Black Country flag row: Readers' letters special

It’s a symbol of our heritage only

Does Ms Smith class all chains as symbolising slavery? What about neck chains, bracelets, watch chains?

That’s trying to look for connotations that don’t exist. The Black Country made chains, dug for coal, made glass. It is its heritage. Not a reference to slavery at all. A symbol of the area.

What has a rainbow-coloured flag got to do with us – multi-cultural yes – but not orange, purple, red, green, pink, blue, etc, people?

Gracie Sheppard should be proud of her design and not despondent.

Ninety-six per cent of us are with her and support our flag.

Maureen A Cooper, Wolverhampton

At least you’ve been on front pages now

Oh dear, how is the poor, sensitive member for Wolverhampton South West going to cope?

In her new job, the lady will be faced, on an almost daily basis, with the image of the 180-year-old, Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.

If the depiction of a chain (with its ‘racist connotations’) on a flag causes her so much distress, whatever will the depiction of a ‘chained’ unicorn do to her?

Or maybe, a non-coloured, ‘chained’ unicorn doesn’t have any ‘racist connotations’ whatsoever?

The Royal Coat of Arms is seen almost everywhere, from letterheads to buildings.

Probably best if the lady goes to work with her eyes closed from now on.

Or perhaps, it would be better if she just resigned?

If this is the calibre of the typical Labour MP, thank God we have the Conservative ‘coalition of chaos’ governing.

Well, at least now we’ve heard her name and she’s seen her face on the front page – she surely feels so much more important!

David Evans, Wolverhampton

Ignore MP’s silly remarks

Commenting on the Express and Star's article (Saturday 15/07/17) about the Black Country flag being racist, I think Ms Smith should rein her mouth in, and as long as there isn’t any pressure put on people to get the flag changed then I think we should just ignore her silly comments.

Get a life Ms Smith, the colour of the flag or the chain motif has nothing to do with racism it simply signifies the industrial past of the Black Country in particular the chain-making industry.

She should stick to what she does best instead of defaming and interfering with something that the people of the Black Country are proud of.

It’s people like Ms Smith that plant the idea of racism into people’s minds. Leave the flag alone it’s bostin!

Ian Hunter, Willenhall

MORE: Black Country flag is 'racist' and should be scrapped says Wolverhampton MP Eleanor Smith

MORE: What is the flag and what does it represent?

MORE: Thousands reject Black Country flag racism claims

We have repaid our misdeeds

Heading Tony Levy’s letter (E&S 13.7.17) was the question ‘What was so good about the past?’ and while I was quite prepared to make a few suggestions I then read the views of newly-elected Wolverhampton MP Eleanor Smith concerning the Black Country flag.

Well let me tell this person that I find her remarks equally as offensive.

My views of the past suddenly became more focused for how could I possibly speak truly of the past when someone like Eleanor Smith was there waiting to rip the heart out of our history and traditions and would no doubt have a field day after reading what I had to say, providing of course that is if the E&S decided to print my recollections.

Let me tell Eleanor Smith that this country is called Great Britain because it was once the greatest country in the world and in many respects still is. Yes we have a chequered history, but without question have repaid our misdeeds many times over losing many brave men and women in the process and if she hasn’t noticed we still give shelter to people who would see us all in hell.

When Ms Smith mentions that she has serious concerns over the design of the flag she is obviously referring to the days of slavery where chains were used by traders from many nations.

So I shall keep the happy memories of the 50s and 60s to myself, but would mention one factor which made those days so different to present times, simply that we did not have MPs around with the ignorant, twisted views of Eleanor Smith.

D Bodley, Bilbrook

Flagging up free speech

Apparently, thousands of people have rejected Wolverhampton MP Ms Smith’s concerns regarding unpleasant historical connotations she perceives that are associated with the Black Country flag.

Her fellow MPs throughout the region, well versed in crowd manipulation and popular bandwagons, are lining up to join them.

But surely, a flag is just a symbol with no inherent meaning of its own, rather a means of complex communication that can be open to multiple levels of understanding based upon personal cultural and learned experience?

