Good Article Steven,

I hope one day with the Koori, Murray & TI approval Australia replaces the Union jack with the Aboriginal flag on the current, leaving the stars, and perhaps sharpening it up to be a triangle for instance rather than a square.

What would be your thoughts on this. Could the community as a whole embrace it?

It is the most common sense thing to do. Aboriginal People owned the land, and this is OUR countries true heritage as Australians, black or white. The union Jack has little relevance, especially in 2006.

I hope we can unite one day as a whole under one flag. The burning of the Australian flag, or any flag is declaring an act of war on that people.

I cannot truly embrace the Australian flag because excluding the Anzacs etc, i feel every time i fly this flag i am flying a little part of the british flag too, which does not symbolise my country.

I know this man was one not to be messed with who burnt the Australian Flag, and it would take alot of spirit to do that, but if the wrong people were there it could have turned ugly, and confrontation does the opposite of bring people together, nullifying any plight.

I enjoyed reading this article by Stephen Hagan. Clear, reasonable and informative. Thanks.

So what's wrong with the Union Jack in the Australian Flag?

1. Most people who live here are of British / Irish decent.
2. Everyone speaks english.
3. The legal system, political system and indeed welfare system are derived from British sources.
4. The Queen (like it or not) is the head of state.

Burning the flag is directly declaring your contempt for the vast majority of modern Australia, including the majority of the readership of this site.

That's your choice, but makes it hard for those you insult not to return the favour.

I also understand why some people would burn the Australian flag - because they are malcontented morons. As our weaky weak Prime Minister doesn't think flag burning should be made illegal, there's not much that can be done about it.

The Union Jack is part of our history, and all the flag burning that our PM has now encouraged (by saying it should not be made illegal) by nutters in the future will never remove that history.

As flag burning is perfectly legal, and OK with some, how about a burning of the aboriginal flag to see the reaction?

Mr Latimer,

I am an Australian, and I am a realist. I am NOT an idealist.

At The University of Sydney as I walk to lectures I am constantly confronted by students who do not seem to study but stand about and preach leftist, liberalist, IslamoFacist, and Islamic terrorist apologist thought - and who oppenly offer for sale Australian flags to be burnt.

These studnets do not understand the blood that has been spilt under the Australian flag by our ancestors to build the liberal Australian society that we have inherited.

The liberalists want to talk about "tolerance" -

I put it to you that you will neither 'tolerate' your Australian daughter being hassled, threatened and raped by up to 20 Middle Eastern thugs who hate your daughter because she is Australian...

nor will you 'tolerate' an Islamic Sheik who preaches that Australian girls clothed 'strapless and backless' are fair 'targets for rape'...

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A lesson for the UNEDUCATED author who used the term 'anti-semetic' incorrectly as a term for 'anti-islamic' - (a common IslamoFacist 'tactic' to hide Islams hatred for Jews).

The term anti-Semitism has historically referred to prejudice towards Jews alone, and this was the only use of this word for more than a century. It does not traditionally refer to prejudice toward other people who speak Semitic languages.

Bernard Lewis, Pofessor of Near Eastern Studies Emeritus at Princeton University, says that "ANTI-SEMITISM HAS NEVER ANYWHERE BEEN CONCERNED WITH ANYONE BUT JEWS".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Semitism#Etymology_and_usage

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It is Australia, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!

Well done, Thor, you have taken the bait, hook, line and sinker. It's about time you were told- when people burn the flag, they do it entirely to irritate people like you. Reactions like yours guarantee that people will continue burning flags. Try this- next time you walk to your lecture (what are you studying, to be so EDUCATED?) why not try ignoring the horrible lefties? Or even laughing at them? Coz you better believe they are laughing at you.