Changing the Flag

[licky]

First things first... can the Jack.
Second thing, i doubt the aborigines would like anything suggested by anyone who isnt aboringine.
Thirdly, can the Jack

 

[syeph8]

sor starters, i disagree with you when you say that adding Aboriginal heritage to the Australian flag will strengthen the divide, there are already two flags for the indigenous peoples of Australia, doesnt seperating the people with different flags divide more than uniting under a flag that identifies the heritage of all three? I myself identify as Aboriginal and am quite active in the community here, it is common consensus that sorry day was a fantastic thing, and although it may not have affected your life it certainly affected my family and other families in the comminuty. either way, I am happy to stand under both of my flags.

 

[Gekambi]

This can't turn out good.. I'm starting to think of 'mississippi burning' all over again.. Any argument where race gets involved doesn't end pretty

 

[Elapidae1]

I am definitely not trying to argue race we are, all human and all Australian. I myself would not have a problem with Aboriginal heritage being depicted on an Australian flag because Aboriginal heritage and Australian heritage over the last couple of hundred years is shared, I just believe it would create division in the community. I apologize if my comments on sorry day and reconciliation offend, I just feel it was an act of diplomacy and not an heartfelt apology for the actions of our ancestors, yeah I'm sorry for the injustices Indigenous Australians suffered, but only in the same way that I'm sorry for the injustices and oppression I see on the news daily, past injustices were out of my hands and for the most part so are todays, sorry day and the reconciliation movement in my opinion and I believe in a lot of Non Aboriginal peoples opinions achieved little more than to highlight our differences with an us and them attitude. There would be no need for reconciliation if we all just viewed ourselves as Aussies.

 

[mrmikk]

Leave the flag the way it is, change for the sake of change is ridiculous.

 

[cris]

First things first... can the Jack.
Second thing, i doubt the aborigines would like anything suggested by anyone who isnt aboringine.
Thirdly, can the Jack

Jack, shouldn't be canned but drunk straight from a bottle or at worst a glass.

If we want a flag that represents our racist history perhaps we could copy the South Park flag :?

 

[Ramsayi]

Anything to do with tradition or heritage in this country is either changed or bulldozed.
People fought and died defending our flag.People wanting it changed should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[tooninoz]

As George Carlin said, flags are symbols, and symbols are best left to the symbol-minded.

 

[jessb]

I don't think it's about "not changing what's not broke", it's about choosing a flag that reflects modern Australia and is inclusive of the diversity and original inhabitants of our nation. I personally like this one...

FlagOz - New Australian Flag

 

[cris]

I don't think it's about "not changing what's not broke", it's about choosing a flag that reflects modern Australia and is inclusive of the diversity and original inhabitants of our nation. I personally like this one...

FlagOz - New Australian Flag

Australia has only ever had one subspecies of human inhabitant, all came from Africa originally, none came spontaniously out of Australian dirt. Australia isnt much over 100 years old, when we became a county our population had migrated through various paths to get here and IMO an Aussie is an Aussie regardless of their path of migration to get here. Unfortunately we also have heaps of racists and biggots of all colours and religions.

As George Carlin said, flags are symbols, and symbols are best left to the symbol-minded.

He is dead funny, so funny i cant even find a word to describe him. A few words i can think of is below average lame stereotypical yankee standup comedian.

 

[Jungletrans]

lf it is changed l would prefer the Eureka Stockade version of the Southern Cross , as used by the BLF . As l have a 10ft x 6ft flag on my wall l would be happy to keep it the same so l dont have to nick another one .

 

[craig.a.c]

I say remove the Union Jack and replace it with the Aboriginal flag.
England has had no input to Australia since 1901.

 

[H.bitorquatus]

we should just go by the aboriginal flag or have a rainbow flag, both would be good, aboriginals were here first so they can have theres, if not, just a cool rainbow flag for all our nationality's and religions. Or just leave it, doesn't really matter, though if it changed we wouldn't have to see all the bogans wearing the flag on there backs as a cape on Australia day :lol:

 

[moosenoose]

I get a little sick of the trailblazing attitude some Aussies have in regards to the flag. It's already a symbol of Australia, it's unique and has history behind it. Change it??? For exactly what logical reason? So we can say we've changed it?? Let's change it every year from hereafter....only because it suits us! I say leave it alone quite frankly.

