Birmingham’s Flag Ban Ignites Debate on Patriotism and Belonging

12 comments

1. No way, a city that is only 40% White British has issues with the national flag. Who on earth could have foreseen this.

2. They use the term “integrated” several times in the article to describe Birminghams large non-British population.

   If Birmingham was actually integrated then they wouldn’t find it offensive to see the flag of the country they live in.

3. diversity, inclusion…..did people every question why it is beneficial to the natives? I am so sick and tired of people that can’t don’t ever think and just act like npc, and those on the top that either never take their job SERIOUSLY and thus don’t know right from wrong or those that push their evil scheme and disguised with all the pretty word

4. I want real patriotism like people helping their community rather than just sticking up a flag and then calling it a good job.

   You can flag up your house, no one is stopping you. My neighbour has, it’s not the right way around and it’s faded but other than that no one cares.

   P.S. Downvote this to show you are NOT Patriotic… haha

5. Are there any other countries who ban their own flags or just us?

6. It’s not patriotism if your using your flag to intimidate someone and make them feel unwelcome. In fact, it’s desecration of the flag

7. A lot of kerfuffle over this story, which it would appear many posters have not even read. The issue over those particular flags was with safety. Untwist your knickers.

   The rest of the piece is a discussion on the politics of the flag and offers nuanced views that some just won’t want to hear. For example, “When bureaucracy makes citizenship difficult and the economy keeps newcomers precarious, integration becomes less a choice than a challenge. The issue, then, is not whether migrants owe loyalty—but whether the system offers belonging in return.”

   The politics of grievance, the type that offers no hope and no credible solution, just angry rhetoric, complaint, and the increasing acceptance of views that were previously thought of us shameful (and as un-British as one could get) is vile. And helps nobody, including those swept up by it.

   “Politicians often use ‘integration’ as moral shorthand for conformity—urging migrants to *fit in* while overlooking the structural barriers that prevent it. Studies show that inequality, not culture, drives most social division.” That quote, about inequality driving division, works for all of us, brown, white, whatever. it’s easy to scapegoat others but it might be wise to loo into who is stoking these fires and what their real agendas are.

8. It’s wild how so many people are struggling to realise the basics solution to this. All you have to do is put up the flag everywhere. If everybody has the flag then they can’t use it to send whatever messages they’re trying to send and those people will have to use the flag we all know they actually want to use

9. White people – let’s take down flags which are a danger and were put up illegally on roadside council property like lamp posts

   Other white people – why are brown people oppressing me

10. Hang on a minute. People put up flags on lamp posts. Council takes them down for good reason. Now apparently the council has “banned flags” or something because of this.

    To me its simple. Fly flags from your own property and municipal buildings. Only put them up on street lights for specific events, then take them down again.

11. Bottom line is, if the flag of the country you live in offends you, it’s not the flag that’s the problem. I spoke about this with a Romanian friend and he said “why would I be offended by an England flag when I’m living in England?”

12. In the immortal words of Nick Abbot;

    ‘Nationalism is when you demand what you want and pretend it’s best for the country. Patriotism is when you demand what’s best for the country, even if it isn’t what you personally want.’

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