Flying the flag

max · 21-01-2010, 12:53 PM

Lately I see a lot of cars getting around flying twin Australian flags usually clipped onto the top of back door sills either side. When I was a kid, many forms of visible patriotism was the norm. Nowadays I see it sometimes associated with utes fitted with bullbars, huge spotlights, RM Williams mudfaps, decals and the old buffalo horn emblem. I'm not sure what the intent of the drivers is. Just plain and simply proud to be Australian? Or does it go deeper into some form of demonstration of supremacy? With Australia Day coming up, what's a balanced outward show of national pride?

||| · 21-01-2010, 12:58 PM

i'm thinking about getting a southern cross tattoo. i've had a sticker on my car for ages & it always gets the thumbs up

Riksta · 21-01-2010, 01:18 PM

Australia Day long weekend 2008 I had the flags galore on my car going.

Was pretty well just a whole lets celebrate Australia day thing.

Not something I would leave on there all the time, the noise of the big one flapping against the roof gets a bit annoying.

BUT - I will be decking it out again for Australia Day this year. I didn't do it last year.

max · 21-01-2010, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riksta

Australia Day long weekend 2008 I had the flags galore on my car going.

Was pretty well just a whole lets celebrate Australia day thing.

Not something I would leave on there all the time, the noise of the big one flapping against the roof gets a bit annoying.

BUT - I will be decking it out again for Australia Day this year. I didn't do it last year.

Looks very striking on the red car. And anyone with the advantage of altitude can get the visual benefit too, good thinking. Where do you get the flags that attach to the back windows? I see a lot to celebrate with regards to our country. It's the best place to live on the planet in my view. But I'm biased I guess because I was born here. But then again my parents formed the same opinion when they emigrated here all those years ago from their war torn country. They happily worked, lived for decades and finally died in Australia.

max · 21-01-2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |||

i'm thinking about getting a southern cross tattoo. i've had a sticker on my car for ages & it always gets the thumbs up

Sounds impressive. What do you wish to suggest to people when you display the Southern Cross emblem on you car/body?

Fev · 21-01-2010, 01:50 PM

I'll be grabbing a couple of the window flags which stick up into the air(i just hope i remember to not wind the windows down like i did last year and lose them.

Then i'll go buy a case of Aussie beer (owned and made in Australia) from a smaller brewery of some sort. Then a Barby with meat from a local butcher and then im in the pool

It's not just a day to celebrate but a day to support our locals too, Moreso then normal.

Athough i have a 4 day weekend so most of the weekend will be the same

Celebrating Australia day to me is just having a great time with family and friends and being proud of the Country i live in. Not about supremacy or any other seedy issue.

Riksta · 21-01-2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max

Looks very striking on the red car. And anyone with the advantage of altitude can get the visual benefit too, good thinking. Where do you get the flags that attach to the back windows?

Yeah, people with altitude loved it, 4wd people giving me the thumbs up, and went through a maccas drive through and the girl at the window got half the maccas staff to come to the window to have a look!

I got the flags on the little poles from Fellas Gifts from memory. However, I've seen them at cheap shops like Cheap As Chips, Cunnos, Go-Lo etc as well when walking past. The one on my aerial was one of these that I'd cut the flag off, and got some cable ties for. Unfortunately I won't be able to run one on the aerial this year as I broke the aerial off a couple of months back.

And if anyone wants to do the one on the roof, may I suggest doing what I did and jamming it in the doors, then putting a bit out the window and putting the window tight up on it, I think it would have come off if I had have just jammed it in the doors!!!

This year I might see if I can work out a way to hang a couple of the smaller ones from my mirrors as well, but gotta do it so they don't obstruct my vision in them.

||| · 21-01-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max

Sounds impressive. What do you wish to suggest to people when you display the Southern Cross emblem on you car/body?

i wish to suggest that i like australia

BIGJB · 21-01-2010, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |||

i'm thinking about getting a southern cross tattoo. i've had a sticker on my car for ages & it always gets the thumbs up

I reckon a tatt is a great idea, before I left ozzy to move to velcro glove and sheep land
I got one done, it was my way of taking a little piece of home with me. I also have a
Australian and eureka flags proudly hanging on my lounge room wall.