Ms Smith’s opinions on the Black Country flag are as legitimate as anyone else’s, but as is so often these days, speaking out against vox populi is very much frowned upon and indeed, aggressively discouraged.

As someone once said: “I don’t necessarily agree with what she says, but I’d defend her right to say it”.

John Davenport, Wednesfield

Learn about people you are representing

It is with great dismay that I read the comments of Eleanor Smith MP on the front page of the Express and Star dated 15th July 15, 2017 about the Black Country Flag being a racist symbol.

Does she not understand the history of the area that she represents? It has a heritage of chain making and heavy industry.

The Black Country was an industrial area and the skies were black from smoke due to the coal used to power these industries, hence the name Black Country. We Black Country people have always been hardworking and welcoming to all people, no matter where they are from.

I would suggest that the young person who designed the flag has a far better understanding of this area than she does.

She needs to find out about the history of the area she represents, or better still, resign.

Mr P E Grainger, Quarry Bank

There are many things that need addressing – but a flag is not one

People have to be so careful now not to upset or offend any ethnic group and I fully understand that certain words can and do cause outrage and should never be used.

Now having said this, I cannot understand why the Labour MP Eleanor Smith is so outraged at the Black Country flag.

The Black Country is not named so because of different cultures but because of its work ethic. Believe it or not Ms Smith the Black Country was so named because of the filth, dirt, grime, smoke, fumes, that people used to work in to make steel, glass, and – yes – chains, these things were world famous and made the world quality goods.

Of course chains were used in the slave trade, which was a terrible use for them, but they also used chains on many, many ships. of which One ship called the Titanic had its anchor made in Netherton, therefore should we not mention ships for they transported slaves?

Please, Ms Smith, do not see racism in every nook and cranny, people in the Black Country are proud and friendly folk. Of course there are good and bad in all people, being proud of the area where you were born and raised is not bad.

See the emblem of the chain within the flag as links and each link will represent changes that have been made from the good that has been done over many years. The truly bad people who wish to harm us all unfortunately will continue, but it helps no-one to keep blaming what happened in the distant past.

We must all now build on the good that has been done and in future we will be looked upon in the opposite way you, Ms Smith, and others keep trying to keep alive.

We cannot alter the past but we can make the future far better.

There is absolutely, emphatically and categorically no racism in the Black Country flag. There is pride, honesty, and friendship, that’s what I see. Let’s all try and change the real racism that takes place today. There are many things that need addressing – a flag is certainly not one of them.

Mr Pete Lowe, Brierley Hill

Have your say? Well, not really

I was sorely tempted to send in a detailed, comprehensive letter re: our long and proud heritage, and sense of English identity, in response to the claptrap spouted by the black MP for Wolverhampton South West Eleanor Smith, regarding her ‘away with the fairies’ opinion of the Black Country flag.

However, of course, I know from personal experience in ‘rejected’ letters that I have previously, and recently, submitted for publication, that there is no way it would escape the current loony PC censor, and be quickly consigned to the, how can I say it, ‘unsuitable due to too much factual accuracy’ bin.

Have Your Say? Perleese do me a favour.

John Reed, Wolverhampton

Everyone fly it with pride

So our newly elected MP, Eleanor Smith, thinks that the Black Country flag is racist.

How can she possibly come to such a conclusion? The flag was designed by a young schoolgirl from Stourbridge who won a competition in 2013, and represents the origins of the Black Country, an area which was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution.

It was designed to portray the red glow in the sky at night, from the many blast furnaces. Black is for the grimy, soot-covered buildings during the day, which gave the area its name, Black Country. White is for the prosperous Stourbridge glass industry.

The chain links are for the very important heavy industry which thrived in the area.

This is where the anchor chain for the ill-fated Titanic was manufactured, so it was very understandable that this image would be included on the new flag.

How are any of these components even remotely racist and how could anyone possibly think that they were? Comments like this speak volumes about the thought processes of the complainant and, more importantly, their agenda.

Once again we have the tyranny of the odious politically correct brigade trying, for their own reasons, to make us ashamed of being English!

Everyone should buy one and fly it with pride!

Ivor Smith, Penn