to be annoyed by this co workers email bit long sorry

[asteri]

I know I should just delete it but this kind of thing really annoys me. Also maybe Im just an over sensitive (half) greek but why is Greeks in capitals.....She sent this this morning:

The writer of this piece emigrated to UK just over 40 years ago - On the ship there were , Italians, Yugoslavs and GREEKS, (Note - All European people!!) all looking forward to starting a new life in ENGLAND . I arrived with £20 in my pocket and that's all I had to my name. Did I put my hand out?? Of course not - I got a job and paid my way just like everyone else who came to this country back then.
Now, it's my taxes that subsidize these people who think they have a God given right (read Allah) to come here and criticise those of us who have worked for the country we now call home.

If I didn't like what I saw when I got here I would have gone home - they have the same option. If they don't want to become BRITISH , they can................GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM - WE DON'T NEED THEM HERE!!! DO WE NO NO NO

OUR BRITAIN!!!!!
When will this stop?
They want 2 of their own public holidays, because Christians have Christmas, Easter & Good Friday,
They force our children to eat Halal Meat Pies and Sausage Rolls from the school canteens, so the Muslim kids can feel more BRITISH, we were not consulted about this change, they went ahead and just did it.
Our foods are slowly all becoming Halal foods, our cheeses, chocolates even good old sanitarium foods
Our Government is ALLOWING this to happen, it has to stop now, while we still have some power to be able to stop it.

Regarding Our National Anthem
I am sorry, but after hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Arabic- enough is enough. No where or at no other time in our nation's history, did they sing it in Italian, Japanese, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German, Portuguese, Greek, or any other language because of immigration. It was written in English, and should be sung word for word the way it was written.
The news broadcasts even gave the translation -- not even close.
I am not sorry if this offends anyone, this is MY COUNTRY - IF IT IS YOUR COUNTRY SPEAK UP -- please pass this along I am not against immigration just come through like everyone else. Get a sponsor; have a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes, live by the rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants have in the past -- and LONG LIVE GREAT BRITAIN !

PART OF THE PROBLEM. Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone -YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM !!!!

Will we still be the Country of Choice and still be BRITAIN if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries who have come to live in BRITAIN because it is the Country of Choice??
Think about it!
IMMIGRANTS, NOT BRITONS , MUST ADAPT.
It is Time for THE BRITS to Speak up.

"In a few weeks when the World Cup starts the English flag will proliferate, it will fly from cars and bedroom windows everywhere and I guarantee that there will be a huge chunk of society that will cringe at the sight.

"That's sad."

Is it? Really? Can someone explain to me what is so inherently fascinating about a red cross on a white background - which has not been actually used as a national flag for over 300 years?

As for the Union flag, that is a very double edged sword - I would want to be very careful about how I expressed pride in what THAT has stood for over time.

It is very interesting that the only sane people in this country who give a monkey's about bloody flags are members of long-time oppressed and institutionally devalued communities like the Irish, Welsh and Scots.

I think you'll find a significant number of countries around the globe who are not necessarily oppressed or institutionally devalued also rally round their flag as a symbol of national pride.

Why is it that in England we cannot do the same for fear of being seen as fascist - whether it is the St George Cross or the Union Flag.

You say the St George Cross hasn't been used for 300 years, I am not sure what you mean, perhaps you mean used officially which is kind of irrelevant.

Unofficially it clearly means a lot of to some people and it has been appropriated as a nationalist symbol as has the Union Flag.

I stand by what I say. It's sad, that when "our" flag (whichever one) flies a lot of people feel ashamed.

This email - and the various customised versions that have been circulating for years - is intended to be offensive. Always has been, always will be. It is a clumsy but no less unpleasant, attempt to spread racial hatred and anyone attempting to deconstruct this unpleasant missive is, quite frankly, airing their own questionable agenda.

Report it to your IT department or whoever enforces the email policy.

"I think you'll find a significant number of countries around the globe who are not necessarily oppressed or institutionally devalued also rally round their flag as a symbol of national pride." The key word being "country" - ie an internationally recognised institution with clear borders, a currency, a government, an army ... Things England doesn't have, in other words.

I also do not know many countries where people fly their poxy flag off their car for sporting events.

"You say the St George Cross hasn't been used for 300 years, I am not sure what you mean, perhaps you mean used officially which is kind of irrelevant." It is very relevant - see above. It is a bit similar to Southerners having a Confederate bumper sticker and really sends out a similar message.

