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Article: 20060423

Flying the Flag

St. George's Cross

It's St. George's day, England's patron saint.  I'm English, and i's my national day.  I'd much prefer that we had a secular national day, partly because I am not at all religious, but rather more because in these cosmopolitan times a significant proportion of the populace are not only not Catholic, but not christian of any denomination.  Many are active participants in other faiths altogether, and it puts religious and national identity at odds with one another.  It is unfortunate, but hardly surprising, that certain segments of the population live almost in cultural enclaves, where though born and living in England consider themselves some other identity than English.  Nevertheless, St. George's Day is what passes as my national day, and this is my national flag - St. George Cross.

Many people these days are reticent to fly the flag because it has been misappropriated, in England, by the right-wing so-called nationalist movements as a symbol of white supremacy and of racism.  Ordinary people fear that by displaying their national pride they could be interpreted as offering support to extremist interests.  I say they are putting the cart before the horse.  By abstaining they are allowing the misanthropic minority free reign to corrupt that symbol of nationality and claim sole ownership.  The only way to deny them that freedom is to dilute their power of suggestion by continuing to use the flag in its proper context.

I'm half Indian by blood, and I make no apologies for it.  It is a part of my heritage, and one that I am glad to have.  But I am also half English by blood.  I was born in England.  I am part of English society.  By any rational measure I am English through and through.  I am proud to be English.  For all its faults, I love this country.  Granted, historically speaking, the English don't have a marvellous track record given their sometimes oppressive colonial past.  We also have an undeserved reputation around the world for being curmudgeonly.  But the English can be charming and welcoming too, although we are generally not quite as quaintly eccentric as Hollywood would have you believe.  We're a multi-faceted bunch.  So yes, I am proud to be English.  And two fingers to anyone who would use national pride as the spearhead of racism.

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