I took down some flags and DH wasn’t happy

[LittleChopper]

On my commute today, I noticed someone had hung three large St George flags on a bridge coming out of our village. They have been popping up everywhere but this particular instance I thought “I’m not having that”. On the way home I pulled over and took them down.

when I got home and DH asked why I was binning three large flags I told him and he.. had some interesting opinions. He told me I shouldn’t be pissing off people in the village, that they have every right to hang an England flag in England, and that I’m being too political.

For a start, I would argue that I’ve always been quite strongly opinionated so he shouldn’t be surprised I did it.

Just as others have the right to their opinion I have mine. We have people in the village who are migrants… why should they have to look at that. It’s clear why they were hanging there given what’s going on at the moment and I’ve never see a flag hanging in the village in the decade we’ve been here so why else would they be there now.

I’m just so disappointed with it all. With the UK, with DH.

Next time maybe I’ll add to the collection instead. 🇬🇷🇮🇪🇮🇳🇦🇫🇧🇸🇵🇰🇪🇸🇸🇩🇿🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

But it's not the host country tying cheap flags to lampposts and painting on walls and roundabouts.

If it was the host country it would be put up by the national or local Government.

And England is not my "host country". I was born here. I am English. Also white so I'm probably acceptable.

The Council didn't put them up so why are they responsible for taking them down? And if they did take them down, who would pay for it? We would. I didn't ask for it so why do I have to pay for vandalism to be repaired. If somebody did that on my road, and thankfully we're flag free as I don't live surrounded by idiots, I would absolutely take it down as I don't want to look out of my window and see that mess.

It's not xenophobic for anybody living in the UK to remove something that has been put up in a public place without the correct permission. And that applies to the Union Flag, the St George's Flag, or a banner saying "Happy Birthday Bob".

I've seen a lot of comments from these fake "patriots" saying that anybody who doesn't like the cheap flags and vandalism hates this country and should leave. Why? They are cheap and tacky and everybody knows exactly why it's happening. You can deny it all you like but nobody is climbing up a lamppost to show how patriotic they are as this whole thing has only started once the far right agitators called for it.

I see the Union Flag as being divisive now. Eg waved by Rangers fans at Old Firm matches.

Equally the Irish Tricolour.

Why be scared of an English flag?

Come to Wales and you'll see Y Ddraig Gogh all over place - now that's scary !

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47389680

I'm also proud of my country, but I'm not proud of the racists who would turn it into an intolerant, divided, ugly country. The group who started this flag flying and roundabout painting style themselves the "Weoley Warriors" - WARRIORS - their message is to sow hate and division, not unity. I'd love to be able to reclaim our flag from these ignorant bigots, but I can't see that happening any time soon.
And why are you so focussed on 93,000 asylum seekers and economic immigrants arriving here by boat in the last year, when legal immigration was ten times that?
Also, our birth rate has fallen from 2.2 children per woman 35 years ago to just 1.44 - our society is completely unsustainable with a birth rate that low. A critically low indigenous birth rate is incompatible with extreme immigration control (which is what Tommy Ten Names wants because he's a nasty, vicious racist). These are the things you should be worried about - whether we will have large enough future generational cohorts to work and pay taxes to fund public services and state pensions, and the way things look now we won't, and then you won't give a damn whether you have the opportunity to see our national flag being flown anywhere because that will be the least of your worries.
And for the umpteenth time, none of us objects to our national flag - we object to it being co-opted as a racist symbol by the likes of Yaxley-Lennon and Farage and their mindless followers.

Just a note: the UK is not a country but a political invention. There are 4 countries, 4 Nations within that entity.

I suppose it's easier to use words like "our country" or "our nation" but in reality there is no such thing as a "British Nation". I know Royalty & politicians use those terms, but...

If people were racist then don't you think there'd have been marches like the London one every year for the last 50 odd years? And don't you think union flags would've been hung up everywhere over the years like they are being now?

We've lived in a multi cultural society for many years, and that's fine and hasn't been an issue, so why is it people who are supportive of the march and the flags now are suddenly deemed to be racists?

A Country doesn't suddenly become racist you know, and to label people as racist is downright disgusting.

Anyone with any common sense can understand that the reason people are making a stand with the flag flying and the recent march, is because we don't want England to become an unrecognisable Country, and it will do if we don't stop the influx of illegal immigrants coming here. Whose flag will be flying eventually if we let this situation continue do you think?

You need to open your eyes and face reality, just like the majority of right thinking (and not far right) are doing.

This racist nonsense has spread to my country in the last few weeks. I hate seeing my national flag being used to signal bigotry.

