We should be proud of our nationality

England is a racially, culturally and religiously diverse country and I for one am proud of that. We enjoy freedoms that many oppressed populations can only dream about and, exactly 70 years since the Battle of Britain and with Remembrance Day coming up, we should be thinking about how grateful we are that we’re not living in a dictatorship and be thankful that our flag isn’t a swastika.

During the world cup, everywhere was adorned with St George’s flags but when the inevitable happened, the flags came down.

Why is it that we as a nation are happy to fly the flag in recognition of 11 overpaid, underperforming multi-millionaires who couldn’t care less about pulling on an England shirt and yet we look down on anyone who flies it in the name of thousands of men and women who fought and died for us to live in a free country?

My brother is in Afghanistan fighting an illegal war that we should have no part in. He isn’t doing it because he hates Muslims, because he doesn’t. He isn’t doing it because he agrees with the inbred, warmongering, redneck hick who invented the War on Terror, because he doesn’t. He’s doing it because, rightly or wrongly, his country asked him to, which is the same reason that thousands did in two World Wars.

We should be proud of our free country. We should be proud to fly our nation’s flag. When the Chilean miners were rescued, many of them were draped in the country’s flag to show their gratitude to their rescuers and pride in their nation. Ask yourself why you know in your heart that it wouldn’t happen here – and ask yourself if it’s right that it wouldn’t. All over the world, national flags fly from public buildings, schools, shops and people’s houses but dare we do that here?

No. Society frowns upon it. We label people as racists. Why do we do that? Our flag has no more to do with racism or bigotry than any other; it’s our national emblem and nothing more. I’m English and that’s all there is to it. I don’t care about the colour of anyone’s skin. I don’t care what religion they follow.

I don’t care if someone was born abroad. We all live in England. Does it make me a racist because I’m proud to live in this country too? No. So please, next time you see a St George’s Cross, think about how lucky you are to live here in a free and diverse culture.

Think about those who gave their lives and those who are putting theirs on the line every day. And think about how on earth anyone could even begin to consider a national flag to be a source of shame.

 S Longden