 

[eitak]

actully no he didnt because this flag wasnt created back then your grandfarther would have carried the australian flag for his redgiment with honner,

the australian flag was a competition flyer example wich got faimus and stuck, every time we wave this flag on anzac day we might as well wave the french flag or the antartica flag or a flag from stargate as its actully not even the australian flag.

back in the 50's they never waved it anyway they waved the union jack.

however i am very fond of this flag as up until now i knew it as my/our flag all my life and would hate to see it changed too

BUT.... we do need a flag that simbolises australia for who we are and not what competition we were in back in 1953

i would be happy to keep the southern cross on the flag and swap the union jack for the aboriginal flag in its top left position, and i would also like to see schools teach the aboriginal language as a second subject. you go anywhere else in the world and people know their native languages and also english but when you come to australia we only know english and thats it...... however the aboriginals know their native language pluss english!

thats my rant

There are too many native langauges to teach in school, every area in australian has its own native language. And what use would it be to have this taught? In other countries they learn english ontop of their native language as it is spoken thoughout the world so has a use.
If each area of australia learnt its native language they could only use it in that area. Which I personally don't see the point, whats good of speaking a second language you cant use?

 

[waruikazi]

There are too many native langauges to teach in school, every area in australian has its own native language. And what use would it be to have this taught? In other countries they learn english ontop of their native language as it is spoken thoughout the world so has a use.
If each area of australia learnt its native language they could only use it in that area. Which I personally don't see the point, whats good of speaking a second language you cant use?

So the language doesn't die out.

 

[typhonthepython]

Haven't had the time to actually read the majority of comments in this thread, so I'm unaware of the temperature in here, but I still want to voice my opinion.

I honestly couldn't care less if the flag is preserved, altered, abolished, burnt or saluted. It honestly does not bother me in the slightest. I'm Australian born, I'm soon to be serving in the ADF and I have the current flag hanging in front of me as I type this. However my opinion on the topic really does reflect those of late comedian George Carlin and in his words ~ "A flag is a symbol, and I'll leave symbols to the symbol-minded". It seems to me that energy spent of arguments like these could be better spent on topics with real merit, the worlds a very troubled place.


Edit: this is excellent, somebody already quoted GC on the same page, haha!

 

[tooninoz]

He is dead funny, so funny i cant even find a word to describe him. A few words i can think of is below average lame stereotypical yankee standup comedian.

I think you mean was dead funny. He's just plain dead now.
He also wasn't a comedian as such - he was a social commentator, but..
I really value your opinion though wee Cris.
Look forward to more...

 

[SNAKEBOY33]

I'm not sure if you watched the 60 minutes episode last night. But Peter Fitzsimons (authour of Kokoda and Tubruk) mentioned that they never took the flag we have to day into battle and the only flag they had on hand was the union jack. The Aussie flag is the result of a competion held by the Havelock Tobacco Company in 1901. After reading both of Peters books, you'd never find an Australian with more empathy for the Aussie soldiers. So if P.F is for changing the Aussie flags and doesn't find it disrespectful to our fallen soldiers you have to wonder. Personally I agree with Peter and think it's time to boot the Union Jack. Anyone who has read what the English did to our soldiers in terms of using them as the front line (not to mention them turning their backs on us in PNG) would appreciate that it has no place on our flag. JMO which I'm entitled too...
Full transcript for 60 minutes The Great Flag Debate

Hi Snowman i have a photo of my Grandfathers Battalion flying the Australian flag at Borneo during ww2 check out the Australian War Memorial archives item number 119452 to see the pic. It may not have been officially our flag yet but i stand by my comments that my Grandfather carried that flag into battle at Kokoda and Borneo.

 

[SNAKEBOY33]

Anything to do with tradition or heritage in this country is either changed or bulldozed.
People fought and died defending our flag.People wanting it changed should be ashamed of themselves.

Exactly!