This is the tatt. Obviously still new in this pic.

LTDHO · 21-01-2010, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |||

i'm thinking about getting a southern cross tattoo. i've had a sticker on my car for ages & it always gets the thumbs up

I don't know what's more anti patriotic than a southern cross tattoo

Windsor220 · 21-01-2010, 08:19 PM

I would recommend against a southern cross tattoo. If your going to get something then do what 99GHIA did and do something a bit different.

.

dsyfer · 21-01-2010, 08:25 PM

I just hope people are forking out a bit more for the Australian made flags? I'd bet my right nut more than half the flags out there being waved on Tuesday will have a made in China sticker on them.

Archilino · 21-01-2010, 08:26 PM

Isnt the southern cross tattoo a gang sign? I'm most likely wrong but i even heard it from my tattooist that alot of "white australia" youths get them.

Windsor220 · 21-01-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archilino

Isnt the southern cross tattoo a gang sign? I'm most likely wrong but i even heard it from my tattooist that alot of "white australia" youths get them.

Unfortunately these days its just seen as a racism symbol.

**DJM83** · 21-01-2010, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTDHO

I don't know what's more anti patriotic than a southern cross tattoo

What are you on?
IMO i think the southern cross is extremely patriotic.

max · 21-01-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windsor220

Unfortunately these days its just seen as a racism symbol.

Surely not?
But you're not the first person I have heard say that.

MethodX · 21-01-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max

Surely not?
But you're not the first person I have heard say that.

Funny when it isnt even a purely Aussie symbol, its on the brazilian flag also I think..
Poor bogans lol.

**DJM83** · 21-01-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MethodX

Funny when it isnt even a purely Aussie symbol, its on the brazilian flag also I think..
Poor bogans lol.

It is but not as prominent. Yeah true its not Australian per say, but it is indeed more commonly related to us (Australian)

Lets not turn this thread to crap either

Fled74 · 21-01-2010, 11:01 PM

http://thingsboganslike.wordpress.co...cross-tattoos/

Personally I think it's BS; a couple of guys at work have this tatt and are really good blokes.

LTDHO · 22-01-2010, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

What are you on?
IMO i think the southern cross is extremely patriotic.

Read my post before replying.

I wrote "I don't know what's more anti patriotic than a southern cross tattoo"
Not "I don't know what's more anti patriotic than a southern cross"
Today the southern cross tattoo is a fashion symbol, not a patrionic one. I was going to get one, then everyone did. People get them to be 'cool' not aussie.

xbgs351 · 22-01-2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max

Sounds impressive. What do you wish to suggest to people when you display the Southern Cross emblem on you car/body?

As far as the Southern Cross it screams racist bogan to me.

The Australian Flag draped over a car shows complete and utter disrespect to the Australian flag.

||| · 22-01-2010, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbgs351

As far as the Southern Cross it screams racist bogan to me.

The Australian Flag draped over a car shows complete and utter disrespect to the Australian flag.

see the great thing about australia is that you're welcome to feel that way.

the flipside of that is that if people want to show their pride in the flag via a tattoo or draping a flag over their car there's not a thing you can do about it.

thats why i love this country

max · 22-01-2010, 10:10 AM

Very interesting cross section of thoughts emerging. This was my original dilemma, what is a reasonable show of pride in our country on its national day? Overt displays of common national emblems seem to some at best jingoism at worst racism. Not much is implied verbally, it's just that associations are made based on a hunch. I personally feel that if there is ever a time when anyone ought to feel great about exhibiting any legitimate symbol of our country it should be Australia Day. It is a day when we celebrate. In many different ways, which reflects the diverse and mostly tolerant society we live in. On this day we are not competing, fighting, warring or vilifying. We are together as a nation and proud of it.

seduced_xr · 22-01-2010, 10:33 AM

i had my flags ripped off their sticks when i parked at a restaurant to pick up dinner, i wont name the restaurant but lets just say it wasnt an aussie one. just the bit of the flag thats stitched to the sticks was left on them.