It’s even more stupid and offensive because everyone who is flying it, is descended from immigrants of the last 250 years tops.

Would you go to other countries and take down there flags if the answer is no why do it in your own country. Also leave other people's property alone its not yours to touch where you not taught this as a toddler

People like you just don't get it do you?

If I had strong views that only the minority of the people agreed with, I'd question whether my stance was the right and logical one, and whilst it's good for people to stand up for what they believe in, surely you've got to see that there's something to be said when clearly most of the Country is behind the Unite the kingdom message?

Look at the thousands who turned up for the march!

I totally understand why people are stressed and angry.

The 2011 ‘austerity’ cuts are still being applied 14 years later. Pulling out of the EU has affected the economy as it’s now not so easy to trade with our closest neighbours and goods have to be shipped from halfway across the world. People have survived a pandemic and are still feeling its aftershocks. For decades, politicians have moved us from manufacturing things to a ‘service’ economy, which is now being replacing by AI. And capitalist private ownership of essentials like homes, energy, food etc - with energy companies and supermarkets making huge profits - is screwing everyone over. The last government gave away billions of our hard-earned taxes to the already-rich, including via COVID ‘fast lane’ contracts. Disaster capitalism.

That’s where people’s anger should be directed. Not at the tiny minority of immigrants (around 10%) who are refugees. Can’t you see people are being tricked into blaming the wrong people, while the real ‘enemy within’ keep making more money than they can ever spend. And in fact, don’t even spend it in our economy. It gets taken off-shore or hoarded in assets. We should be protesting, waving our flag (if you must) and saying ‘we want our country back’ outside big corporations, who are ripping us off to make more money for their shareholders.

It’s a long-standing trick that the rich try to divide the working class to deflect scrutiny. Then sit back in their mansions with a bag of popcorn. Don’t be fooled.

Seriously? So you don't know about Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech 57 years ago, or signs in lodging house windows saying "No Blacks, No Irish"? It's a matter of historical record that Churchill was racist and the late Queen Mother had no compunction using the 'N' word. Racism in the UK is not new.
But why do you see 93,000 "illegal" immigrants in the past year being the problem when legal immigration was ten *times that number over the same period? Why are you so focussed on asylum seekers (who have been displaced by wars we've helped fund) and economic migrants arriving by boat when ten times that number are arriving with visas? Why do you demonise the former, who are in dire straits, whilst ignoring the latter?
BTW, whose flag will be flying eventually if we let this situation continue?
*Incidentally, asylum seekers aren't illegal immigrants - they're asylum seekers and if/when their asylum applications are accepted they become refugees.

Lmao

I saw predominantly English flags, Union flags & "3 Lions" football tops.

Very few Saltires, Dragons (or even Loyalisr Ulster Banners).

Looked more like "Unite England" than "Unite the Kingdom".

Ok so you accept that the flag has been co-opted as a symbol of ‘immigration control’?

‘Not in my village’…

Hmm.

They’re all refugees? 😂 explains why they crossed multiple safe countries to get here then. They come here because they’re getting a sweet deal. That’s it.

I also don’t think people are directing all of their anger at illegal migrants instead of the woeful decisions of this government and those prior. I think it’s just the straw that broke the camel’s back quite frankly. It’s normal to be angry when someone turns up here illegally and gets access to services, free money, free food and you’re working every hour god sends and can’t get a dentist or gp appointment or afford a normal weekly grocery shop. It’s not racist, I’d feel the same about anyone milking the system at the expense of those actually working and paying their taxes. It just so happens the current situation has the added insult of these people not even being born here and have already committed a crime in showing up in the first place. Because they know if they actually applied for asylum they would be refused. It’s not like we don’t welcome legitimate asylum seekers is it? Using the correct routes.

There are 67 million people in the UK and you think that the fact that "thousands turned up for the march" is a sign that "clearly most of the country is behind the 'Unite the Kingdom' message"? Sigh. 🙄

This. Also we're in England. What flag should we be flying???

There was probably a million in attendance, compared to 5,000 in your camp. Says a lot. What about everyone who couldn't attend? Everywhere you read online, you'd have to be blind to not see people are majorly supportive of the march,

So you think your right to have a flag of a country is more important there right to have a flag

Your sense of control makes me think what the people in WWII were fighting against, they were fighting for freedom and you are fighting for ''my opinion is more important than yours'' dress it up anyway you want

Only when they align themselves with the likes of Tommy Ten Names. If you lie down with dogs you'll get up with fleas.

Yawn

No, because they're not weaponising them to intimidate migrants.