So why is there a sudden surge in the appearance of the English flag, and why has it become so problematic? Unfortunately, the flag has been co-opted by far-right groups and political parties who are using it to promote hate. These groups use the flag to convince a specific demographic that anyone different from them is an enemy and is a threat to their way of life. It’s not that I’m against the flag itself, but its meaning has become deeply unsettling.
I am English simply because I was born here, but I often feel a sense of unease with that label. The English are frequently disliked by other nations, usually due to historical events that have nothing to do with people alive today. At the same time, our neighbours in the UK have a fierce pride in their nations, and their flags are flown without issue. It’s hard not to feel a sense of envy. If I were to feel any place-based pride, it would be for my county, Yorkshire. That’s the culture I associate with. I’m also drawn to Welsh culture, despite having only a very tenuous link to the nation.
The St George's Cross usually only comes out for sporting events, a rare show of national pride in a country that has never been a big flag-waver. But even this symbol has become complicated. Those flags flying high over a motorway bridge and on lamp posts were probably made in China, ordered from a foreign company's website and delivered by someone not born in this land. It's an ironic twist that adds to the unsettling feeling surrounding the flag.
This is made more complicated when you consider St George himself. He was a Roman soldier of Greek descent, born in what is now Turkey and martyred in modern-day Israel. He never set foot in England. His story was brought here by Crusaders and became a symbol of chivalry and bravery, eventually leading King Edward III to adopt him as England's patron saint in the 14th century. He took the place of previous, genuinely English, patron saints like St Edmund the Martyr and St Edward the Confessor. The man we celebrate as the symbol of Englishness had no connection to England at all.
So what flag would I get behind? Perhaps this one?
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| An AI generated flag combining Yorkshire and Cymru |
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I am in the same boat as yourself. Why should i feel better than anyone else because my mother happened to birth me here. It's not a earned privileged that i have achieved through sweat and effort.
ReplyDeleteI am quite disturbed by the recent emboldening of these racists.
It's a distraction from the real issues of the day. I live close to the site of one of the riots outside a hotel last year and I've yet to see a credible argument for the demonstrations. I do hope it all dies down eventually and we can focus on real issues.
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