Is a St George cross an underlying sign of passive racism?

[ThatCyanJoker]

Walked past the house of a relatively new friend today and was surprised to see they’ve put up a huge flagpole, complete with St George cross flag flying high. I am generally patriotic , and put out the bunting for notable occasions without a second thought. I would probably be pleased had it been a Union Jack, but the St George has an undertone of racism to me, unless it’s flown for the football World Cup or something.
AIBU to reconsider friendship?

Is flying the flag of the country of which you are a citizen while standing in the soil of that very country....racist......?

I don't want to alarm you but the St George's cross is the national flag of many a black and brown citizen born of this country too, OP! Who are they being racist towards when they fly it?

Or do you think they don't because they're not really English...?

Where did you get "competing flags" from?

If putting the st george's cross had been supported instead on underminded it would not only have taken the sting out of it but reclaimed the flag.

Or did you mean to post a goady response?

I am still waiting for one of these groups who say British culture is under threat to articulate which aspects exactly are being threatened? Because flag waving for the sake of it was never part of British culture to begin with

@CheeseyOnionPie Last time I checked, England wasn’t Britain all by itself. And if you don’t think flag waving is part of British culture, then go to Wales. See how far over the bridge you get before seeing a flag or a dragon. Because I can tell you now, it won’t be very far. And it’s bloody lovely to see.

I love this. Especially nice touch flying the NASA flag for Aretemis. What a fun hobby!

What is British culture? I'm Welsh. Is it the same?
I take it to mean the ' best' of the four nations.

Although British culture is a distinct entity, the individual cultures of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Irelandare diverse. There have been varying degrees of overlap and distinctiveness between these four cultures.[1] British literature is particularly esteemed. The modern novel was developed in Britain, and playwrights, poets, and authors are among its most prominent cultural figures.[2] Britain has also made notable contributions to theatre, literature, music, mainstream and independent cinema, art, architectureand television. The UK is also the home of the Church of England, Church of Scotland, Church in Wales, the state church and mother churchof the Anglican Communion, the third-largest Christian denomination. Britain contains some of the world's oldest universities, has made many contributions to philosophy, science, technology and medicine, and is the birthplace of many prominent scientists and inventions. The Industrial Revolution began in the UK and had a profound effect on socio-economic and cultural conditions around the world.

Erm from your post explaining your (“very simple”) solution was to cover the country in flags to compete with the racists’ flags?

“Its very simple, when peoplw started hanging flags from lamp posts instead of saying that everyone was racist, the government, councils, SM etc. could have got together and got everybody to put flags up.”

Also used in Georgia (with embellishments), coat of arms of Barcelona... loads of places in Italy. But yes, all racists, everyone racists. But only in England! Talk about people being part of the problem they say is awful. Bigotry is awful...

Just because a of group of racists decided to fly a flag, does not make flying that flag inherently racist.

OPs question is asking if flying the flag automatically implies underlying racism, which it doesn't. Just because you assume the person is racist, doesn't mean that they are. The irony of making assumptions over a group of people you know little about, just like they do.

Yup, racist. If they don’t realise that’s how it will be interpreted, then stupid too. My neighbour has one up (alternates with Union Jack) and it makes me feel sick whenever I see it

The best of all cultures is what British culture is? But culture is about values and customs, traditions, deeply held beliefs and behaviours. Some but by no means all are harmonised across all parts of Great Britain. Maybe I am being thick but it doesn't make sense to me. That copy and paste looks like a list of achievements and achievements are not culture. Not as I understand culture.

Really? If anything I'd say the opposite-just watched an old series of Apprentice, where they sold things with flags on them, and talked about Black artists who used flags, and back then Next and Sweaty Betty had flag patterns on their clothes, and no one thought there was any problem with this (and fewer than half of the people in my friends/family groups are white). And in the Beckham days, loads of people had flags, and definitely not just white people. I personally didn't because I don't like football, but I never perceived it as a threat against me or anyone else. I'm glad to live in a country where I have legal rights to take any job, dress how I want etc, because I wouldn't have those rights everywhere.

And there are some people who use the flag to remember family lost in wars, and so it should be an ant-fascist symbol.

Are Spain, France etc racist too for flying their country’s flag? They also colonised countries. I’m mixed race and was born in England and there’s nothing racist about flying your country’s flag.

I'd say there's a good chance it's a racists house if I see a flag outside. It's tacky at the very least.

I'm speechless

I think I have used up my brain cell quotient for the evening - some may say there wasn't much to begin with! Have loved your posts on here. Nos da to you and your husband.

I remember growing up and when it was world cup /euros everyone had an England flag or a flag on their car to show their support and it was good fun, unfortunately now it's turned into something else, so even when it's st George's day or something meant to be celebrated, it has turned hostile now which is fairly sad. Also people have always flown flags of their home Nations or favourite teams

Yes, stop being their friend.

So what about Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 or Ireland 🇮🇪? Not racist? Just the English then? Pathetic!

No. It’s an England flag. Here’s a grip.

It's comments like this that really make me want to fly a St George Cross. Usually I only do it for big sporting events but if this is what it is coming to then it really does need 'reclaiming', regardless of who is saying it.

Maybe I should fly one St George Cross and one flag of the nationality of my Muslim best friend - would that be OK?

My husband is a veteran and has fought for this country. Soldiers are taught to be proud of their flag, they even salute it! It is ingrained in to them. The same as saluting the King. So I suppose all soldiers are racist. Yet, I suppose you’d want them to protect you at war. Police officers all wear the union flag on their uniforms. Also racist I suppose. ALL OF THEM?! You are also pathetic

100% this. Some people on here will not have it though...

My colleague flies an English flag, he's a Nigerian immigrant and proud to live in England (his words)

Why?

You're absolutely correct. These are not people any decent person would want anything to do with.