I wanted to write about my list of things to do now I've turned 26, but I was thinking about the six nations matches this weekend and decided to write about pride instead.
As a child of mixed nationality, I could have chosen to place my heart and my loyalty in England or in Wales. Given that I was born in England, and have only lived 3 of my twenty six (eugh) years in Wales, it would make sense for me to have picked the land of roses and roast dinners. Instead, I sided with the leaks and the dragons. When describing a person of Welsh heritage, you would use the phrase "they are Welsh" as part of that description. People understand what that means. It evokes the image of a beer swilling, rugby loving, generally short person who has everything Welsh running through their veins and would happily lay down their lives for their country such is their love for it. They defend their country and their culture to the end of their days, and I love that about them. They never lose faith in their beloved rugby team and feel a personal loss when or if they are knocked out of a competition. I'm just now able to talk about the Wales v Fiji world cup match without having a lump in my throat!
Then there's England. The English have a lot to be proud about. For some reason though, they don't show this pride. Instead, my experience has been more that they apologise for being English. Show a bit of backbone people! Don't let the fact that other nations pick on you make you believe the press! England is a great country; it's got a fantastic history, a brilliantly diverse culture. Some of the brightest minds and most creative people alive or dead have been from this little country. So be strong, be proud and hold your head up for England!
Maybe then people would stop laughing at you and start having a bit of respect.
2 comments:
It's interesting...until I moved to Wales, I never considered myself to be English, just British. But living in Cardiff highlighted the difference for me.
I'm proud to be British but not English...I started to justify that in this comment but it went on a bit long and I got a bit too serious on my own blog recently. I don't like doing it too often!
We're now in a situation where every man, woman and child in England is a second class UK citizen.
Life-prolonging medications are available on the NHS in Scotland, but not in England.
In Wales, prescriptions are free to all - including millionaires - and soon to be in Scotland. We pay through the nose for them.
MPs from Scottish and Welsh constituencies vote on English legislation, English MPs cannot reciprocate.
Public spending is far lower in England and services far lower than in Scotland or Wales.
The UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, represents a Scots constituency and, because of devolution, 75% of the legislation his government passes does not affect his own constituents - who have their own parliament. This is not democracy.
For years, England has been scapegoated and reviled for all the sins of Empire - although the Scots, Welsh and Irish were equally involved - in fact the Scots were disproportionately involved.
The media, including the BBC, now refers to England ONLY as Britain. Note the recent coverage of the Olympics - where apparently British, Scottish and Welsh atheletes took part. That is highly illogical. But the BBC hates to mention the words "England" or "English".
We need an inclusive, civic English nationalism and a parliament for England.
The anti-English scapegoating and bile spouted by the other UK nations, and the world in general, has prospered because it is never answered. It has bcome a savage form of bullying and discrimination.
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