Zodiackillersite.com

Aren't we nice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24085462

Part of me can't help but think though that it was just an excuse to fly a Red, White & Blue flag without causing a riot lol. Yes, we riot over flags and colours like many classy idiots the world over We've even rioted over different flags that represent the same factions/sides. We have also put up flags from other countries to make a statement (The Israeli flag was flown a fews ago alongside the Union flag and the NI flag to suggest solidarity with another nation being victim to terrorist bombings).

In our context of flag usage the Star Spangled Banner is quite useful. On one hand, in the context of it being flown at a war memorial, it represents WW2, a war that the Republic of Ireland did not enter and it's red,white and blue so that keeps one side happy. The flag itself though was immortalised in the US National anthem, the words of which centre around the Battle of Baltimore where America defeated/repelled the British and killed the British commander in the process so that keeps the other side happy.

Personally I think all flags should be magic pictures. It wouldn't stop riots but it would take people a hell of a lot longer to figure out if there should be one.

Mr Niven said: "They came from the United States to fight alongside us, in our hour of need, when the rest of Europe had been over-run by the Nazi war machine.

"The sacrifice of our American allies, commemorated in granite, and standing proud in the rolling Castlereagh hills, shall never be forgotten."

***

And we'd do it all again.

What ever the reason, it's a beautiful tribute. Thanks for sharing.

Not too many of us would say so I suspect, but without your lot, we'd all be speaking German.....

Acthung,

I wasn't really serious about the flag thing. It was just a comical diatribe that popped into my head. IIRC we have other memorials to the US Servicemen, I think one of them is in the grounds of Belfast City hall and it's unveiling was attended by General Eisenhower at the time.

Ah, yes I remembered correctly - "There is also a granite column dedicated to the American Expeditionary Force, many of whom were based in Belfast prior to D-Day."



Re-dedicated by Clinton in 95 when he was here to switch on our Christmas lights. I was there for that.

Ha!
Well, whilst we're being politically correct, there's nothing WRONG with speaking German, per se., don't get me wrong......
I'd just rather it was a choice.

smithy wrote:Ha!
Well, whilst we're being politically correct, there's nothing WRONG with speaking German, per se., don't get me wrong......
I'd just rather it was a choice.

Would we have been all speaking German though? Maybe initially it might have started as an attempt at that but languages are funny things. Look at English, it wasn't a language at all but it came through from other dialects mixed together by invasion and conquering. Things get diluted.

Personally I wish I could speak German or any other language, it's just not something I can get my brain around though. I have to stop and think when I'm using my cooker to make sure what hob I'm turning on lol. Rather comically, the idea of speaking fluently in another language seems so foreign to me