This is my Flag, it is tattered and torn, it has recently been verbally abused by people who should know better, good men have, since 1970, given their lives for this very flag, they and the flag demand the respect of us all.
My flag embodies symbols from Fiji’s original flags going back over 140 years, it is my flag because I have spent the majority of my life under this flag and I respect the people who have made sacrifices for our nation under our flag, which include the men and women who gave their lives, the colonialists who shaped our nation and brought the rule of law, people like Gwynn Watkins who was responsible for one of the largest plantations of mahogany in the world, which our nation is now reaping the benefit of.
Commander Stan Brown, who the PM may remember if he thinks carefully, a man who loved Fiji and always had her best interests at heart, could and has been referred to as a colonialist.
Change is the only constant in this world we live in, and change to the Fiji flag​ may be inevitable​, ​but my flag, your flag, the flag of our nations departed, does not need to be subjected to criticism and ridicule, our Flag deserves a guard of honour at it’s burial and a 21 gun salute, which is more than one can say of it’s critics.

Rick Rickman
Active Pensioner