[Names Ash Housewares]

“It’s part of our history, it’s who we are and it allies us with friends,”

Makes sense to me.

[centurion316]

I favor replacing the Union Jack with a hammer and sickle. How better to reflect what has happened to the most beautiful country in the world.

[Apercu]

Rugby World Cup 2008 - Go All Blacks!!

[Brilliant]

I wish that our problems [in the US] were so simple.

[Tennessee Nana]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Helen clark is a Socialist ijit...

The current NZ flag is too full of history to change it now...

Wished now I had given in to the childish instinct of wanting to push helen Clark into the drink when she spoke at Lyttleton Harbour during the First Four Ships big doings in 2000...

The Maoris snickered every time she mispronounced that word...who told her that f*** was a Maori word anyway?

LOL

[vetvetdoug]

I guess some groups of people have no purpose in life than to brand a flag or symbol racist or not appropriate. Heritage in a flag means nothing to them or the history behind the formation of the flag or to honor the wishes of those that founded or participated in that endeavor. Its too bad NZ doesn’t have the ACLU, SCLC, Southern Poverty Center to pimp the beliefs of those that wish to change the flag...I am sure Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and many US liberals will love to give them the data and SOP on how they vilified the Battle Flag of the Confederacy.

[george76]

[Old Seadog]

The New Zealand and the Australian flag are identical except for the color of their stars.

[naturalman1975]

We've had the same movement in Australia. The following poem, author unknown, sums up for me the arguments against a change. Not all is applicable to New Zealand, as it is to Australia, but a lot of it is.

Our flag bears the stars that shine at night
In our southern sky of blue
And there's a little old flag in the corner
That is part of our heritage too,
It's the English, the Scots and the Irish
Who were sent to the end of the earth
The rogues and the schemers, the doers and dreamers
Who gave modern Australia birth.

And you who are shouting to change it
You don't seem to understand
It's the flag of our laws and language
Not the flag of some far away land
Though, there's plenty who'll tell if you ask them
How when Europe was plunged into night
How that little old flag in the corner
Was a symbol of freedom and light.

It doesn't mean we owe our allegiance
To some forgotten imperial dream
We've got the stars to show where we're going
And the old flag to show where we've been

It's only an old piece of bunting
It's only an old coloured rag
But there's thousands who died for its honour
And fell in defence of our flag.

[gungadin]

I think the Union Jack will go eventually, it's just that countries like New Zealand and Australia won't be discarding it with as much haste as the US did. This subject comes up every so often both in New Zealand and Australia and will no doubt get some English (and others) excited again by publishing the whimper of a debate it generates from time to time.

centurion316

I favor replacing the Union Jack with a hammer and sickle. How better to reflect what has happened to the most beautiful country in the world.

When New Zealand becomes a one-party state and exports Marxist doctrine, I'll let you know.

Tennessee Nana

Helen clark is a Socialist ijit...

The US Congress is Socialist controlled. It is quite on the cards that a Socialist/Communist will be the next US President, though of course not for the first time. But, we hope not. This person has publicly stated she will re-appropriate wealth if elected, like a good Communist does..... "We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."

george76

That James Dignan flag is looking good. I could see the silver fern where the red stripe is, but you can "flag" the other wave one away.

InABunkerUnderSF

Actually the Ausie flag is more astronomically correct. And I’ve always thought it appropriate that the Kiwi flag stars are red.

I don't think it was ever intended to be anything other than a stylised design. Something 'bout your flag ..... the red horizontal bars? .... can't put my finger on it.

naturalman1975

Interesting to read about the Anti-Transportation League flag. As far as current flags go, the New Zealand flag was gazetted in October 1869, predating the Australian (gazetted 1903, but not formalised until 1953 under the Menzies Government) and the Victorian State of Australia flags (instituted 1870, and gazetted November 1877).

Fred Nerks

OK, Fred, don't get me started on the two Aussies who got their shovels and took their passed on sea-faring friend out to sea to carry out his last wishes .....

: )

[dfwgator]

Maybe we can finally get the Union Jack off of the Hawaii state flag while we're at it.