Yesterday there was quite a bit of polemics about the fact that the organisers of the Big Day Out (BDO) festivals had recently banned depictions of the Australian flag (not just flags, also bandana’s etc.), because at the Sydney event last year a group of people had forced passers by to pledge allegiance to the flag and acted in an aggressive and racist way.
In fact there was never really a ban but a “discouragement” to bring flags etc. to the festival… Most Australians seem to feel this was seriously over the top and even a disgrace. And how quick the politicians were to jump on the bandwagon of the masses (it’s an election year).

Australian flag in the shape of the country Australia

The event usually coincides with Australia Day, which would justify Australians wanting to celebrate all that is so great about their country by waving their flag about. But last year at the BDO, the racial Cronulla riots were still very fresh… A flag has two sides,… and apparently it showed it’s ugly face that day.

I am Belgian, and of course I have a Belgian flag, which I like to drape around and wave about on my sofa whenever fellow countrymen and woman are on the world stage (Vooruit Kim! Droogt’ z’af op de Australian Open! ;-).
And… I have an Australian flag… Which I’ve had since I was a little girl in fact. Since I was about 8 years old, I wanted to emigrate to Australia. I had seen some documentary on TV and just totally fell in love with the place, the natural beauty… the people. So I am here, because I truely love Australia, and hope to officially become an Australian in the near future…
I was even waving the Aussie flag about in Belgium last year during the World Cup whenever the Socceroos played, and also the flag of Trinidad & Tobago whenever the Soca Warriors played (my mum is from Trinibago). But in retrospect, I feel I should be more conscious of what a flag stands for.

It can definitely be used as a ‘gang colour’… Identifying ‘us’ against ‘them’… with clear nationalist and even racial undertones. Australians should also not forget that their precious flag does not represent all Australians… That there are certain Australians that are reminded of the atrocities inflected upon them… by bearers of this flag… and the Union Jack.
And the design of the Australian flag has been debated for some years now:
http://www.ausflag.com.au/ausflag/pfdc.html

I think I liked the Aussies better when they didn’t know the words to “Advance Australia Fair” and were not so overtly “patriotic” and “proud” to be Australian, that they feel they need to wave their flag about and show their “true blue” colours on every possible occasion…

And perhaps the media should focus more attention on the fact that The Big Day Out is going Carbon Neutral. A much more important issue…

You can read more about the issue here:
http://www.bigdayout.com/
http://www.news.com.au/
http://www.smh.com.au/
http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/media/gallery.cfm - an overview of the different Australian flags and symbols

Make no mistake… I love Australia… But it is not “blind” love…

Take care, and have a harmonious, warm and friendly Australia Day and The Big Day Out,
Radzster

{This article was moved here from another blog platform and has been “pre-dated” in WordPress to preserve chronology.}