English people are second class citizens

[NotAnotherScarf]

Aibu To be annoyed about so many Facebook posts about celebrating st George's day being racist. No one post this for st Patrick's day, st Andrew's or st David's.... Hogmanay and burns night have parties

By celebrating being English, passing democracy to the world, Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, TV, the jet engine, the internet... railways, the industrial revolution, beer, the Beatles... All should be celebrated.

Yes we did some shite things...but white slavery (20+ million), the Holocaust, programs in Eastern Europe. King Leopold of Belgium hunting African people. The depopulation of parts of the USSR, the ethnic cleansing of Bosnia.....all things that in the last 125 years England has nothing to do with...yet people like to think that we who celebrate our Englishness are scum.

It's because the English flag has, sadly, been co-opted by the far right, so most people don't want to fly it anymore. It has negative connotations now. I read an article that said since the English rarely used it, mostly using the Union Jack, a space was left for groups with nefarious ideologies to claim the English flag. Along with this, celebrating being English is lumped in with the far-right. Sigh.

You could also argue that since the English are the dominant country within the UK, and have most of the power, that celebrating Englishness is kind of like white people celebrating whiteness. As in, we have nothing to promote or protect because we already have everything - respect and power. It tends to be traditionally oppressed groups that need to organise and be loud or proud, or they'll just get oppressed again, which isn't the case if you're white and English.

Dunno what is going on but the genuine-sounding posts are a bit thin on the ground.

I've never seen a post claiming celebrating St George's is racist- but outrageous if it does exist.
England's contribution to the world far outweighs our small size, we should all be proud.

Some American people refer to Scottish people as "Scotch". It is very unusual for a British person to do that.

That is true. It was invented by Yogi Bear, which is why he has his own cartoon.

Of what?

They also think Scotch eggs are Scottish. Nope.

Yes those Welsh and Scotch and Irish (up until whenever) were colonialists too. We must never forget

What countries did the Irish colonise?

Op I think you should be more angry that your flag and st have been appropriated by racists. Surely that is undeniable?
you should be able to celebrate same as th other countries do. It is not inherently racist to celebrate St George’s day, but it has been ruined by racists who have over the course of a few decades now used the St George flag as a signaller of a kind of racist xenophobic nationalism that is not (I hope) representative of the English.

I am Welsh, and recently in the Welsh valleys the Welsh dragon flag has been used thus- by a section of people who are simply flying the flag as a “sign” that wales is for the Welsh - not for immigrants. I hate it. I love our flag and am very proud to be Welsh. And when I saw all the flags I originally felt happy but when the reasoning became known to me I felt I offended.

Err … yes he does. He was buried in Scotland. In St Andrews, to be precise.

This, one thousand percent.

All the countries the UK colonised.

Yes apologies. Im just doing it to tease on an otherwise rather odd thread. And because I know it annoys the Scotch. Other nations seem to be allowed to assert themselves regarding people not respecting their national identity you see. And I know Scotch is just one of those red rags to a bull....

I'm English of course. Sense of humour is always beyond the pale...

Scotland. I also imagine many Irish Protestants profited from the slave trade.

America of course! They're all Oirish!

Im just doing it to tease on an otherwise rather odd thread. And because I know it annoys the Scotch

Nah. I don't buy that. Very revealing, though.

The invention of roads (tarmac), railways, the electric engine, the internet,the postal service, the abolition of slavery, saving Europe from dictators (at least twice- I could go on.

In what way, Not the messiah, just a very naughty boy?

St George is the patron saint of lots of countries and areas that arent Turkey

Whats your point?

Pub in the high street tonight

Well yes none of us would be on here if not for an Englishman. Not sure the internet was such a great invention though. 🤔

St George was Palestinian.

Got proof?

I wish there was more tarmac TBF. Rather than less tarmac/more potholes.

Second class citizens pmsl.
Give over.