|
|
The Australian Flag Debate
For much of the past several decades, people have proposed to change the Australian flag, due to the presence of the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper left quarter, the canton. This debate most notably rose to prominence in the 1990s with then-Prime Minister Paul Keating publicly supporting the adoption of a new flag.
However, the debate until recently has remained in the background, due to both a lack of a design for supporters to rally around, and the lack of public discussion, especially among national politicians.
Is Changing the Flag Necessary?
It is necessary to change the flag, as the current flag has the Union Jack on the canton, which is the place of honour for a flag. The position it occupies implies that Austalia is a colony controlled by Britain, and not an independent nation. The British flag also denies the fact that Australia’s heritage is not only British, but also includes Aborigines, Torres Strait Islanders, the Irish, New Zealanders, the Chinese, and many other cultural groups.
In comparison to the Australian flag, symbolism on the United States’ flag is derived from national institutions and not foreign powers, and the place of honour on the U.S. flag are the stars representing the states, not another country. The U.S. flag is able to unite the American populace, because all the symbolism derives from institutions of the American people, and not from a former colonial power.
The lack of appropriate cultural symbols leads to the situation where many Australians do not feel comfortable with the Australian flag, or feel no association with it as a national symbol. If the national flag is unable to unite us, due to poor or anachronistic symbolism (i.e. the Union Jack), then it is time to adopt a design which can. It's time for a flag to represent all Australians!
For much of the past several decades, people have proposed to change the Australian flag, due to the presence of the flag of the United Kingdom in the upper left quarter, the canton. This debate most notably rose to prominence in the 1990s with then-Prime Minister Paul Keating publicly supporting the adoption of a new flag.
However, the debate until recently has remained in the background, due to both a lack of a design for supporters to rally around, and the lack of public discussion, especially among national politicians.
Is Changing the Flag Necessary?
It is necessary to change the flag, as the current flag has the Union Jack on the canton, which is the place of honour for a flag. The position it occupies implies that Austalia is a colony controlled by Britain, and not an independent nation. The British flag also denies the fact that Australia’s heritage is not only British, but also includes Aborigines, Torres Strait Islanders, the Irish, New Zealanders, the Chinese, and many other cultural groups.
In comparison to the Australian flag, symbolism on the United States’ flag is derived from national institutions and not foreign powers, and the place of honour on the U.S. flag are the stars representing the states, not another country. The U.S. flag is able to unite the American populace, because all the symbolism derives from institutions of the American people, and not from a former colonial power.
The lack of appropriate cultural symbols leads to the situation where many Australians do not feel comfortable with the Australian flag, or feel no association with it as a national symbol. If the national flag is unable to unite us, due to poor or anachronistic symbolism (i.e. the Union Jack), then it is time to adopt a design which can. It's time for a flag to represent all Australians!
