Ask any of the tourists who have been flocking to Northern Ireland in recent years what stood out during their visit, and you might be met with comments on our attractions, such as the ever-popular Titanic Belfast, our hospitality, the people, or our utterly baffling obsession with flags.
It may only be January, but the now annual discussion on what flags should fly where and when is once again in the headlines and it looks like the issue could be about to be dealt with once and for all as Alliance Party South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw seeks to introduce regulations that would see a code of conduct for the flying of flags in shared public spaces across Northern Ireland.
While freedom of expression is a fundamental right, the current state of flag flying in public spaces has become a serious issue with the arguement that it fuels sectarianism, creates an atmosphere of intimidation and disrupts the work going on on the ground to build community relations in many areas.
With the launch of the public consultation on the proposals came the predictable argument that any attempt to regulate the flying of flags would be an attack on the cultural identity of certain sections of society in Northern Ireland, where there is the belief that to truly celebrate your culture and heritage you must hang a flag from every available lamppost, turning some of our major thoroughfares into a Temu version of London's opulent Mall.
Then there is the issue of flags and bunting being left on display until they are threadbare and not only pose a health and safety risk to road users but also leave our streets looking rundown and grotesque.
We also have an issue with the sheer number of flags that people in Northern Ireland identify with. Gone are the days of the binary Union flag and Tricolour. Across Northern Ireland this summer, you will likely also encounter Palestinian and Israeli flags and flags of paramilitary organisations, and if you are in Lisburn, you might even spot a few skull and crossbones.
While any attempt to make our shared spaces more welcoming should be desired, any future regulations on flag flying would raise many questions. Who will oversee their enforcement? Will we get some form of Flag Flying Commission? Will a team of highly trained bureaucrats gently guide errant flag-wavers towards compliance, and will those who perenially scale our lamposts to unfurl their vexillological displays even care for the regulations?
The late SDLP leader John Hume once said that you can't eat a flag; perhaps once our politicians have this issue sorted, they can begin to look at the issues that are preventing families from putting food on the table.
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