Do we need a new England flag or maybe an alternative?
Posted by Illustrious-Divide95@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 28 comments
The St George's Cross seems to be so co-opted by the far right, i (as a centrist) feel that it now represents something that I don't agree with.
Is it time for an alternative that we can be proud of and unifying. I feel Wales has the Red Dragon and St David's Cross. Scotland use St Andrews Saltire and the Red lion. Can the English have another that's inclusive, non political and not overly monarchist? Not saying we get rid of it completely but another less divisive option might be nice.
Puzzleheaded_Pin2566@reddit
Oh, they adopt it and now you think they own it and have made it their own and you want another? Is that the limit of your loyalty to your country, talk about snowflakes. Why don't we just roll over and die.
Illustrious-Divide95@reddit (OP)
If you think all that loyalty is, is just a flag we have a very different idea of what loyalty means.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
I feel like county flags are really taking over and don't have any baggage. Not all counties even had one, but I go around Devon and Dorset and see theirs now as well as the longer established Cornish flag down that way.
PicadaSalvation@reddit
New England already has a flag.
Shitelark@reddit
I don't want to change the world, I'm not looking for a new England.
PicadaSalvation@reddit
Ah I was being a shit. There’s a group of a few states in the USA that is called New England
Shadow-Inversions@reddit
Personally I don't identify with it at all as it's been a kind of thick man's swastika my whole life.
People are saying this is short term, it's been like this for at least two generations. That's some pretty major symbolism they're expecting to just overcome.
rissky-fpv@reddit
Yeah, St Edmund’s dragon which was used long ago, mainly cos dragons kick arse - the Welsh flag goes hard
Shitelark@reddit
I was watching some youtube thing and found out that England had the White Dragon to match the Welsh Red Dragon. I thought 'ooh I wonder why that isn't more popular...?' Look it up and it was just co-opted by right wingers. I also have a bright red cap with the England rose on it, for the rugby team of course. But I quite prepared to educate anyone having a go what the Rose represents and that red is the colour of international socialism.
LensmanUK@reddit
St Edmund's Blackadder surely? 😁
weedywet@reddit
We need to take back the flag from the right wing racists.
Not to give up and let them own it.
Glad_Possibility7937@reddit
Purple, white and green tricolour.
AlexSumnerAuthor@reddit
That's a reverse Suffragette flag (Green, White, Violet). Are you suggesting we should take Women's votes away?
Glad_Possibility7937@reddit
Just got the order wrong. And it was an English republican flag first.
GladAbbreviations981@reddit
Let's use the Scottish one
Euphoric_Dream4496@reddit
You ain’t a centrist. You are a see you end tea that wants to create more division
AlexSumnerAuthor@reddit
The only reason that this flag issue has come up is because the World Cup is not until next year.
Seriously, the statement The St George's Cross seems to be so co-opted by the far right is inaccurate - it is used by England football fans as well when England is playing. This is the key, I would suggest, to taking it back from the far-right: for everyone to get behind love of the Beautiful Game as a way to unite all English people whatever their Ethnicity. If we can kick racism out of football at the same time, then bonus.
sbaldrick33@reddit
No. The Liberal Left have this perennial problem of ceding ground to fascists and thugs.
Right Wing scum says, "THIS IS OUR FLAG! THIS IS OUR HISTORY! THIS IS OUR CULTURE!" and the Left's response is "well, I don't like it anyway." It's pathetic, and essentially, when you strip it back to the basics, it's agreeing with the scum.
No. Stop agreeing with them. England doesn't belong to the EDL. Shakespeare doesn't belong to PragerU.
Moreghostthanperson@reddit
No that’s just letting the far right win. In true British fashion we keep calm and carry on, it’ll all blow over.
tabsinthewild1993@reddit
That would be the quickest way to create a martyr symbol. The English flag is absolutely fine, it doesn't represent the far right, it represents unity, our history and is our shared symbol of identity. Stop associating it with these groups, that's when it gets seen as a far right symbol, give it credit as such and it will become that. If they want to fly it, so let them. Are we going to change the flag every time someone we don't agree with politically starts waving it about? Don't let the minority spoil it for the majority.
DivePotato@reddit
No
SkullDump@reddit
No we don’t need a new flag. We need better people.
asymmetricears@reddit
If we get a new flag, the far right will just take that one as well.
Can you imagine the faff with changing the flag though, and that's without the far right complaining about how it's utter woke nonsense.
The only reasonable alternative is the three lions flag (yellow lions on burgundy background, not the blue on white FA one), and that's more of a symbol of the king of England than England itself.
nonsequitur__@reddit
Maybe comprise it of rainbows - they may leave it alone then
Fearless-Dust-2073@reddit
The way to "take it back" is to use the flag while doing aggressively progressive things. Volunteer supporting refugees and multicultural communities, vocally oppose military action, stand up for those who need it.
The reason the right has been able to pull this shit is because nobody is willing to do good and kind things under the flag. So the only time anyone sees it is when there's some racist shit happening.
Educational_Ear_5105@reddit
There’s always the county flags!
Educational-Angle717@reddit
No we don't - this is only a short term issue, we can't just ditch our flag becasue some idiots are using it for the wrong reasons.
qualityvote2@reddit
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