I noted with interest that a Cross of St George has been painted on the roundabout at the top of Udimore Rd. Notwithstanding that it’s an act of criminal damage that might well intimidate people in our community and those visiting us from abroad, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the Cross of St. George.
There’s nothing wrong with patriotism, distinct perhaps from empty, chest-beating nationalism. There’s nothing wrong with loving your country, its culture, its traditions, its environment and all of its people… But no amount of polyester flag-waving will make our community or our country strong. Indeed, social division is more likely to make us weak and vulnerable to the interference of our adversaries. And there’s nothing patriotic about that.
So to those who, whether inspired by current far-right campaigns or not, are feeling inflamed by patriotism, I’d like to suggest an alternative.
The best way to increase local and national pride is to help build our community. There are dozens of groups in Hastings and Rye that require support, whether it’s financial or voluntary. Giving an hour to support a youth club, football team, local festival or traditional event, may be a much more significant and impactful use of time than spray-painting a flag on a roundabout… And, personally, I think that building a strong, inclusive and harmonious community is much more patriotic.
Image Credits: Guy Harris .
It is intimidating, and I am a middle aged white man. I dread to think how it makes minority folk feel. This low grade graffiti needs to be removed. It’s divisive message is terrible.
As an elderly white woman, I agree. These symbols are painfully sad to see locally and/or nationwide. Hesitant to comment, knowing the strength of feeling currently.
Daubing a public roundabout – within a community – speaks loudly of division.
I reported the one pictured via Rother’s online form – their nearest category in the menu is ‘graffiti’.
For now that’s all I can offer by way of support.
While I don’t condone the painting of roundabouts, etc I would like to point out that ALL graffiti is Criminal Damage and needs to dealt with as such. This also includes the ugly scrawls on personal property, mostly done by bored teens. Someone’s beautiful and beloved – often listed/protected – home deserves to be prioritised when it comes to criminal activity; rather than roads.
The great irony of the cross of St George is that he (George) was born in what is now Turkey and had nothing whatever to do with this country. Were he to visit now, he would be regarded by those who daub this cross all over the place as unwelcome. Bigotry appears not to go hand in hand with understanding. As Bubbs says, it is divisive (intentional?) and a terrible message.
It IS NOT divisive! That’s conditioning by the self-loathing politicians and media in this country. As for the saint. So what? So he was Turkish. And St Patrick was an English Roman!
Totally agree Guy – my own experience of volunteering has been that it strengthens pride in our community.
Agree fully with this thoughtful author. It is indeed intimidating to suddenly see St George’s flags on public places. A few do it for pride of country but we all know Reform and other far right groups are manipulating this historic flag for specific political purposes.
Well said Guy!
Thank you, Guy. I was an immigrant for 16 years in Belgium and 20 years in the US — I’m so happy that I moved before the current round of nationalism hit the latter country, although I did get a breakup email from a Trump-voting friend who announced she loved her country too much to associate with me and my centrist views!
Seeing the flag being flown, or, worse, painted, for the wrong reasons saddens me, particularly since Rye does such an excellent job of flying the flag for the right reasons. Can’t the nationalists come up with their own symbol rather than debase our traditional flags? I want to feel proud when I see our national flags flying, not disgusted because they’re identified with racism and idiotic theories.
One doesn’t build a community by making sneering comment such as “polyester flag waving”. The bigger problem is those tin eared in the Rye community who totally fail to grasp the reality of the everyday lives of those who aren’t affluent middle class.
I find it strange how the elites of Rye are more than happy to fly the Ukranian flag above the town Hall but sneer at those who feel agrieved at the state of our country and wish to rebel against the State . I would say it’s a good thing, for centuries Rye and other towns have shown our distain for elements by burning effigies on Bonfire night and long may it continue.
Of course I’m in agreement with all that has been said on the subject of flag misuse.
However, from the perspective of the immigration-free ivory tower that is our lovely Rye, I think a little bit of imagination should be entertained.
Our poor ‘white working class’ (so called) living in enormous conurbations have had all options stripped from their armoury. They may not protest anywhere meaningful for fear of being kettled; they do not much like rushing into print, (and anyway to whom); they are not free to post what they really feel for fear of the hate-speech police, and unlike a lot of their counterparts, they do not resort to knives or guns.
So when their world diminishes (the world their grandfathers and great grandfathers gave their lives for) they feel moved to show some sort of opposition, and what more mild, un-violent way could they choose than putting up an innocent fluttering flag?
