What’s with the flag waving this year? In previous years, I don’t recall people flying Australian flags from their cars. The last two days, I have seen several on the roads.
This kind of patriotism makes me nervous. It is dangerous, and opens the door to bigotry and intolerance.
I like the flag waving for Australia day. I believe that people should be proud of where they live. I understand your concerns about bigotry and intolerance but they are elements in all societies. Trying to educate bigots is the hard part; it gets me into arguments. My final words are generally “How can you hate someone you don’t even know or a culture you don’t even remotely understand? How does that work for you?”
PS. I’d love to keep in touch (I might normally but I’m banned at MTAU). 🙂
It’s good to hear from you. I’ve sent you a couple of e-mails, but there’s been no response. Hit me up again, as I’d like to keep in touch too.