Being British...

Yorkshire.
England.
Britain.
Europe.

That would be the order I see myself.

 

You do know leeds is in Yorkshire.
My Dad allus used to say God built Jump/Barnsley first and mucked up the rest lol.

 

The Union Jack (and to a degree the St. George's Cross) has become a symbol for a lot of right wing organisations in this country, and I guess always has been to a degree. I have absolutely no connection to organisations and political parties such as the EDL, UKIP, BNP etc. And therefore I feel little connection to the Union Jack in particular. Its become a symbol for people with a superiority complex. Am I proud to be British, not particularly. Do I dislike being British, not at all.

I have more connection to St. George's Cross, simply because of our national football team, who I do feel a great degree of pride about.

 

I think I quite like being British. Being born here has handed me so many advantages compared to the majority of the world. Never got the whole flag thing though, it's not something we traditionally do apart from special occasions like the Jubilee. I also feel part of Europe. I like the fact that historically we have had great sportsmen and women, poets, writers, musicians, the whole industrial revolution, agitators for social change etc etc.
Right now the country is not in a great way but I do think the economic situation will get folk thinking a bit more about the sort of government we should have, rather than the acceptance that the Tories know what they're doing.

 

We are that unliked thousands upon thousands are flocking here for asylum so we can't be that unliked. And I'm not deriding asylum seekers.

 

Tbf I think nationalism and unionism is irrelevant in most peoples mind in England these days.

As I'm born in Ireland. I can see it's still forever thought about hense sinn fein gaining in the north. Unsure about their values these days but I'd bang the blonde leader.

Scotland I've been nunerous times and once again unionism and nationalism is shown all over.

That's wy I find it good in England. People just get on with their day to day tasks. When you see a union jack or English flag. I think nothing of it

 

we have far less asylum seekers than any other major European country.

 

to stand at the viewing point atop sutton bank on a cold winters day when the air is crisp and gin clear you can see york minster, the humber bridge, ferrybridge and thorpe marsh ( before it was demolished) and emley moor tv mast, and i look to the heavens and think.............. you're just showing off now arent ya big fella

 

Interesting point on India. My girlfriend's mum was born there and her house in India sounds like a palace and her life a utopia compared to her life here. She says she came to England and suddenly had nothing, whereas in India they had everything. But as you say it totally depends on family circumstances and lineage etc. There is I'm sure abject poverty there, which is very sad.

When people ask me where I'm from, I immediately say I'm from Yorkshire. Then Barnsley. If they ask what country, I'm English. I like Scots generally, and Welsh, and Irish (anyone from the Isle of Ireland). But I never refer to anyone as 'British', just doesn't come naturally. Celebrating our differences is a nice thing.

I also share your view on the royal family, complete waste of money on the nation's biggest benefit claimants.

 

When you take a step back and think about it, pride in the nation of your birth is a bit silly really. Borders are just imaginary lines we have made, mostly through bloody wars.

 

Yeah I spent some time working with the street kids in Calcutta. Because they were Dalit they had nothing and could become nothing. India has tremendous inequality. Vast riches living literally next to unimaginable poverty.

 

I think it says more about the people that work tirelessly to welcome and support those asylum seekers. They are a credit to our nation.

 

Fewer than other countries, and the 2 main reasons for them choosing us is are that they have family here or they speak the language. Not because they see us as some shining light of a country.

 

I remember being in a cafe in Yugoslavia in the 1980's, it was not a touristy area and a lot of the buildings in the vicinity stilled showed bullet holes in the walls from WW2, an old guy on the next table heard us talking and asked me if I was British...he then asked me if my father had fought the Nazi's, I said he was just too young, but all his brothers had, and his Dad and all his brothers had fought the Germans in WW1...he got up and put his arm round my shoulder and said thank you. I've never felt more proud of being British than I did then.

 

He gave a perfectly credible and sensible explanation of why he put one above the other.

 

It’s an economic union. No more, or less.

 

I’m sure they’ll enjoy Rwanda…

 

When did this come in?

 

This country has given me the opportunity to be educated, work, maintain my health, have a home, family and be safe, looking at big chunks of the world they havent had this chance.

Be grateful for what we have got but always strive to improve.

So I love being British and the Royal family are the head of our country and as such I am very proud they are here especially the Queen.