National Pride

ParksyParksy Posts: 1,763
edited May 2010 in A Moving Train
Hi Folks,

I'm Canadian, but I certainly want everyone's opinion here.

It's 2010. Which brings the World Cup of Soccer. An event that, for the most part, brings people together... but for me highlights a black mark on my society.

You can call it insignificant... but it's how I feel.

In 2006, it was July 1st. Canada Day. And in my neighborhood a Canadian flag was seldom seen. Brazil, England, Portugal, Spain however... well their were plenty of those flags. Attached to cars, houses, office windows... etc.

I felt enraged. Sad, and enraged. For MYSELF, I would compare it to being spat in the face.

I understand that sports fans are passionate.

But for me, I think it the most disrespectful thing you could possibly do... fly another nations flag on Canada Day.

So let's hear it... agree or disagree. For Americans, would you feel disrespected if you saw a car or home advertising a different flag other than the American flag on the 4th of July? (Same goes for other nations here...)

Cheers.
Toronto 2000
Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
Boston I&II 2004
Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
Toronto I&II 2011
Buffalo 2013
Toronto I&II 2016
10C: 220xxx
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • OutOfBreathOutOfBreath Posts: 1,804
    Well, bad luck for you that your national day will coincide with the finishing leg of the world cup every 4 years. It always has the final played in the first week of july, hence july 1st will be in the middle of it every time.

    I dunno, the norwegian national day on may 17th, has a lot of flag waving, but we dont get all pissy of some other flags are seen that day. If they join in the processions and celebrate with the rest of us, then cool. Maybe do the compromse with two flags, one norwegian, one pakistani/swedish/american whatever. We might get pissy of you replaced the flag at the town square or something, but honestly what is there to be upset about?

    So, the answer from me is no, I dont see flying other flags than the norwegian on may 17th to be disrespectful. To qualify as that, you'd have to take down the big flag in town, burn it and replace it with another. Then I would be annoyed. Otherwise, as long as they're partying, the more the merrier, and the more diverse the more fun.

    Peace
    Dan
    "YOU [humans] NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" - Death

    "Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
  • puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    Really, sad and enraged, because of flags during the World Cup, wow.


    Remember this little event at the Olympics.

    --VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Hockey Canada has apologized for the raucous on-ice
    celebration by its women's hockey team after beating the United States for the gold medal.

    People get caught up in sports events, especially when its country vs country. These type of celebrations and demonstration of pride aren't about disrespect, its all about winning and getting bragging rights until the next time.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
  • ParksyParksy Posts: 1,763
    puremagic wrote:
    Really, sad and enraged, because of flags during the World Cup, wow.


    Remember this little event at the Olympics.

    --VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Hockey Canada has apologized for the raucous on-ice
    celebration by its women's hockey team after beating the United States for the gold medal.

    People get caught up in sports events, especially when its country vs country. These type of celebrations and demonstration of pride aren't about disrespect, its all about winning and getting bragging rights until the next time.

    I recall the news article there.... but don't know what that has to do with the original post.

    and I'm all for international competitions. But for one day. ONE DAY out of the year... Show respect to the nation you are in.
    Toronto 2000
    Buffalo, Phoenix, Toronto 2003
    Boston I&II 2004
    Kitchener, Hamilton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto 2005
    Toronto I&II, Las Vegas 2006
    Chicago Lollapalooza 2007
    Toronto, Seattle I&II, Vancouver, Philly I,II,III,IV 2009
    Cleveland, Buffalo 2010
    Toronto I&II 2011
    Buffalo 2013
    Toronto I&II 2016
    10C: 220xxx
  • Godfather.Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    Parksy wrote:
    Hi Folks,

    I'm Canadian, but I certainly want everyone's opinion here.

    It's 2010. Which brings the World Cup of Soccer. An event that, for the most part, brings people together... but for me highlights a black mark on my society.

    You can call it insignificant... but it's how I feel.

    In 2006, it was July 1st. Canada Day. And in my neighborhood a Canadian flag was seldom seen. Brazil, England, Portugal, Spain however... well their were plenty of those flags. Attached to cars, houses, office windows... etc.

    I felt enraged. Sad, and enraged. For MYSELF, I would compare it to being spat in the face.

    I understand that sports fans are passionate.

    But for me, I think it the most disrespectful thing you could possibly do... fly another nations flag on Canada Day.

    So let's hear it... agree or disagree. For Americans, would you feel disrespected if you saw a car or home advertising a different flag other than the American flag on the 4th of July? (Same goes for other nations here...)

    Cheers.

    AGREED !!!

    Godfather.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    I think my (American) dad had more balls for wearing his USA shirt after the US won the world juniors.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    I was raised on military bases and we were totally indoctrinated in the ideals of American patriotism. I can't even listen to Proud To Be An American without tearing up. Yet I still wouldn't be the slightest bit offended by other flags being flown on the 4th of July - ESPECIALLY when they are not flown out of disrespect but just out of excitement for a worldwide sporting event that occurs only every four years. I think there are WAY more disrespectful things people could do and, in perspective, this is relatively insignificant. That's my opinion, anyway.
  • arqarq Posts: 8,049
    This thread is very weird for me, I grew up in a country who never goes to the world cup (soccer) and it was very normal to see flags from all the countries in the world cup for months, people just picked a team and go with it, for us is just an awesome time, there was no "unpatriotic" feeling at all it was just clean fun.
    "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it"
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    arq wrote:
    This thread is very weird for me, I grew up in a country who never goes to the world cup (soccer) and it was very normal to see flags from all the countries in the world cup for months, people just picked a team and go with it, for us is just an awesome time, there was no "unpatriotic" feeling at all it was just clean fun.

