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?

Admittedly, I'm not English but I do not and cannot understand how anyone can think the flag of their country (the country their relatives died for in wars etc) could be viewed as racist and, AND, if it were, how anyone would allow this view to prevail?

Is no one supposed to fly flags in the event they are construed in a certain way by a select group or how does this work? Does it only work for the English flag? What about the Scottish or Welsh flag? Football flags?

What about birthday flags on cupcakes?

What on earth are you talking about???? I think you may need a lie down

I doubt this "friend" even exists. It's just another English bashing thread.

Horrendous

I don't think it's racist. I'm not English though.

Are some people genuinely unaware of the fact that the St George’s flag has been weaponised and used to intimidate by some people over the past year? Unaware of the people who hoist flags on lamp posts and then -very patriotically- leave them dangling there to be shredded by wind and weather? And are unable to see the difference between this and flying a flag for St George’s Day, or a football match? Because I have to say, I don’t believe you.

They are doing it because It pisses the authoritarian pseudo-left off.

No its because the hard left Corbynista type England haters that have decided our flag is racist. No other country in the world would be expected to remove their flag because it offended the snow flakes. They would be told to fuck right off.
Perhaps they would be more comfortable living in the likes of Iran or Afghanistan. I would happily contribute to their one way tickets

And people should ask their “Muslim best friends” how they feel about crowds of men walking down their high street wearing a St George’s flag as a cape. Does it make them feel more or less safe?

How many Mumsnetters would be put off buying a house in an area with lots of England flags on display?

There's your answer.

Racist reform voters and unashamedly so.

“No other country in the world would be expected to remove their flag because it offended the snow flakes”

why does everyone keep saying this? What do you know about what goes on in other countries?!

How many Mumsnetters would be put off buying a house in an area with lots of England flags on display?
I dont know.

There's your answer.
Where?

Racist reform voters and unashamedly so.
Huh?

Fuck off is it racist.

Every country in the world is allowed to be patriotic and fly their flag…except England.

It’s one of the flags we fly from our flagpole without being racists. Don’t care if idiots wrongly assume that means we are

Why not ask the Jews how they feel about hordes of men and women wrapped up in Palestine flags chanting from the river to the sea?

Don’t blame you! And nos da to you and yours 🙂

Exactly this.

I don’t doubt that those ‘I’m not a racist’ St George-waving PPs tell themselves they’re just patriotic, but by deliberately ignoring today’s context and nuance with their faux naivety, they usefully show their true colours (if you’ll excuse the pun) in the same way that the MAGA cap wearers did/still do in the US.

As another poster said, naff and grim - we all know we’re not going to suddenly start losing more world sports if people refrain from waving the England flag whilst it holds such insidious connotations.

Outrageous. How dare someone fly an England flag in England!

I am done with this country. I really am. I was born into a very English family, and even have the letters my great grandfather wrote home from WW1, but I feel nothing for modern Britain. My sense of identity and belonging has taken a long time to die, but it is dead.

The Left have achieved what Pol Pot failed to do. You only have to read some of the posts on this thread to see that. They have swept away the past and created a cultural ‘Year Zero’. And the new country they are building in its place means nothing to me. Nothing. I will pay my tax and obey the law, but that’s it. I feel zero loyalty or affection for modern Britain. It’s just somewhere I live.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell someone their history is shameful, impose a new identity on them, and then expect them to care. I care about myself and my loved ones, that’s it. What has been done to the people of this country is a f-ing crime. They have had a new identity imposed on them without any vote or referendum. It’s staggering.

Not to detail the thread, but the Irish flag you have here has absolutely fuck all to do with the UK. Nor does 'Ireland'. The clue is in the name of your country: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and NORTHERN Ireland.

In the same breath that Palestine flames is Muslims marking their terrority. They are everywhere

By travelling.and lobing overseas

They care about their religion first. Only their religion.. they have no issues with Palestine flags and bullshit on our streets, but yet if a English person has a flag, it's racism

If the ‘RSOH’ didn’t spend so much time attacking people for putting up flags and calling them racist, no one would have thought twice about it, it’s just an English flag visible in public.

Councils attempting to prosecute people and spending thousands on taking down English flags just proves the flag bearers right.

But if England was invaded you’d be waving the flag and expecting the very people you despise to go and defend you. Good luck with that. Personally, I wouldn’t lift a finger to defend this country, and I know a lot of other people wouldn’t either.

What has the English flag got to do with people feeling safe?

I don’t feel unsafe in Spain surrounded by Spanish flags??