To resent having to throw my doormat away because of fucking BNP

[Nancy66]

We have a funky Union Jack doormat - occured to me and the bloke the other night that it's the reason the BNP keep knocking on our door. They have us down as one of them.

Now it's binned and replaced with a bog standard, bristly one...really hate the way they have hijacked the flag as their symbol.

Actually I think you are being perfectly reasonable. I hate the way the BNP dare to use the British flag to promote their sickening ideals

Do you tell them to fuck off? Coz that would be what I would do if they ever dared knocking on my door. Right after I tell them I'm from immigrant stock

I thought this was a sex thread! I thought blimey, someone's got low standards!

You're probably right. Sadly our flag has been stolen from us.

they have been told to piss off twice in the past two weeks but different ones keep appearing - DP was all for spraying 'fuck off BNP cunts' across said mat but ditching it seemed more civilised/easier.

Never quite sure why they use it anyway as traditionally it was used to represent the Empire so would have covered places like India too.

Can I just add its the Union flag not a jack

You made a habit of wiping your feet on your flag? That totally cracks me up! Dear lord don't tell any Americans!

Yeah, I hate the way they've appropriated other iconic British symbols - Spitfires, WW2 etc - for their own horrid little means. I read a worrying article the other day (mind, it WAS in the Observer ) about how the far right are linking themselves to green/folky/pagan type groups as well. I thought, Oh great, I'm now not allowed to appreciate an English Midsummer Eve without it being tainted by the BNP!

I thought Union Jack = Union Flag

The Union Jack is the name of the flag when flown at sea. On dry land it's the Union Flag.

(Learnt that off Dr Who)

The flag & jack thing - I think technically it's only a 'jack' when it's on a ship, or something like that.

Perhaps nancy66 lives on a barge, which would make her doormat a 'Jack'

in some parts of scotland it is used for stupid sectarianism rubbish the kind who would probably vote for bnp so can see why they kept coming to your door(though i agree they are funky)

It would seem the term 'Jack' has been purloined into everyday useage, the BBC only uses the term Union Jack, as the term Union Flag, would throw us into disarray and confusion

i thought you just wanted to rid yourself of anything they'd touched - I know they're vile but it shouldn't be catching

I don't think you should have chucked it. It is not a symbol that belongs to them and they shouldn't be allowed to claim it. Most of us are of immigrant stock if you go back a couple of generations. Wonder how many of the BNP would even be here without it. Not the brightest sparks are they? Except their revolting manipulative leaders.

My background is symbolised pretty well by the Union flag, although I'd need to add a few special colour/pattern modifications to fit all the ancestors in. Don't let the BNP make national symbols their property. They don't have the right.

Aren't you going to regret that as after the election today they're not going to be back, and you're still funky-doormatless?

lol @ hecate Now THAT would be a story. BNP canvassers fornicating on people's doorsteps

The BNP using the Spitfire is wrong on so many levels. There were an awful lot of Polish Spitfire aircrew. AND most importantly the brave people who flew them were actually, you know, fighting against fascism.

Dunderheads at the BNP can't even work out which side they are supposed to be on!

Scampadoodle, re BNP appropriations of Englishness, I googled a friend once because I had heard he had written a book about Robin Hood, and discovered all the links to it were on BNP-type websites He doesn't have any particular fascist sympathies AFAIK so he must have been well pissed off.

Get the doormat out of the bin Nancy. You can always stick up some anti-fascist posters in your window to make the point

it's not just the BNP themselves though - a few of our mates have made jokey comments along the lines of 'should we have bought our white hats? ' - so the mat obviously makes people uncomfortable or, at the very least, raises questions. Don't want that so, alas, probably as well to ditch it.

Get your doormat back woman. It's not their symbol. Don't let them steal it.

The Union Jack is only a Union Jack when it is flying from the Jack Staff on the bow of a warship. Tis a Union Flag the rest of the time.

id put your doormat back .... and id also get a sign that says " beware of the rotweiller, ... loves to bite BNP members" lol

drlove, or did you mean '...BNPers members"?

That would be an impressively well-trained and discerning dog geocentric!