Michiel van de Kasteelen sees with great amazement how the inverted flag has been hanging on facades and flagpoles day and night for weeks. He stands up for the Dutch flag.
When I was a child in the village of Lunteren on the Veluwe, my father and mother hung the flag on the facade next to the front door. They did this in the early morning on Queen’s Day and on May 5 and at half-mast on May 4. And before dark, they took the flag back in.
The flag was – neatly folded – kept in a box in the cupboard. It was pure magic for me as a kid.
I have never been a fervent nationalist in my life. I strongly believe in international cooperation. On 24 October I will fly the flag of the United Nations, and on May 9 (Europe Day) the flag of the European Union. On October 11, the rainbow flag is displayed. And if I had one, I’d be flying the flag of the Ukraine at regular intervals.
Paid with Dutch blood
So if you ever predicted to me that I would once again take up the fight for the Dutch flag, I would have smiled incredulously. But I join the company of Marco Kroon, bearer of the Military William Order. On his LinkedIn page he says: “Please treat our Dutch flag with due respect. (…) The freedom of these colors has been paid for with Dutch blood.”
With great amazement I see how the inverted flag has been hanging from facades and flagpoles day and night in all weathers for weeks. Sometimes even – and that is very sad – at half-mast.
With even greater surprise I see that even the municipal government (such as the one in Hoogeveen) hangs those inverted flags in places that fall under its authority.
If you find something: pronounce it
Of course I know the background of this form of protest. There is much to be said about that, but this opinion piece is not about that. If you want to say something, if you want to protest, fine. Above all, do that. Hang large red farmer’s handkerchiefs on your flagpole, hang banners or place signs in your garden. If you find something: speak up, without insulting or threatening of course.
Because – in addition to the basic respect for the Dutch flag – there is something even more fundamental. We live together in this small country, of which the red-white-blue is the symbol. We share a history. We share a present in which we have to solve our common problems together. And we share a future, I hope.
And what we also share is something of vital importance, namely our constitutional state: the place where we make and enforce our democratic decisions, however imperfect. And if we tamper with the rule of law, we tamper with the foundations of our society.
Michiel van de Kasteelen is a member of the Westerveld city council