Name supplied.
It’s only a flag, right? What harm can it do?
Well, for those of us who remember the lessons of history, this is a worrying time.
Driving around Southampton, you can see the campaign to fly the St George’s Cross is going strong. Flags have been fastened to lampposts all across the city—oddly at half-mast, which at first made me think someone had died.
I can’t help but think about the time, money and effort that’s gone into this campaign. Imagine what could have been achieved if that energy had been directed towards something that genuinely helped the community: a litter-pick, fundraising for parks and playgrounds, or even pooling resources to buy school uniforms for families struggling this summer. Instead, painting roundabouts and zebra crossings with nationalist symbols will force councils to spend money fixing the damage.
Of course, people have the right to fly a flag. I love seeing the city filled with different colours during the World Cup or other sporting events. But let’s not pretend that this campaign is about anything other than intimidation and racism.
History teaches us what happens when flags are used as tools of control. In 1935, the Nazis passed the Nuremberg Laws, declaring the swastika the national flag of Germany. Businesses were forced to display it, and refusal was taken as a sign of disloyalty. A simple flag became a mandatory symbol of conformity and fear. How long before we’re asked why we don’t have one flying outside our own homes? How long before windows are smashed for not being “patriotic” enough?
If you think this is just a flag, what harm can it do? You’re not paying attention.
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