Respect for the Tricolour

Dionysius2

The Euro Football has offloaded Ireland and we are left to survey the wreckage and see what can be salvaged from it. Perhaps we performed to the best of our ability is about the best that can safely be said about it.
Some brave gestures alright but mostly we were out of our depth.

But one thing stood out for me as I followed the TV coverage and wished them well. The disrespect shown to our National Flag by our own Irish supporters was just gross.
Our older generation seems to have some idea of how to respect the flag and the protocols that go with it but it is rare indeed to find any of our young 'uns with even the most basic knowledge of how to treat our flag.

This lack of basic education and respect relates to : (a) how flag should be displayed when flown with other flags (b) never allowing flags to be dragged along the ground (c) flag should be carried folded and in respectful manner (e.g never draped over shoulder and dragged along on ground or tied around waist like a Simpson teeshirt....there is no respect in that.). Flag should never be defaced by sitting on it or writing on it or adding cartoons or badges or paint slogans....all these things are defilements of the original image of our National Flag.

Just about every one of these offensive actions could be seen repeatedly throughout our sojourn in the Euro Competition and such behaviour does nothing to impress other nations who revere their flags. It is shoddy, lazy, ugly and offensive behaviour and we should stop it because of the insults and the injuries we bestow upon ourselves by carrying on like that.

This basic education is a function of our education system now sadly lacking but clubs could do wonders to drive home the message. Clubs could ensure better respect for the flag by advocating and supporting standards and highlighting that simple message repeatedly.

No other country insults it's own National Flag as much as we do and all because our young people are ignorant of the respect due to our national emblem.

Dionysius2

May I ask the Mods if this post could be moved to another thread.....and I'm unsure how to do that. However, I do feel that the item I have posted would draw some lively responses and maybe in the discourse to follow just might garner a little more respect for our National Flag. If I'm out of order with my request, then O.K. & please disregard.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

it's a mass produced piece of fabric with colours on it... why on earth do you care

Witcher

I think the people that died so that the flag could be flown would approve of its use in support of the national football team. I don't think it's disrespect to the country etc. as stated it's only coloured pieces of cloth, it represents ideals, they're still intact even if the flag is ripped to shreds. That's no to say I would approve of sitting on it, or burning it etc. but those laws are written by pen pushers, enjoy the thing a lot of people died so it could be used.

im invisible

They're more like banners with coloured backgrounds than flags

Dionysius2

Amazing how little respect there is for our National Flag in this day and age.

Tabnabs

I completely agree with the OP on the sentiment that there is frequently (and lately in particular) a huge level of flag misuse and disrespect. I would however call into question the assertion that young Irish are the the most insulting or disrespectful in the world. This is a gross generalisation. We have seen images of American war protesters burning their flag and the unique British love of adorning everything from cushions to underwear with their Union flag.

Looking at the football fans recently, we seem about on par with the rest of Europe in our lack of respect...

frag420

Pretty much sums up my feeling on this topic.................

listermint

Dionysius2 wrote: »

No other country insults it's own National Flag as much as we do and all because our young people are ignorant of the respect due to our national emblem.

So im guessing you were not at the Euros then OP?

Because you clearly dont have an ounce of a clue what you are talking about. What so ever.

Dionysius2

So it's OK to write on the Tricolour, sit on it, tie it around you like a workshirt, that's not being disrespectful ? On ceremonial occasions the flag is treated carefully and with deference usually because whoever is in charge of it has more than a clue about the respect due the flag of our nation. That being so how can it be OK to treat it like a ragdoll afterwards ? In wartime strange and objectionable things do happen to National Flags but we are not in that situation presently. My main point is that the best fans in the world would do an awful lot better if they took more care of the manner in which they look after our National Flag on those occasions when they choose to carry it around publicly as an emblem of identification.

asherbassad

Dionysius2 wrote: »

So it's OK to write on the Tricolour, sit on it, tie it around you like a workshirt, that's not being disrespectful ? On ceremonial occasions the flag is treated carefully and with deference usually because whoever is in charge of it has more than a clue about the respect due the flag of our nation. That being so how can it be OK to treat it like a ragdoll afterwards ? In wartime strange and objectionable things do happen to National Flags but we are not in that situation presently. My main point is that the best fans in the world would do an awful lot better if they took more care of the manner in which they look after our National Flag on those occasions when they choose to carry it around publicly as an emblem of identification.

On ceremonial occasions the flag is handled with care and a certain decorum is adhered to to reflect the mood of the occasion. It is out of respect for the occasion and not the flag. A flag is nothing more than that...a flag, an emblem. Treating a piece of cloth like it was a living entity to be revered is a cretinous notion. The Irish don't have this shallow reverence for flags and symbols and crap like that because their patriotism runs deeper than icons. Americans have all these infantile, meaningless protocols surrounding a damn flag like "you'll go to hell if you burn or deface it" (even though doing the same to a human being will probably get you applauded).
Flags are just trinkets, identity badges. People who have bought into the silly notion of all this respect regarding a piece of fabric then trot out the emotional blackmail jibe about those who died so that the flag could be flown.
I would bet the farm that any man or woman lying bleeding, mortally wounded in the cause of Irish freedom would have their dying wish be that they took a bullet so that their countrymen would own their own blood and not live under the yoke of foreign or tyrannical authority. Their ideals would run far deeper than a flag. Their ideals would rise so high above a flag as to make a laughing stock of those who even thought something so trivial was important.