Hi y'all
I suppose one shouldn't expect high standards in OLO. But, I didn't expect someone like Col to stoop to castigating someone over their lack of cultural knowldege and then, in a false show of erudition, plagiarise and misquote Wikpedia.

St David is the patron saint of Wales. The contribtion of Ireland (Post Union) is the cross of St. Patrick, unsurprisingly. Col, if you could read to a 6th grade standard, you'd have been able to follow the article.

Jingoism and bluster do not make good arguments, just hot air. This kind of chest-thumping, self-righteous nationalism would have been appropriate in WW II Germany. It is certainly not the kind of bovine faeces that motivated the many of the ANZACs or the WW II diggers, well not according to their letters and post-war writings that I've seen anyway. They would probably be ashamed of both sides of this debate.

odsoc

The Australian Flag was created during the time of the British Empire, so it symbolized with being part of the British Empire.
There are hundreds of British Flags that have the Union Jack in a position of superiority. all those who support the present flag do so because they are living in the past, they say they are Australian, when in fact they are subjects of a British Queen, we must remember the Union Jack was carried high in the Mad scramble for Africa, it was carried high when the Empire builders over ran Indo/China it became a symble of death and destruction, it was carried high in Cronulla by white extremists. in Australia it was carried by the invaders who said this land was for the taking under British Law, that flag has history and should not be burned , because it is all we have, I dont want to be continuouslly identified with a lost British Empire, we need a flag that represents every Australian, we will have no culture till we have a flag every Australian loves, maybe it is time for those people who are disguised as Australians, the British Royalists to pack their bags and go back to the mother country they love.and take the Union Jack with them. I respect both flags, but the future is what is important, so the time has come to lower the present Australian flag for the last time and sent it home to Britain,

col rouge,
As an atheist aussie of Irish descent, an ancient national saint is hardly comparable to the centuries of English oppression of the Irish. Might does not make something right.

I think burning flags is okay – provided you’re not in an area where there is a total fire ban in which case the flag burners should be prosecuted… I also wonder about the workplace health and safety aspects of flag burning… maybe there should be an OH&S procedure no burning flags without a fire extinguisher on hand and other bureaucratic rules tee hee

hmmm interesting stephen, lovely to read bout your curry experience on 26 january, oh and that of your family's exploits.

i dont agree with the burning of the flag, i dont think it gets our cause any better deals or recognitions because of it. ok so i can understand the frustration toward what the flag represents but i still dont agree with the act itself - it seems to have done more harm than good.

our communities dont need leaders who are immature enough to think that that kind of sensationalism is necessary or leaning toward solution building. our communities need people who can articulate our issues and bring us together to develop the right solutions. flag burning aint it, the national indigenous council aint it either unfortunately.

I don't think anyone here actually agrees with burning a flag and I suspect most if not all wouldn't burn one.

As so many people are offended by it, for whatever reason, I don't think it has the desired effect. But getting on TV for a minority group may lead to people becoming aware of their plight. Afterall we are all discussing it so it worked.

So what are the aborigines asking for in this case?

For us whiteys to understand why the day we celebrate as Australia day is offensive to them. Seems we whiteys are allowed to be offended at burning the flag but aborigines aren't allowed to be offended at our celebrating the day that their lives were destroyed and changed forever.

What shocks me even more is that many whiteys who use the term invasion and have hard hearts would call themselves Christian and use the term to rub it in. How unChristian .... where are the Christian values there?

Where are the Christian values of compassion, caring, love and respect when you live in denial that the aborigines have been so badly treated. Could you have copped such treatments?

When Jesus walked the Earth he used the word hypocrits... well guess what nothing has changed... many of his flock are still hypocrits. I guess they didn't learn from their master.

I think one of the greatest things that I learnt from Christian thinking and values was the ability to put yourself in someone elses position non-judgmentally and with empathy.

Why don't Christians try and put themselves in an aborigines position? Imagine someone walking into your home, taking it from you, fencing you out of your land and taking away all your rights. Then changing the way you have lived over thousands of years. Could you take that - of course you couldn't?

If you attempt to think like that you may just understand why a person might burn a flag PLUS you might actually become a better Christian.

Good luck... I suspect your faith isn't as strong as many of you would proclaim!