$2 later im flying flags again.. all weekend

SE Ute · 22-01-2010, 10:43 AM

I always thought people with southern cross tattoos/stickers were interested in astronomy and that was their favourite constellation. My favourite constellation is the 'saucepan' but i haven't been able to find a 'saucepan' sticker for my car.. If anyone knows where to get one let me know.

For those of you considering a southern cross tattoo or sticker, keep in mind that it's the SOUTHERN cross NOT the AUSTRALIAN cross, it's visible from any country in the southern hemisphere, and some in the lower northern hemisphere. It's on the flags of Australia, NZ, Brazil, PNG and Samoa as well as some provinces of Chile and Argentina, it's also on some American military shields for units which fought or are based in the southern hemisphere. It's also mentioned in the Brazillian national anthem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crux

So IMHO it's hardly a patriotic symbol, if you want to be patriotic consider using the WHOLE flag as a symbol, but be aware of the etiquette and protocols you will be responsible for.

http://www.flagaustnat.asn.au/protocol.php

max · 22-01-2010, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seduced_xr

i had my flags ripped off their sticks when i parked at a restaurant to pick up dinner, i wont name the restaurant but lets just say it wasnt an aussie one. just the bit of the flag thats stitched to the sticks was left on them.

$2 later im flying flags again.. all weekend

What IS an aussie restaurant? Let's face it they are mostly American, European or Asian. (Got to celebrate that diversity!) I doubt if anyone connected with the resaurant would have nicked your flags. They are too busy running a business. Anyway why would they bother? It was probably some passing bogans.

||| · 22-01-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SE Ute

So IMHO it's hardly a patriotic symbol, if you want to be patriotic consider using the WHOLE flag as a symbol, but be aware of the etiquette and protocols you will be responsible for.

http://www.flagaustnat.asn.au/protocol.php

i am sure the people behind this website have the best of intentions, but to me it flys in the face (no pun intended) of what the flag should stand for. people do not need to consult a self appointed association of volunteers with no legal standing before they celebrate this great nation by displaying a flag as they see fit.

JC807 · 22-01-2010, 01:42 PM

um, i don't think they made it up dude.

maybe you should get some info from this site then:

http://www.australia.gov.au/topics/a...tional-symbols

edit: i bet it would bother you if other people used the flag as THEY see fit. perhaps some people burning it because of our involvement in conflict overseas for example? you see? There are protocols and laws in place for a reason.

||| · 22-01-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC807

um, i don't think they made it up dude.

maybe you should get some info from this site then:

http://www.australia.gov.au/topics/a...tional-symbols

edit: i bet it would bother you if other people used the flag as THEY see fit. perhaps some people burning it because of our involvement in conflict overseas for example? you see? There are protocols and laws in place for a reason.

as i said above the thing i love about this place is that people cant throw up laws every time they are bothered.

if people see a flag draped on a car driven by a proud aussie & the first thing they think of is whether or not some protocol is being broken then that's their problem not mine.

zdcol71 · 22-01-2010, 01:54 PM

The English Flag (red cross of St George, on a white background) is similarly displayed in England on St George day.Over the years this celebration has become more and more associated with "lager louts" and football hooligans, and in my opinion only, the growing trend of draping the Australian flag over every concievable thing for 1 week a year is starting to take the same shape.
An earlier post stated in regard the SC tattoo, that a couple of his mates at work had one and they were decent blokes, there are a couple of people at my work who have frangipannis on their cars, and I am sure they are good blokes as well, but I'm sure the overwhelming number would probably fit quite comfortably in the link "what bogans like"
Again, imo only, the southern cross tattoo is at best a very unimaginative latter day answer to the ubiquitous tribal arm band of a decade or so ago, possibly a genuine (but again unimaginative) expression of national pride, or at wost, as I see it, a growing symbol of a darker Australian mentality.
As far as tattoos go, there are a million great tatts that have incorporated all sorts of imagery (Bushrangers, Eureka flags,coats of arms etc) that convey national pride more adequately than a token symbol from the national flag,(which also contais the federation star and Union Jack)
For the record and at the "risk" of starting a new thread, I am English by birth, have not taken up Australian citizenship (and will not do so as long as this country is ruled by a foreign head of state), and celebrate ,every year, being able to live in Gods own