Send in Monty Python to soften them up.
Posted on 10/04/2005 9:54:28 AM PDT by Mount Athos
British prison officers who wore a St. George's Cross tie-pin have been ticked off by the jails watchdog over concerns about the symbol's racist connotations.
The pins showing the English flag -- which has often raised hackles due to its connection with the Crusades of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries -- could be "misconstrued," Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said in a section on race in a report on a jail in the northern English city of Wakefield.
The banner of St. George, the red cross of a martyr on a white background, was adopted for the uniform of English soldiers during the military expeditions by European powers to recapture the Holy Land from Muslims, and later became the national flag of England.
A section on race relations in Owers' report said: "We were concerned to see a number of staff wearing a flag of St. George tie-pin.
"While we were told that these had been bought in support of a cancer charity there was clear scope for misinterpretation, and Prison Service Orders made clear that unauthorized badges and pins should not be worn."
As one of her formal recommendations Owers said: "Staff should not wear unauthorized badges or pins."
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, said Tuesday the red cross was an insensitive reminder of the Crusades.
"Muslim or Arab prisoners could take umbrage if staff wore a red cross badge. It's also got associations with the far-right. Prison officers should be seen to be neutral."
Doyle added that it was now time for England to find a new flag and a patron saint who is "not associated with our bloody past and one we can all identify with."
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
I'd like to take Mr Chris Doyle to the Tower of London and order him "one of each".
I guess their work to remove 'offensive' symbols isn't finished. Ugh.
Excellent flag! Thanks for the pic!
If they don't like the flag they can leave the country. (No, they probably couldn't think of that themselves)
It's that leftie self-loathing and they're working hard to ram it down the throats of the rest of us, too.
Actually, I make chainmaille, and am currently making myself a shirt. Hhhmmm...I think I will now have to get colored rings and do a cross on it. By the way, the garment that was worn over the chainmaille by the Crusader's is called a tabard.
Yes, I used to be an SCA weenie until I discovered Cowboy Action Shooting, sold the SCA stuff, and bought more guns. I will say, thanks to the SCA I am very good with the 55 lb. recurve bow I still own, and can hit the kill area on foam animal targets of foxes and larger animals at 40 yard with no sights on the bow.
LOL...
Send in Monty Python to soften them up.
I read that the sword represents the sword the beheaded St. Paul.
And they're bending over and taking it! Or at least the lefties are and they're trying to make everyone go along. Tossing out the baby and the bathwater.
Yes, Piglet and Pooh are next to get the ax. Disgusting.
What's wrong with the Crusades??
After getting kicked around and invaded in Spain, France, Sicily, southern Italy, and harassed on pilrimage in the Holy Land, some good European Christians decided to get together and kick some Muslim butt.
The Muslims deserved it.
So what's the problem?
If they don't like it, let them go back whereever they came from.
Engalnd is still a Christian Country with an established church - a Christian Church.
Try foam terrorists! Much more fun! OBL, Zarqawi, Pelosi, etc.......
Oh, I have life size head targets of OBL and Saddam that I use for long range rifle shooting.
Foam terrorists, not bad but I would much prefer shooting the real thing.
I should think they'd like the 'beheading a Christian' aspect. But I'm sure it has another meaning for Londoners.
The liberators of Bergen-Belsen came under the Union Jack, which incorporates the St. George Cross.
To hell with this whining dhimmi Doyle and all other appeasers and collaborators.
The ghosts of a million British soldiers will rise from graves all over the world to curse them for their stupidity and weakness.
I think that I might actually like that one better.
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