    Seems kind of like all the other sports teams paraphernalia around here, don't ya think? Only the logo for the World Cup teams is a national flag. That's what it seems like to me, anyway.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    i live in toronto and disagree ...

    my pride and my belief in my country is not represented by the flag i fly or the colours i wear on july 1st or any day ... in fact - your example of flags from every part of the world flying makes me even more proud to be canadian ... a place for the most part that is founded on immigrants from all around the world ... a place where you are free to celebrate your culture and our differences ... i will guess that you live in toronto where i live ... this place is special because of our cultural diversity and our ability to live in relative peace ...

    having said that - if Canada were to EVER make the world cup ... i betcha you would see way more canadian flags flying ...
  • SmellymanSmellyman Asia Posts: 4,524
    i believe in myself and other people.


    stupid shit like flags and patriotism. who cares.

    too many frinking ism's
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    I think nationalism or national pride is kind of stupid.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    Parksy wrote:
    puremagic wrote:
    Really, sad and enraged, because of flags during the World Cup, wow.


    Remember this little event at the Olympics.

    --VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Hockey Canada has apologized for the raucous on-ice
    celebration by its women's hockey team after beating the United States for the gold medal.

    People get caught up in sports events, especially when its country vs country. These type of celebrations and demonstration of pride aren't about disrespect, its all about winning and getting bragging rights until the next time.

    I recall the news article there.... but don't know what that has to do with the original post.

    and I'm all for international competitions. But for one day. ONE DAY out of the year... Show respect to the nation you are in.


    Because your original post indicates that you can't separate people celebrating a sporting event vs people disrespecting 'your' country as a whole. .

    Soccer isn't my thing, however, even I can appreciate that it is a highly competitive sporting event and for a team to make it to the World Cup has to be hugh. Its not only team vs team, its bragging rights on country vs country.

    Clearly, there's no intentional disrespect, so I fail to see how you can't separate the two events.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
  • flywallyflyflywallyfly Posts: 1,453
    I dont know how I could go on living if that happened on the 4th here in the states. Seeing other nations' flags on that day just makes me sick at my stomach and gives me a touch of vertigo as well. I'm hoping a pharmaceutical company will come up with a pill to help out with my problem.
  • ed243421ed243421 Posts: 7,673
    a line drawn on a map
    through hills and trees
    hundreds of years ago
    tells me
    hundreds of years later
    whether i'm mexican or texan
    virginian or west virginian
    georgian or floridian
    to fight over that line
    or to die over that line
    seems like a waste of time
    The whole world will be different soon... - EV
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  • arqarq Posts: 8,049
    The world cup is just a cultural thing, in the countries where soccer is huge and (i mean HUGE!) the world cup can literally stop a country, bosses and employees stop what they're doing to cheer for their team even huge TVs are set in the office by the bosses, if the economy in Europe is bad right now... well it has to wait until the world cup ends, schools stop everything to watch the world cup... Believe there's no comparison with any of the big sports here in the USA, the world cup is a HUGE world wide party!
    "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it"
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
  • Godfather.Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    LOL !!! I just heard a DJ on the raideo telling a story about a HOA that fined a miliatry couple for having a American flag on their home and told the couple that we have to think about our diverse community...
    well last I heard this is still America and if the HOA or anybody else don't like our flag get the hell out !
    there are other countrys that would love to have you,just my opinion ;)

    Godfather.
  • qontheboardqontheboard Posts: 785
    Parksy wrote:
    Hi Folks,

    I'm Canadian, but I certainly want everyone's opinion here.

    It's 2010. Which brings the World Cup of Soccer. An event that, for the most part, brings people together... but for me highlights a black mark on my society.

    You can call it insignificant... but it's how I feel.

    In 2006, it was July 1st. Canada Day. And in my neighborhood a Canadian flag was seldom seen. Brazil, England, Portugal, Spain however... well their were plenty of those flags. Attached to cars, houses, office windows... etc.

    I felt enraged. Sad, and enraged. For MYSELF, I would compare it to being spat in the face.

    I understand that sports fans are passionate.

    But for me, I think it the most disrespectful thing you could possibly do... fly another nations flag on Canada Day.

    So let's hear it... agree or disagree. For Americans, would you feel disrespected if you saw a car or home advertising a different flag other than the American flag on the 4th of July? (Same goes for other nations here...)

    Cheers.

    I'm Canadian, so flags and over the top nationalism and all that superficial shit doesn't matter to me.

    q
  • blackredyellowblackredyellow Posts: 5,889
    Godfather. wrote:
    LOL !!! I just heard a DJ on the raideo telling a story about a HOA that fined a miliatry couple for having a American flag on their home and told the couple that we have to think about our diverse community...
    well last I heard this is still America and if the HOA or anybody else don't like our flag get the hell out !
    there are other countrys that would love to have you,just my opinion ;)

    Godfather.

    in fairness (and we've seen these stories before), HOA's usually have dumb rules about not having big flag poles, or displaying stuff on the side of your house or whatever. Not them being against American flags. HOA's are moronic and idiotic, but you know the rules up front when you buy a house that has one, so I don't usually feel bad for people who are pissed about it.
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
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