Union Flag Avatar

[SMARTY]

It seems that the Union Flag avatar used by many on this site is UPSIDE DOWN !!!!. It is an offence to display the Union Flag upside down and considered an insult to the monarch. An upside down Union Flag flown used to signal distress in years gone by. I know this appears to be a rant but come on.....would the Yanks accept such a thing?

Smarty

 

[Toddy]

No, I agree, it ought to be correctly displayed.

However, many do not know the Jack either up or down anymore. Perhaps you could illustrate, or give an example, of which 'symbol' is being used 'In distress'.

Kind regards,
Toddy

 

[sparks]

many do not know the Jack either up or down anymore.

it is only the union jack when it is on the water

:sad6: i will get my coat

and you are correct the yanks would not accept it and neather would most countries

 

[Wallenstein]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_flag#Specifications_for_flag_use

 

[demographic]

The Yanks might possibly get all hot and bothered about small details like that but I tend to think that the British are a little more refrained and chilled so let such details wash past us without a care

Anyone for Tiffin?

 

[Lurch]

It's not a legal offence to fly the union flag upside down.

I assumed Smarty meant offensive, rather than a legal offence.
After all you wouldn't legislate against a distress call.

 

[gregorach]

Must... resist... separatist... republican... disestablishmentarian... anti-flag-worship... rant...

 

[Twoflower]

Wouldn't it be so much easier if it looked like this ...

From http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=77214&in_page_id=34

I'll get my coat
:theyareon

 

[andy_e]

Must... resist... separatist... republican... disestablishmentarian... anti-flag-worship... rant...

classic!

 

[Toddy]

yeah, that's pretty cool.

The precedent of Scottish / Irish is simply a date thing. Nothing more. Scotland's flag was joined to the Engllish one when James 1 (Our JamesVI !! ) became King of the *United Kingdom*. The Welsh Principality had already been joined to England centuries before so isn't shown on the flag. When Ireland was joined into the Union the St Patrick's cross was arranged so that it could be seen against the other two, just as earlier the background of the St Andrew's cross was darkened to contrast effectively with the St George's one.

There are masses of political statements and opinions that I'm sure are tripping off folks tongues about the flag, we all have our own views of the turbulent history of our island homes.
Can we resist temptation, and keep the thread just for the display of the Union Jack please.

Thanks,
Toddy

 

[gregorach]

The history of the thing is really quite interesting... There were a number of different versions devised after the Union of the Crowns, and it took quite a while to settle on a standard version that didn't give too much offence to anyone. For quite some time, the Scots used a version with St Andrew's Cross over St George's Cross, rather than under it. The feeling amongst many was that since James VI / I was a Scottish monarch first, the Scottish flag should take precedence. Of course James himself felt rather differently about the matter...

The version we now recognise wasn't adopted until 1801.

 

[Wallenstein]

Whole can of worms just waiting to wriggle all over this thread!

But if we assume that most people would prefer to have the flag displayed correctly on the forum, it should be as posted above.... that assumes also that the "flagpole" is the left-hand side of the screen, if you want your notional flagpole to be on the right, you'd need to switch the flag around

 

[korvin karbon]

dies anybody remember the Bill Hicks sketch about flags?? if you do DO NOT post your flag, children read this forum LOL

 

[Steve27752]

If someone knows how to turn my avatar up the other way please do so.

 

[leon-1]

Not a whole can of worms at all. It's national pride, it isn't a case that it just displays the english flag incorrectly, but the irish and the scottish as well.

In the end all you need to say is "Thanks SMARTY for pointing that out and we'll get it rectified".

People have fought and died under that flag, they lost thier lives for this country and that flag is the banner for which they fought, complacency towards it is disrespect towards those that have fought and served this country and in some cases lost thier lives.

There are a number of ex and serving servicemen and women on this forum and they have respect for the Union Flag / Jack (for our naval people), to show disrespect, even if unintended, is offensive to those that served as much as anything else.

 

[gregorach]

The very concepts of "nation" and "national pride" are inherently political. I thought we were trying to keep this site apolitical?

 

[leon-1]

The very concepts of "nation" and "national pride" are inherently political. I thought we were trying to keep this site apolitical?

That depends on how you look at it, I am not looking at it from a religious or ethical or political stance as neither socialist or any conservative, democrat or republican point of view.

I am not looking at any one's political viewpoint even my own, but I have pride in what this country has managed to do whether it be the olympic squad or what we have managed in the financial, economic or commercial arena's. I have pride in what is one of the finest exponents of military forces on the planet, if not the finest.

There is no political view point in having pride in doing well in something.

 

[wingstoo]

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/geography/unionjack7.html

Shows both the correct and incorrect way to fly the union flag.

 

[Indoorsout]

To be honest I had no idea you could fly it upside down.

 

[spamel]

I can't believe I never spotted that! I used to play merry hell when one of the guys flew the flag upside down. I would wait until they had climbed all the way down from the top of RHQ, which had a spooky bit in the rafters that scared the hell out of the blokes, and then tell them to go and fly it the correct way up. It took them five minutes to get up and five minutes to get back down again, it was a right climb. They soon learnt right from wrong.