show their BNP and UKIP roots!

davesmit...... Actually, forget it. Was going to reply but you have written such an obviously goady, ill thought out and quite frankly, ridiculous post that I'm not going to waste any more time on it

I know what you mean davesmit let's put the boot on the other foot for a minute, there's a Swiss flag up on a house on my drive home, I am so offended. Bloody Swiss, coming over here bringing their knives with them, are our knives not good enough? and what about our chocolate and CLOCKS!! don't even get me started on the clocks, stupid clocks with the little birds in them. Fair enough, eat holey cheese behind closed doors but hanging a flag outside exposes them for the racists they are. BASTARDS!!

Oh, no, hang on a minute, no. Actually I thought, oh look, someone from Switzerland lives there and they are interested in football.

Laughed out loud at that calculator

at calculator, but on another note I was disgusted to see Spanish Tesco server cheerily waving an English Flag, disgusting bigot...

so what if its the world cup...its not reason to go displaying our flag everywhere FFS...

cunting bunting