Is the Union Jack racist?

[cupcaske123]

Eamonn Holmes had a bit of an argument with a guest on GB News as to whether the Union Jack is racist.

I understand that the George Cross is associated with the Far Right but had never associated the Union Jack with racism.

Apparently people at a village hall in Norfolk didn't want to be accused of racism for flying the British flag.

I think it's madness, what do you think?

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/eamonn-holmes-gb-news-union-jack-b2595611.html

Oh for gods sake

British people should not hate their country so much. There are many other flags displayed here with pride and respect but not your own. So sad.

The flag isn’t racist.
It’s often used by racists though.

Have I misunderstood you or are you saying that the Dutch, French, Spanish etc are deflecting their own colonialist pasts on to the UK? That seems...a reach...

They probably wonder what the fuss is all about and why the drama. It’s only white hair shirt wearing English people who get their undies in a twist over it.

What it represents aside, I'd like to say that I think the design is stunning and genius.

No it's not.

Some flags are offensive to me personally but not racist.

This shouldn't put people off using a flag though. Likewise, if you want to shave your head and get tattoos then go for it!

Both flags are obviously racist. They are symbols of fascist oppression along with the WI, Cornish pasties, the Tower of London, Yorkshire Pudding, the Tyne Bridge, a strong cup of tea and old men on Margate beach in deckchairs with hankies on their heads.

All potent projections of wickedness and evil. Oh yes.

The Union Jack not intrinsically racist at all; it depends how it’s displayed but usually it’s not. The St George Cross does make me cringe though.

Outside of football, which is a specific use case, in practice when I see it it usually displayed by quite Brexity and gammon people. It’s never flown in diverse neighbourhoods or affluent ones.

There’s no rule that says it has to be a racist symbol but it definitely displays a certain mindset. I would think twice about buying a house next to people who bedecked their homes with St George crosses. Call me a snob 🤷‍♀️

No, of course not. It represents the UK. The cross of St George isn't either. It represents England.

People are racist, not pieces of material or symbols.

The trouble with symbols and flags is the use they get put to.

Take the Mesopotamian and Hindu symbol for peace, prosperity and wellbeing. It was used on coins thousands of years ago, it spent most of history meaning nothing but positivity.

Then the National Socialists of Germany decided to use it. And it’s on of the most hated symbols in Western civilisation. So much for the swastika…

The Union Flag and the Flag of St George are fine until a bunch of racists, thugs and neo-Nazis decide to wrap their every enterprise up in it. Then they become tarnished by association.

Outside of sporting events or the Queen’s Jubilees, I don’t think I’ve ever seen normal people with either flag. It would need a lot normalising flag use to separate it from racist rallies at the minute.

(nb - I am not equating the Union flag to the swastika, I’m showing a drift of association)

No of course not. Neither the Union Jack or the English flag is.

I've seen the woman he was debating on a few things before. She's a fool and purposely tries her hardest to relate everything and anything to racism and especially towards black people.

Quite.

A national flag is a national flag. It doesn't belong to any subgroup or faction.

I'm fed up of being told that the far right have calamine's everything. They can only claim what we let them claim.

It's insane.

The village hall where I am ( Herefordshire village)has a lovely flag pole outside with a Union flag flying every day (its only called a Union Jack if flying from a boat/ ship I believe).

You've never seen 'normal' people with our flags outside of sport or the Jubilee?!

A fair few people have flagpoles in their gardens here. No one would bat an eye.

I am Scottish, lapsed Catholic, of Irish extraction, etc, etc.

Flying the Union Jack where I lived for many years (West of Scotland) would be associated with certain political/religious/football allegiances. If someone went along to a Celtic football match wearing a UJ t-shirt, for instance, I might think they had a death wish.

A fair few people have flagpoles in their gardens here. No one would bat an eye.

Are you in Yorkshire? It is very noticeable driving into Yorkshire that they don't stand for any of this "the flag is tainted" nonsense there.

No. I'm saying in their rush to pick on the UK for its past the globe is ignoring the other (in some times worse) offenders.

The sectarianism up there is bonkers. My EXH was a weegie and a Celtic supporter. I think in the south, people generally realise about sectarianism still lurking in NI, but don't always know about Scotland.

Then many countries flags eg France Portugal Spain etc would be the same. They're not and neither is the union jack!

Nope, never. I have in Wales with the Welsh flag, and in Scotland. I have even seen the Yorkshire flag flying, but no Union or St George.

I can see 38 houses from my front window, for example, and not a flagpole to be seen.

This.