Spat over Nazi flag

[Heidi T]

By Mark Nolan and AAP
April 21, 2005
From:

Up in arms ... Jenni Duncombe says baby Breeanna enjoys watching the bright flag. Picture: Gary Graham




JUST four days out from Anzac Day, a small town has erupted in anger as a Nazi flag flies prominently in their neighbourhood.

Mannering Park residents have contacted the local council, a Federal MP, the New South Wales Police and even the Australian Federal Police but authorities may be powerless to remove the hated symbol of Adolf Hitler from a backyard flagpole. The offending flag's owners, Darren Mackay and Jenni Duncombe, claim they bought the flag from Morisset Markets for $10 and hoisted it up the flagpole about a week ago as a bit of fun.

They have now refused to remove the flag after Ms Duncombe claimed an angry neighbour threatened to hurt her and her baby if it was not taken down.

Ms Duncombe claimed yesterday she did not realise the significance of the Nazi flag until the controversy erupted.

She said her four-month-old daughter Breeana enjoyed watching the brightly coloured flag blow around in the breeze.

A council spokeswoman said investigations were under way to determine if council had the power to force the flag's removal.

The council has also requested the couple reduce the height of the flagpole because it is taller than the allowed 6m limit.

The RSL today urged the family to remove the flag to "show respect". RSL New South Wales president Don Rowe said: "The Nazi swastika symbolises to us one of the most brutal and terrible regimes the world has ever seen. "Millions of people have lost their lives because of it and we're very disappointed that the family has flown the swastika.

"And we would hope that they would see reason and remove it and show respect for those sacrifices made by many Australians."

Read it HERE

What do you think? Should they be forced to take it down? I do not support Hitler in any way, but I do not think they should be forced to take it down, however offensive it might be to others. Convinced yes, forced no. Not sure how I feel about them not knowing what it meant though.

[rakaho]

How could someone not realise the significance of the Nazi flag? They hoisted it for "a bit of fun"?? I agree that they shouldn't be forced to remove it (part of me wants them to be, but goes against free speech) but there's no way that I believe they did this innocently. And if they somehow were ignorant to it's meaning, sure now that they do know they wouldn't want their baby to watch it?

[suzy]

Read it HERE

What do you think? Should they be forced to take it down? I do not support Hitler in any way, but I do not think they should be forced to take it down, however offensive it might be to others. Convinced yes, forced no. Not sure how I feel about them not knowing what it meant though.

Difficult one. I believe that she didn't know. There are a lot of ignorant people out there. And we don't really talk about bad things enough for them to stay in people's minds.

I referred to 9/11 a while back and called it the bombing. I had totally forgotten that it was planes flown through. I am pretty well read and I keep up with the news, and for a moment I forgot the details of that.

perhaps she has not really looked often outside her own backyard - so to speak.

So for this reason, she obviously didn't mean any offence by it, to her it is a brightly coloured flag. It could be the Hindu symbol, bar the colour scheme. All I am saying is that it is those around her who have attributed fascist nazi beliefs to the raising of the flag...

I would like to think that if people had been and were now, gentle with them, and tried to explain the significance to others, and then gave them the choice, maybe they would bring it down. When people are attacked, they get their backs up.

Just MHO

[vba2c0105]

yep it should come down

IF she / they didn't know the history behind the flag, so be it. But once brought to thier attention they should have been more respectful.

To say "my baby enjoys watching it woft" seems to be a bit of a cop out excuse to me.

I wonder if they are secrectly antagonists, and seeking attention, for what reason, who knows.

And i'm surprised no one has burnt it on them yet. Even though it's in the back yard.

A completly judgmentla comment, what does the hubby look like, a blond, skin head ?

Really, not knowing what it meant....come on! Look it up for heavens sakes. This protrays to me (the story) that they don't care about history.

sad huh!

[Jakaluma]

how could you be that ignorant? Surely if it was just ignorance, once the history of the flag was explained, they would have taken it down voluntarily (with apologies and embarressment)?

[kelli]

Ms Duncombe claimed yesterday she did not realise the significance of the Nazi flag until the controversy erupted.

wtf! as if
i think this is disgusting. its not like it is the flag of a country. it represents an atrocity

[parker]

It just doesn't sound right to me. Maybe (just maybe) they hadn't heard of the significance, but as Kelli said, why wouldn't you take it doen when someone told you.

And, it had to be bought from somewhere, you don't tend to see Nazi flags in too many retail outlets.

[Artemis]

WTF????

Have they been living in a bubble?

But I did read some information at uni that 20% of British citizens between 12-24 hadn't heard of the holocaust!

Pick up a frigging book people - turn on the ABC news.... it just isn't that hard.

It is offensive and it should be forcibly removed if they don't do it willingly....

[Lavender]

I agree, I can't believe that she didn't know the meaning of the flag. I watched this on ACA (I think) tonight and her 'best friend' also has a flag flying in her backyard. WTF? I think they are not as innocent as they appear to be. One family, not knowing the significance of the flag, but two families....... Something else is going on!

[suzy]

Ok, I am aware that a lot of people are really ignorant of history, and this is why I gave her the benefit of the doubt. At first I founde it a bit odd that her friend also has one, but then they are both ignorant and bought them at the market together.

What I would like to know is who the hell was selling at the market??? And what did they say they signified??? I doubt the silly woman just asked for it and didn't ask what it was...