'Fifth flag' is social media nonsense

To my mind the Red Peaks flag is an abstract piece of crap. FILE PHOTO

THE concept of the "fifth flag" idea, the Red Peaks flag by Aaron Dustin, is little more than social media hype.

To say something is "popular" on social media means nothing. A particular problem I have with social media is that a lot of people on it are either angry or looking to pick a fight, and the flag debate feeds both needs.

The flag referendum process, ticking along as per procedure, has thrown up four flag designs. Two of them, the Kyle Lockwood silver fern and Southern Cross combinations, are generally favoured by the public, if our Masterton survey, and the Herald's Digipoll, are anything to go by.

Then the so-called "fifth design", the Red Peaks, comes along, because people want an argument. They try and make the flag look and feel inspiring by providing a stock photo image of the flag as it would look if it was being held proudly on a mountain peak with the sunrise shining through the fabric in the "hero shot" manner of all photographers. Then you give the flag a cool Maori back story.

Now, I'm a photographer, and I like back stories as much as the next guy. But to my mind the Red Peaks flag is an abstract piece of crap.

We're not a country of sharp edges and corners when it comes to our artwork, and we're not into obscure symbology. We're New Zealanders. When Crosby, Stills and Nash sang about seeing the Southern Cross for the first time, it shows how meaningful it is to be an exotic land of the southern Pacific, viewing a constellation not visible in Europe. John Key might have been pushing for a fern, but I believe a lot of Kiwis think it's one of the best symbols we have, alongside the Cross. Frankly, the Red Peaks design reminds me of the South African flag. I know many countries have abstract designs, stripes, circles, both horizontal and vertical. But we've got a chance to be interesting, and it shouldn't be wasted.

Let the flag process - and the law - run its course. There's only four flags, and one will ultimately go up against the existing flag next year. Social media chatter should never overtake policy and procedure.