Would you fly a flag for your country?

I am heartily sick of people saying it’s racist to fly our flags. Many of us are just ordinary Mums who have had enough of people we know nothing about coming here illegally and often getting preferential treatment to us.

I have friends from Spain, France, Holland, West Indies, Tanzania, Australia and Germany and Czech Republic. I have no problem whatsoever with them moving here as they are here legally. I helped a young family from Ukraine who settled here and I worked for many years helping Ugandan Asians settle here. Again, they were here legally. Not a problem.

People may be surprised to hear that many people who live here but are not British born are also very angry about people coming here illegally when they had to do everything by the book.

I don’t want to hear any comments about them fleeing war torn countries or preferring the UK because they speak a bit of English or how our hotels are not good enough for them. I have heard every excuse going and they just keep being repeated over and over again. They offer our country nothing but expect too much.

As I said on the previous post I wonder what state the flags will be in a month or so after being ravaged by the weather. They might well be a scruffy eyesore. Will the groups putting them up go round and take them down? Who is financing these hundreds of flags and for what purpose? I think the purpose could well be to intimidate certain groups of people.

I have a vintage Union Jack which my parents flew when WW2 ended. I'd love to fly it but in Northern Ireland we'd cause offence to part of the community. It remains in a suitcase.

Yes I agree growstuff, but I think the reason so many are doing this now is because of the political background. I have no doubt not all are politically motivated but it’s so prominent on the news and social media it’s just brought it more into focus. Many of my friends have flown the flag at various times usually during the major sporting events such as the World Cup. People should not feel at any way threatened by people proudly waving their flags so long as the background is not malicious. The problem is many are.

growstuff

Newatthis

A lot of people in other countries fly their national flags from their homes. Why in the UK some people object to this, and think it’s racism, I don’t know.

Because these flags aren't just being flown in people's homes. They're being daubed on buildings and on mini roundabouts and zebra crossings.

It IS racism, if they're being flown/daubed to object to non-white people living in the country. Have a look at Twitter and other social media, if you don't believe that's what the flags represent for some people.

It IS racism, if they're being flown/daubed to object to non-white people living in the country.

I understood it was a reaction to the sheer number of illegal immigrants coming in by bost and by other ways, some of whom are operating and working for OCG in this country.
This is a fairly recent phenomenon.

We have had people of many races, colours, creeds come to this country by legal routes, as refugees, working hard and making a good life for them and their families for very many years. Their descendants were born here. They were our doctors, nurses, shopkeepers, postmasters and mistresses, etc our friends, neighbours, relatives.
As you know.

So no, it is not just racism as some try to make out.
We are, in the main, better than that.

Is it fear? People arriving in larger numbers for whatever reason, some without documentation and successive governments seemingly helpless as to how to deal with the sheer numbers presenting themselves here.

Pride or Prejudice?

The thread should perhaps carry a ‘Reform Alert’ warning ‼️

They were our doctors, nurses, shopkeepers, postmasters and mistresses, etc our friends, neighbours, relatives.
And, I should add, our MPS and a Prime Minister, son of immigrants who themselves struggled to come here.

Furret

The thread should perhaps carry a ‘Reform Alert’ warning ‼️

Exactly what do you mean by that ?

MayBee70

What are you presuming you would have to do? Why would you do anything?

I agree with Whitewavemark2. Why do you need to fly a flag to know you are British?
A true Patriot will not drop litter - look at all of the protests where the union flag ( I prefer the old terminology before union jack became accepted ) is flown . Look at all of the litter that is left

put the flag on litter bins and maybe those that need a flag will use the bins.

what next though - a coat of arms ?

Whitewavemark2

But no one has answered the question.

Why suddenly now? And not last year or the year before etc.

Why the sudden need to fly a flag? What has changed?

It is just plain weird.

The answer is obvious. Stirring up trouble. We have a hotel housing 260+ male asylum seekers within half a mile of our house. You’d hardly know they were there. The local churches and community have helped out sourcing shoes, clothes, etc and board games.
But a handful of Reformers are ready to start stirring on local media. Straight out of the Trump Playbook.

Proudly flying our British and English flags from our house. This is our country that’s being destroyed and a stand needs to be taken to claim it back.

KSB23

Proudly flying our British and English flags from our house. This is our country that’s being destroyed and a stand needs to be taken to claim it back.

Who's destroying it?

It would appear you're making a political point - not just flying a flag to show you're pride in your country.

Furret

Whitewavemark2

But no one has answered the question.

Why suddenly now? And not last year or the year before etc.

Why the sudden need to fly a flag? What has changed?

It is just plain weird.

