A Fairer Union Jack? Alternative Design

Controversial? Yes I am sure it is. I have always loved the Union Jack Flag design, but I do acknowledge that it is not representative of all the people of the UK.

Wales is of course left out completely as they fall under the English St George's cross due to complex historical reasons.


Scotland is well represented in the Union Flag, but has been a little bit diminished since Ireland was joined to the UK in 1800 and thereafter the St Patrick's Cross was added which covered up some of the Scottish St Andrews Cross.


I decided to go ahead and Photoshop the above alternative to include the Red hand of Ulster which from what I have read is not an official flag, however it is often used by British Unionists and therefore I reckon it is suitable for this topic.

Wales of course has to be included as well and although they have an awesome flag, it is very difficult to fit it into the overall design without completely changing it. I thought if the Welsh Dragon was included in the middle, it would be quite cool.

Please let me know what you think in the comments!

muzzerino.com

• Dear American, this is NOT the Flag of England >>
• Evolution of the Union Jack >>
  

Evolution of the Union Jack (Flag)

This should be compulsory reading for all Scots, English, Welsh and Irish folk.

Scottish Olympic Team

Chris Hoy will carry the Union Jack during the closing Olympic Ceremony! There is simply no better choice than a proud Scot and true Brit.

This photo sums it up for me, Chris Hoy a triple gold medal winner and absolute legend for Scotland and the UK. He competes in Team GB, he is Scottish but lives in England.

I don't know the guy, but I would like to think that he is proud not only to be Scottish, but British as well.

To me this is a perfect example of why Scotland should be proud to be in Team GB, proud to be part of the UK, proud to show that we can shine even if the vast majority of the UK is English.

Scots Rule! No Separatists please...

Should I Include the Union Jack on my Tattoo ?

I have been pondering this for a while now,
here is my dilemma.

If a Canadian wanted to get a Maple leaf tattoo or a Canadian flag inked onto their arm, they would, and they would probably reap praise and approval from their peers. The same goes for an American, Australian, New Zealander or almost anyone else barring those nations that are in a bit of upheaval regarding their political situations.

But myself, as a Scot I want to get a Tattoo which includes the Scottish Flag, My family shield and the Union Jack. Why? Not because of any religious or political reason. I am not an "Orangeman" and I am not a fan of the Rangers football club. However I have been accused of being an Orange Rangers supporting Royalist in the past when I wore a shirt with a Union Jack on it in my home town of Edinburgh.

Yes I am Scottish, but does that automatically preclude me or anyone else from being British too? My passport says I am British, Scotland occupies about 1/3 of the island called Great Britain and the blue and white part of the Union Flag is mostly the Scottish saltire.

Sounds fine to me. However there are issues. Many Scots see the Union Flag as the English flag, either through ignorance or just because they prefer to label it that way out of some kind of traditional we-are-occupied-by-a-foreign-power kind of mentality.

Many English do it to, I have seen the Union Jack often alongside the name "England" for example in England's Barmy Army logos.

An English mate of mine also has a big fat Union Jack tattoo on his arm with the word "England" underneath it. I asked him, "Why didn't you get the English Flag on there?" his reply, "Eh? This is the England flag" It took the better part of an hour and several beers later to convince him otherwise.

So naturally I feel pissed off about this. I do not feel dominated by the English, after all both Scotland and England surrendered their status as sovereign countries back in 1707 at the same time to form a new country, Great Britain. Even if there were injustices ( and surely there were ) that was 300 years ago for gods sake. Can the Scots and English not move on?

At this moment, Great Britain is doing spectacularly well at the Beijing Olympics, with Scottish, Welsh and English athletes all competing together as ambassadors for our little wind swept island. It seems as though unity is possible indeed, yet I am still hesitant to get the tattooist to chuck a nice Union Jack on my arm as part of my tattoo. My family, friends, or anyone else who sees it will either quietly grumble about it, or ask "why the hell do you have that English flag on yer arm?"

Its a shame that I should have to worry about it, or feel the need to explain should a gripe occur.

I am sure a Vancouverite has never had to explain to a Nova Scotian as to why he has a maple leaf inked into his left arse cheek. And I bet a Texan has never felt the need to choose his words carefully while telling a New Yorker that he has some Stars and Stripes tattooed around his left nipple.

Anyway, that's all from muzzerino for the moment on this subject, I think after writing this blog post I have convinced myself, I am going to get that goddamn tattoo!

Go Team GB!