hevs

SOME. But i'm tipping not many

Peter

Some would indeed have it. However, like Canada's flag, any future flag of Australia will need to be politically correct to a fault and be accommodating to all.

No doubt green and gold will be in there somewhere.

jayr

I have nor problem withthe use of the Australian flag or schools flying it (is there a name for the flag by the way?). I think that little Johhny Howard tying the use of my taxpayer dollars for the education of my children to some sort of compulsory flag flying (or ownership of a working flagpole anyway) is at best crass.

I think this quote captures my feelings:

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
~ Edward Abbey

downunderpom

Now THAT I agree with! See my earlier post about getting up on your hind legs and doing something about a government you don't like.

I think I've made my feelings on this subject clear. I don't think I need to add anything else. Time to move on.

jad n rich

I have got Australian citizenship, my comments on underfunding in schools are views shared by many. Especially parents like myself who spend 15+ hours a week on additional education needed by my dislexic son, help which is not funded or available in his school So for now I'll stick to helping my child learn to read something the education system here has not manged in the last 4 years.

hevs

Its not availiable in any school is it???

jayr

Well, it's better than discussing the arrival of yellow envelopes!

Here's some more flag stuff for those interested:

http://www.ausflag.com.au/

Peter

Thanks for that link. It's provided me a new avatar.

Ceri

The aborigine flag is pretty new - 1971 I believe it was designed. I think it was recognised/legal in 1994, or 1995

I agree with jad n rich , when he/she said that "Forced patriotism means nothing", you are either patriotic to your country or not. Nobody can force you to feel patriotic or pride. It's either in you or not. Take a look at the amount of people who constantly slag off Britain, I feel sorry for them.
If you need to be told to fly the flag,.. well what can I say - you should want to fly your flag, whether it is an Australian one for the aussie born, or one of the British ones.

Protecting this country are the UK and US, perhaps they should be flown too

I don't see what the big problem is myself, most Australians do wear their colours. The amount of flags you see here, from car stickers to flags in back yards, to flags on pushbikes ,those electric disabled buggies, T-shirts, caps - I honestly would not say that most Australians are not patriotic, quite the opposite.

It always seems to me that's it just the English that don't seem to fly their flags much, unlike the Scottish and Welsh. I find most English people will fly the Union Jack, but not an English flag.. ie when you see a car sticker with the union jack in the window here and other countries, you can almost be guaranteed that it's an English person. Where Scots and Welsh tend to fly their own flags.

Howard is just looking for things to boost his popularity for the coming elections. Most Australians do fly their flag with pride.

cheers

jad n rich

Sadly we have received no help, dyslexia is not recognised just lumped in as a learning disability, First 2 years we had to fight every excuse under the sun such as his age, variying abililies in kids and the principals view that dyslexia does not exist.

Now hes 10, problem luckily is just spelling and reading, no behaviour probs etc, we have embarked on teaching him ourselves and funnily enough hes now reading 10 levels above where the school had him, but I dont think we can really do much about his spelling I am annoyed now, as its obviously something that could have been improved had funding been available.

Good luck with your little one as well.

Peter

The Tiwi islanders flags are quite stunning IMHO.
http://www.fotw.net/flags/au-tiwi.html

The use of the Southern Cross as a symbol of Australia and NZ is silly. The constellation is readily visible from anywhere in the southern hemisphere.

Trevglas

I personally have nothing against aussie schools, private individuals etc flying the flag.

It is interesting to see the aussie flag flying a lot more than the uninion flag does in the UK, although the aussies are not as obsessed with their flag as the americans are.

Coming from Britain, it may just be me, but people back in the "old country" flying the union flag tend to get looked at with a fair degree of suspicion, are they a xenophobic old army type or a neo-nazi thug?

I guess this comes from the differing backgrounds of the various countries. The UK has in one form or another always been there, and the vast majority of citizens are "home-grown", and immigrants are a relatively new thing, and their presence has raised in a vocal minority cries of "ship them back to where they came from", often disguised as patriotic cries.

Australia and the US on the other hand were essentially founded on immigration, with the early (and recent) settlers seeking a better life. Being australian or american captures this essence of settlement, and diversity.

Enforced patriotism and flag flying is however another matter: is John Howard gearing up to throw another batch of illegal immigrant kids overboard again, after all there is a federal election coming soon?

Pollster

MY sister (who has just got back from the UK) says you can't move for St George crosses there at the moment cos of the footy.

And my mum flies both the Union Jack and the St George's cross at any opportunity.

I would also venture to suggest that the reason you don't see the English flag perhaps as much as you might is because years of English soccer hooligans have turned it into a symbol of thuggery that many true Brits don't want to associate themselves with.

I went to Eden Park to watch the All Blacks/England second test last weekend ( yes I know, I know) and the only aggro I saw (in the crowd as opposed to on the pitch) was caused by a guy in an England shirt (footy not rugby). How bloody ashamed did I feel, draped in my St George Cross, face painted up and with an England hat on? Very , that's how much.

Ceri

I think It's just England that has this problem about flying their st george flag , a lot of Welsh people do not fly the union Jack full stop ( I know I've never, and never will.. I personally don't relate to it, and feel no love for it). Most Welsh do tend to fly our nation welsh flag first.
When I was back home I noticed that welsh flags were everywhere,, didn't really notice it was I was living there, perhaps because it's just normal, you don't really notice things if they are there all of the time.. from car stickers, to huge flags in the cabs of trucks, to flags in shopping centres, to flags flown over buildings..

Immigrants, hardly a new thing sorry..we have had immigrants in the uk for hundreds and hundreds of years . My own husbands great, great, what ever, was Russian ( there were quite a large contingent of russan immigrants during the 1800's ) then you have the Indian immigrants, the (Jamaicans can you remember that very old saying.. just stepped off banana boat) . Ethnic people such as indian, Arabs and chinese etc in the UK actually out number the Welsh .. I did have figures somewhere ( welsh people and ulster are the lowest minority of people) And of course , how many times have the British isles been invaded , and people settling in ancient history.. making the so- called races we as in "british" are today.

cheers

bondipom

I am more than happy to let people mindlessly wave their flags but anyone wanting me to wave one can shove it where the sun doesn't shine. A flag is a bit of cloth. Relatives of mine fought in both world wars and they did so for the greater good and not a piece of cloth.

Sadly politicians use blind patriotism to send us to the unjust wars as well the just. The US is pushing through an act that restricts freedom by calling it the patriot act. One is not unpatriotic for opposing restrictions on ones freedom that our forefathers have fought for.