The answer is obvious. Stirring up trouble. We have a hotel housing 260+ male asylum seekers within half a mile of our house. You’d hardly know they were there. The local churches and community have helped out sourcing shoes, clothes, etc and board games.
But a handful of Reformers are ready to start stirring on local media. Straight out of the Trump Playbook.

Well, I know the answer is obvious, but why are so many people determined to claim that it's a spontaneous demonstration of national pride?

Don't they care about the Trump playbook? (Maybe they don't. )

Eddiecat78

Why would they? Have you indoctrinated them to be ashamed of their country*

(* I might be being presumptuous by presuming that the U.K. IS their country).
.

Allira

Furret

The thread should perhaps carry a ‘Reform Alert’ warning ‼️

Exactly what do you mean by that ?

Which part don’t you understand?

Reform: an ultra right wing organisation with one agenda and ties to the English Defence League, Britain First, BNP, etc,

Alert! Quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous situations; vigilant.

Perhaps; a query, a possibility

Shall I go on?

Growstuff

Maybe those where hotel-housed illegal immigrants are near them and where local white young girls and other women have been assaulted by said 'inmates', might not share your generous views?
.

Why do you need to fly a flag when you already know where you live? Smacks of intimidation to me.

growstuff

Furret

Whitewavemark2

But no one has answered the question.

Why suddenly now? And not last year or the year before etc.

Why the sudden need to fly a flag? What has changed?

It is just plain weird.

The answer is obvious. Stirring up trouble. We have a hotel housing 260+ male asylum seekers within half a mile of our house. You’d hardly know they were there. The local churches and community have helped out sourcing shoes, clothes, etc and board games.
But a handful of Reformers are ready to start stirring on local media. Straight out of the Trump Playbook.

Well, I know the answer is obvious, but why are so many people determined to claim that it's a spontaneous demonstration of national pride?

Don't they care about the Trump playbook? (Maybe they don't. )

Led by the nose by those intent on gaining power through misinformation, spreading hatred and populist agendas that appeal to the gullible. There are many in the US who realise now that it’s too late.

I’m choosing my words carefully growstuff.

Primrose53

One in the paper today. Been here 7-years but needed an interpreter!!

A few days ago another who'd assaulted a 13-year old. His Lawyer said he shouldn't be given a custodial sentence as he didn't know his actions were illegal here.

Soneone save us from these people ......... please.
.

The trouble is the flags are being used to intimidate people, particularly at hotels that are being used for refugees. There have been some nasty incidents of groups of racist people chanting outside these hotels and even trying to get in to frighten the residents.
They use the slogan we want our country back! It hasn't gone anywhere, our NHS is dependent on people from over seas, we have Indian restaurants, Turkish restaurants all manned by people from overseas, of course some were born here too. But generally the flags are being used to separate and divide our normally peace loving country.
Think before you fly the flag.

Barbadosbelle

Growstuff

Maybe those where hotel-housed illegal immigrants are near them and where local white young girls and other women have been assaulted by said 'inmates', might not share your generous views?
.

We must be lucky - a better class of ‘illegals’ perhaps. Our local asylum seekers are conspicuous by their manners and their ability to avoid kissing local maidens.

What I find interesting is that our companies are now quietly being taken over by private equity companies which are faceless, and which means the UK citizens are losing control. Vets fees have gone up because these are being taken over by giants, who can charge what they like, GPs are being bought by American companies. A lot of these companies are registered in tax havens, so not paying tax here. And yet the main topic of conversation is boats.

CariadAgain

rafichagran

I don't understand this need/want to fly the flag either. I was driving home after meeting my son before he went to the stadium of the football club he supports, I stopped at a Zebra crossing and there was the white stripes defaced by a red Cross.

I am sorry to say the English flag is being high jacked by hooligans, thugs, and racists. I don't feel comfortable about this. English people were never interested in the flags before.

In fairness - saying we were never interested in our flag before - we never had foreign men trying to tell us how (not) to dress before in our own country (1. the woman on the media that was told by middle Eastern men not to dress our way in London the other day 2. one of us reporting on a thread yesterday that foreign men had tried to tell her off for dressing our way - ie in a sleeveless dress). 3. A tv programme I watched recently saw Stacy Dooley being "told off" by a Muslim woman for dressing our way!!)

We never had mass gatherings of Muslim men parading along streets beating their chests before or public areas having religious Muslim gatherings. Just when did the Muslim call to prayer start ringing out in our cities - disturbing the peace and quiet in our own homes?

This is a large part of why we're now putting up our flags - to make it plain that they're in a wrong country for that sort of behaviour affecting us. It's our country and so we do not, for instance, get told off for dressing in our way. We do not expect to feel wary of an unexpected "pass" being made at our women and girls or worse.

The message is "Our country = our British way of life".

Well said CariadAgain.