We all know that it’s passive aggresive and means ‘damn this government and I love(d) my country’, but what actually else would you have them do, these poor folk who really are affected on a daily basis by the grizzly changes that are happening under our noses?
I’m glad to have struck a chord with some of RN’s readers, but equally sorry to hear that members of our community have been upset by this craze… And I do wonder how minorities amongst our friends and neighbours in Rye must feel when they see this ‘them and us’ gangland graffiti? Pretty fearful and pretty betrayed, I should think…
I think one of the reasons many feel so affronted by all this flag-waving is not because they’re not patriotic. It’s because they are patriotic and understand our history and our culture. We’ve never been a flag-waving, banner-saluting, lapel-badge wearing kind of nation… Ironically, that behaviour is totally un-British! We have always been confident in who we are and there’s never been any need for flags to reassure us. I’m reminded of my Grandfather, who defended this country against the Nazis alongside Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. He never wore his medals and would not have been seen dead waving some scrap of a flag. But he was inordinately proud of serving with 8th Army’s 4th Indian Division. On Boxing Day, he always reverently cooked us turkey curry. He felt no less British when he bought his garam masala in Club Row… The thing is, real Brits don’t wrap themselves in the flag and never have done. They carry what it means to be British confidently but modestly in their hearts, not in their skin tone. A flag, after-all, is merely a rag. It’s the values it represents that really have the potential to make us proud…
Please let us be proud of our UNITED KINGDOM.
There is much that Guy says one can only agree with, around love of our country, and culture, and not really wanting to see paint roughly daubed across roundabouts in our beautiful town. However we currently live with a government, which is profoundly deaf to the thoughts and concerns of the people of this country. They are uninterested in discovering the deep and real issues behind this ‘painting’ outbreak, instead like Guy, they prefer to simply declare those responsible to be ‘far right.’ Whilst ever this approach continues to be adopted, the painting will continue in our society in one form or another.
I strongly believe there is no place for graffiti in any form. Perpetrators should be held accountable and punished appropriately. However, it really does feel like Guy Harris is trying to associate anyone who feels a strong sense of patriotism who proudly displays the English flag with those who align themselves with extremist far-right ideologies.
There is nothing wrong with being patriotic. It can be unifying for a nation. In such times as we’re currently living with so much division and the threats from Putin, isn’t it a good thing for a nations people to come together?
I disagree with Guys assertions why the English shouldn’t proudly display their flag. English, Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh and British traditions and values should be allowed to evolve over time. There are many positive examples where they have. British people across our nation should be afforded the freedom to proudly and peacefully display their national flags without being unfairly and wrongly labelled.
While grandstanding on his grandfather’s contribution to WW2 and Boxing Day turkey curry, I am saddened Guy fails to acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices of our women who came together to feed our country, supply our brave forces, nurse our injured and serve in our military and intelligence services. Along with many of our men there are those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in fighting against Hitlers Nazi regime and for the freedoms our country has enjoyed for the past 80 years.
So with the greatest respect, I say to Guy and anyone else who agrees with him, please afford the British people with their right to feel and peacefully express their sense of national pride. Stop generalising and attempting to unfairly and wrongly demonise them. There are many who refuse to become apologists for their deep rooted, meaningful and fair sense of patriotism, and will rebuff any suggestion they should.
The red ‘St George cross’ has again been (partially) re-daubed at this roundabout, after Rother painted it white this week.
Not convinced we’re witnessing ‘patriotism’ or pride in the UK at all.
I hate to say it, but those with certain views are doing this because they are shouted down by the other side… No one can debate a subject any more, it is a slanging match and cancel culture meaning anyone with views that are not on trend are shut down. It is all not helped by echo chambers of social media just feeding partial information to followers and misrepresented facts.
Almost everyone wants the same thing, wether right or left… Everyone wants people to be healthy, sufficient income, peace and happiness for everyone… It is just the method and priorities that differ, most of which is driven by ideology rather than logical reasoning from establised facts. If we all openly listen and consider what people say, they won’t need to go underground or do things like flags. A good example was the last election… Labour banners in windowa everywhere… Any reform voters didn’t dare for fear of a brick through their window… They are not (mostly) racist, they are trying to protect those communities where their has been a significant immigration impact, and to protect public services from overload, prevent increasing congestion and so forth… Let’s debate this stuff properly and calmly, not shout each other down.