"Unofficially it clearly means a lot of to some people and it has been appropriated as a nationalist symbol as has the Union Flag." I wouldn't dispute that. I just wonder why, and what exactly is so great about being English, as distinct from British. Interesting choice of word, btw - "nationalist" instead of "national".

The only "shame" I feel when either flag is flown is that we, as a country, have a lot NOT to be proud of, too. But in the case of the Cross of the (Maltese or Palestinian, take your pick) St Goerge I just do not get it and find myself suspecting the worst.

It's terrible. I hate this attitude so much. My Dad came over here 30ish years ago from Iran, got a job, a life, married a British woman and had me and my two sisters. He worked his way up, has never recieved financial help from the government yet still gets given shit for the colour of his skin by supposed 'proud' Britain's who harp on about how they love our country and want the taxes and benefits to stay with British services yet are happy to receive benefits that are partially paid for by foreigners

I know somebody who still sends me this sort of shit junk mail but never read it. In college she once told me that she wanted to be an immigration officer to choose which of the 'scummers' get to stay in the country, and fairly recently started boasting on FB about how proud she was of her fiance for getting into the army so that he can "go shoot up some Arab cunts"

You've reminded me to delete her actually.

I alaways find it very interesting the difference in attitude towards the 'flag' displayed here and in America.

Drawing only from the lyrics of the American national anthem, it's clear that they, collectively, understand something about their flag that we may be in danger of forgetting - that, whatever form it takes, it stands as a symbol of all that is right about a country, a nation or any collective group.

It's for that reason that I object so, so very strongly to the association between the George Cross and the BNP and their ilk. It's also why I object to the union flag being trivialised by fashion designers/pop stars etc.

As a symbol alone, the George Cross and the Union Flag are representatives of some astonishing and vital moments of history. They stand for, through association, the country that was the world's first democracy, the country that thought everyone should be entitled to free healthcare, the country - tiny little island that it is - that turned to Hitler and said no. As much as Britain has moments in its past that it should be ashamed of (and, it does!) it also has moments it should be proud of. What's wrong with symbolising and celebrating that fact?

Perhaps it's time to create a new symbol, perhaps we should take back the one we have. It's colours on a sheet on a pole, in the end. It's the things it stands for that matter.

It's Jingo-istic, I grant, but it's relevant. I love free immigration - it's the backbone of science, of technology and development, and so of any nation which wants to grow - because it leads to the free exchange of ideas, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the host culture, otherwise it's not an exchange of ideas but a replacement, which only results in stagnation.

The trouble is, right at the moment, the host nation - us - is struggling to define what we are and what we stand for. If a symbol is needed to enable us to do that, then there should be one, otherwise we risk forgetting everything that was good in our past, along with the bad, and nobody learns anything.

Off topic from the OP, I grant, but hey...

And, yes, report her, purely for being so damned lazy in her hatred!

"As a symbol alone, the George Cross and the Union Flag are representatives of some astonishing and vital moments of history. They stand for, through association, the country that was the world's first democracy, the country that thought everyone should be entitled to free healthcare, the country - tiny little island that it is - that turned to Hitler and said no." No - "they" don't. The Union flag stands for those things. Even prior to the Union, England was effectively propped up by its holdings in Scotland, Wales and Ireland (and, earlier still, on mainland Europe.)

The St George Cross stands for a single kingdom, itself a collection of medieval kingdoms and dukedoms, that achieved very little of note on its own and no longer exists in any formal capacity.

Much as I loathe our whole flag-waving culture, I can at least see what you mean about the Union flag representing proud achievements. It also represents a country, not a race.

I am afraid the red corss on the white background does not stand up to the same scrutiny.

I am also not keen on taking the americans as an example to live my life by, but maybe that's just me.

There you go - what a wonderful embracing of difference in equality!

Sorry been away, had a bit of a lousy day yesterday (am off with chickenpox at the mo....though still doing the odd bit of work from home (how I got the email) we arent particularly friends, I read our HR policy and it says that anything "appearing racist or offensive" should be reported to management, so I reported it to her manager, who has said that she will have a quiet word with her about sending chain emails at work, but she doesnt see the need to raise it with HR.

apologies for the terrible punctuation in previous post.

Thanks for the update. Looks like she got off lightly this time but will be interesting to see if she learns form this. Hope there's no "leak" as to who reported her. Oh, and hope you don't feel too grotty from chickenpox!

A flag stands for whatever you want to invest in it, that's why it's dangerous to invest anything in an inanimate object...