Wave a Flag

The Fourth of July in Norway is May 17. That is, it's Constitution Day, or Independence Day. A day to celebrate. This is what being Norwegian is about:

"From the city council’s viewpoint, we’d like to encourage the waving of Norwegian flags, but there is not any ban on flags from other lands," said Fabian Stang to newspaper Dagsavisen.

A number of immigrant organizations expressed the view that children should wave the Norwegian flag on the 17th of May, and Mayor Stang agreed with the sentiments.

"My hope is that it would be completely natural for all to carry the Norwegian flag on the 17th of May," said the mayor.

See how accommodating? "It's our hope that, if they want to, though nobody has to, but if anyone did want to, we think it would probably not be too bad if they waved a Norwegian flag a little." Hastening to add that absolutely any other flag would just be super too. Really, just dandy.

It is kind of funny, kind of endearing. These are my grandparents, and parents, and cousins, so I can spot Norwegian Selfless Syndrome from a mile away. And it's funny to me, but it makes me fear for the country. How can they integrate a culture and religion that believes apostates should be beheaded, and homosexuals stoned? "Well, I suppose that would be OK, if you stone them a little I suppose, though it would be a shame for someone to get hurt. Don't you think it would possibly be a little better to throw pretend stones? I mean if that's OK with you."