“There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other. That word is England.”
– Winston Churchill
April 23rd is St. George’s Day (George being the English patron saint) that has been celebrated as a feast day since as far back as 1415. It is a day on which the folk of England take joy in their nation, often with parades and parties, not unlike the 4th of July for Americans.
Despite the parades and marches that will be taking place across the nation, there is an undercurrent of distaste by the British political elite for partaking in these festivities. The English flag itself is seen as “racist” by almost a quarter of Britons; a label not attached to the other constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
Wales has St. David’s Day, Scotland has St. Andrew’s, and Ireland, of course, has St. Patrick’s. Each of these are greeted as a patriotic celebration, yet England’s national day is viewed as something “dirty” and “shameful.” In fact, British broadcaster and Trump ally, Piers Morgan, hosted a debate on this day of national pride dealing with academics who decried the English flag as a symbol of racism and nationalism.
The Worst Kind of Racism
The deputy chief constable of the North Wales police force, Clive Wolfendale, stated that flag-flying (of the English flag) was one step away from “violence, racism and hooliganism of the very worst kind.”
One English city council, Bristol, announced in 2016 that their city was “too multi-cultural to celebrate St. Georges Day,” they continued:
“…flying the English flag might be seen as racist towards non-English people.”
These examples may seem like a step too far but could be explained away by arguing that flags actually can be deemed offensive by many people and that in the interest of a “tolerant” society, overt displays might upset the apple cart. However, it would seem that England reached the heights of this ridiculous drive for tolerance when allowing Islamic extremists to walk around Parliament draped in an actual ISIS flag.
But why is this small island nation the subject of such vast condemnation from those who side with globalist ideology? Could it be that such a tiny plot of land has achieved so much in the world that it shuns the indoctrination of those who say fortune and future are the preserve of those who combine in globalist organizations? This attitude of daring to be a free nation is best exemplified by the recent Brexit vote.
A Unique History
England’s historical success exposes the lie that ceding sovereignty to supranational authorities is the only way for a nation’s people to be happy. We have a royal family, yet we are the longest functioning parliamentary democracy in the world. We are a Christian nation that does not exclude other views. We had an empire that spanned the globe, yet still retain close ties and friendship with all the nations throughout the British Commonwealth. And most of all, we, these happy English few, see ourselves as the equal of any other land and people.
As I venture out to join my fellow English of all backgrounds and colors in celebrating the history and traditions of this fine country, I leave you with the words of William Shakespeare in King Richard II, Act 2 scene 1:
This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,–
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
