So I’ve been stuck inside all day (I literally mean all day) because of this supposed Hurricane. It has been pretty bad; In Virginia I know there were a few tornadoes and there’s been lots of damage and flooding but it doesn’t seem to be any worse than any of the tropical storms that I witnessed when I used to live in Virginia Beach. In fact today has just seemed more like a normal English summer’s day; very wet, very windy and a bit chilly. So I’m afraid I don’t really have any exciting stories to tell about the Hurricane, sorry, I mean the ‘tropical storm’ other than a few power cuts and some leaks.
One thing I have noticed however as I’ve huddled under my umbrella and run between buildings to the various dining halls is the number of people wearing UCONN t-shirts and hoodies and even the occasional pair of slippers! Everywhere you look the UCONN sign is plastered and the Husky image is pictured. People are very proud of their school. And it makes me wonder why we aren’t quite so enthusiastic in England. There are plenty of people who wander around Warwick campus wearing a Warwick hoody but I would say that the majority of those people are in teams of some sort. The only University merchandise that seems to be worn around England is by tourists having visited ‘Oxford’ or ‘Cambridge. Is it that in England we are just too 'cool' to be seen as representing an educational establishment, or can us poor students simply not afford the £25 hoodies? Whatever the reason I have to say that I am really enjoying the sense of community and team spirit that's highlighted by the use of the UCONN logo everywhere.
It's this sense of community that England as a country is lacking. England has no patriotism whatsoever. The only occasions when there is vaguely any sense of community is when there are sporting events, when people have a common interest that unites them. Why can't Britain itself be a common interest? It would appear that a large number of people in our capital are far more interested in looting and stealing from their local communities than being a part of it, “because they can”. Here in America, I see the flag flying almost every day where as in England it’s illegal to fly the flag for fear that it might cause offence to other races and cultures. While I respect, and even enjoy, the fact that England is a multicultural and diverse country there is a point where we must still accept the fact that we are British and these people have chosen to come to Britain because of what it has to offer. Surely they will equally praise and respect the United Kingdom and our flag in the same way that any British person would? It is by no way excluding them or renouncing their cultural identity. In fact I think it does almost the opposite: culture is an ever changing thing and whereas before our flag may have represented a great, domineering, colonial empire, now it can be seen to show a country rich in other cultures and identities and one which embraces them.
I’m very tempted to go into a further spiel about how our respect for the military comes into this but I think I’ll avoid that bomb shell. For now, I need to begin some reading for classes this week...
In England it isn't illegal to fly the Union Flag, nor the George Cross, nor any other flag that I can think of... In fact, I don't even think it's illegal to fly a Swastika. I dunno who told you it was illegal to fly flags in England, but they were mistaken.
ReplyDeleteThe reason you don't see so many flags flying in the UK as in the USA probably just reflects the fact that the British government puts less effort into brainwashing its citizens into blind nationalism than the US government does.
You are right. I apologise for my mistake it is no longer illegal to fly the British Flag. The law was only revoked in 2007 which stated that permission must be gained from the local council before a flag can be flown.
ReplyDeleteI don't think its about brainwashing but purely the fact that we don't seem to have any pride in being British, perfectly demonstrated by the charming London rioters this summer. I just think it's sad that we no longer recognise our own countries' self worth.