Golliwog in the window - should this really be in court?

[Corax]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/07/racial-harassment-charge-golliwog-window

By reading that account, it does appear that it was put in the window as a deliberate act to cause offence.

But I'm unsure whether that's a bit of a dangerous precedent to be setting. It's a 'historical' (if deplorable) item, placed somewhere in someone's private home. If she then said or did anything to her neighbour, then it could certainly be used as evidence to back that offence. But as an offence on it's own?

I wouldn't shed any tears to see Mason fined or whatever, but I have some misgivings on whether people could then in the future be prosecuted for (for example) putting up political posters in their own houses if they're displayed in the window where a passer-by could see it.

It's nothing much, but just wondered what others on here thought about it.

 

[butchersapron]

Golliwogs in shop windows in poole.

 

[past caring]

Whole fucking window display in Builth Wells - and I'm off there tonight in about three hours.

 

[xes]

One in Minehead aswell IIRC.

 

[Mr Moose]

It's Suffolk. We should be thankful this story doesn't feature hoods and flaming torches.

I'd be surprised if, had her reaction been 'Oh my god I'm so sorry, I never thought. I don't get on with my neighbours but I will apologise. I've no intention of causing offence' that this would have gone to court.

 

[dylanredefined]

Long history of argument between neighbours.If I put a golliwog in my window it would just be a bit odd.Doing it too piss off a neighbour is offensive.

 

[spring-peeper]

I feel horrible when I see threads about golliwogs and racism are linked.

I loved my golliwog doll, he was on my favourite marmalade.

(((golliwogs)))

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

This sort of shit really does get on my nerves. All it does is give racists an excuse to feel put upon, and there is nothing more dangerous than a majority feeling 'oppressed' by a minority.

Too often I hear right-wingers complain that there's no freedom of speech, too much political correctness blah blah blah. Inevitably it is minorities and wiberals that are blamed. At first their complaints can be laughed off, but I sometimes worry that this resentment (however misplaced) could be storing up trouble for ahead.

It's also completely batshit bonkers and nutty as squirel-poo pie.

 

[spring-peeper]

Long history of argument between neighbours.If I put a golliwog in my window it would just be a bit odd.Doing it too piss off a neighbour is offensive.

On my way to school, I past a flat with a wooden arrow pointing to the neighbour across the street. The arrow said, "world's worst neighbours". I often thought that was a good way to piss off your neighbour

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

I feel horrible when I see threads about golliwogs and racism are linked.

I loved my golliwog doll, he was on my favourite marmalade.

(((golliwogs)))

Fascist!!!

 

[spring-peeper]

Fascist!!!

 

[Mr Moose]

I feel horrible when I see threads about golliwogs and racism are linked.

I loved my golliwog doll, he was on my favourite marmalade.

(((golliwogs)))

Ah, the simple hankering for a simple world. Golliwogs and racism divorced.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

This sort of shit really does get on my nerves. All it does is give racists an excuse to feel put upon, and there is nothing more dangerous than a majority feeling 'oppressed' by a minority.

Too often I hear right-wingers complain that there's no freedom of speech, too much political correctness blah blah blah. Inevitably it is minorities and wiberals that are blamed. At first their complaints can be laughed off, but I sometimes worry that this resentment (however misplaced) could be storing up trouble for ahead.

It's also completely batshit bonkers and nutty as squirel-poo pie.

If racists need something like this to feel put-upon and resentful, we're doing something wrong.

 

[Lo Siento.]

It's Suffolk. We should be thankful this story doesn't feature hoods and flaming torches.

I'd be surprised if, had her reaction been 'Oh my god I'm so sorry, I never thought. I don't get on with my neighbours but I will apologise. I've no intention of causing offence' that this would have gone to court.

 

[Lo Siento.]

it's not the toy display is it, it's the intent.

 

[Callie]

Golliwogs in shop windows in poole.

and the Isle of Wight lurves them, odd. Maybe they eat a lot of marmalade?

 

[Treacle Toes]

I feel horrible when I see threads about golliwogs and racism are linked.

I loved my golliwog doll, he was on my favourite marmalade.

(((golliwogs)))

My mother also claims to have loved her golliwog doll as a child...at the same time, much later in her life, when she had 5 brown children, she learnt how. despite the fact she loved her doll...the relationship between the depiction of Black people (including her husband) in the form of golliwogs/minstrels etc and the racism he, she, and her children encountered are linked. Somehow, amazingly, she stopped thinking it was all about her and the love she had for her doll, her favourite marmalade, or something else that would allow her to be in denial and miss the point!

 

[Stoat Boy]

This sort of shit really does get on my nerves. All it does is give racists an excuse to feel put upon, and there is nothing more dangerous than a majority feeling 'oppressed' by a minority.

Too often I hear right-wingers complain that there's no freedom of speech, too much political correctness blah blah blah. Inevitably it is minorities and wiberals that are blamed. At first their complaints can be laughed off, but I sometimes worry that this resentment (however misplaced) could be storing up trouble for ahead.

It's also completely batshit bonkers and nutty as squirel-poo pie.

As somebody who would probably be defined as 'racist' given the hysteria over the whole issue I actually think this complaint has some validity. For me there was no other reason other than looking to offend and as such it is worthy of Police action. If people dont want to live next door to people of a different colour then move, I have no issue with that but down right rudeness is just plain wrong.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

Rudeness is hardly an offence for the police to get involved with though is it?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

spring-peeper likes this

lol

 

[Treacle Toes]

spring-peeper likes this

lol

Without wanting to be rude...I am actually surprised by that too.

 

[Stoat Boy]

Rudeness is hardly an offence for the police to get involved with though is it?

On that sort of level I think it is.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Rudeness is hardly an offence for the police to get involved with though is it?

Did you read the story? Has the doll always been there? Did the owners of the house suddenly decide they had a perchant for black dolls? Did they suddenly remember their favourite marmalade and think...'Oh yeah, let us remind the world!!!!!'

 

[Treacle Toes]

.

 

[ddraig]

seen some in shops in kent prominently in the window too

 

[Treacle Toes]

I love the reports of where shops are displaying them. Were those displays specifically put there to 1. annoy people or 2. to annoy/offend a specific neighbour?

 

[xenon]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/07/racial-harassment-charge-golliwog-window

By reading that account, it does appear that it was put in the window as a deliberate act to cause offence.

But I'm unsure whether that's a bit of a dangerous precedent to be setting. It's a 'historical' (if deplorable) item, placed somewhere in someone's private home. If she then said or did anything to her neighbour, then it could certainly be used as evidence to back that offence. But as an offence on it's own?

I wouldn't shed any tears to see Mason fined or whatever, but I have some misgivings on whether people could then in the future be prosecuted for (for example) putting up political posters in their own houses if they're displayed in the window where a passer-by could see it.

It's nothing much, but just wondered what others on here thought about it.

What are you talking about, political posters and alike? This is a neighbours dispute where one party appears to have used an gollywog doll to have a racist pop at the other. Seems pretty clear cut to me. innocent gesture my arse. A 5 year old 30 years ago, might have left a gollywog doll lying around. But an adult, now just happens to produce one after a dispute with their black neighbour. O.. K...

There's serious issues about how freedom of speach and access to lawful information can seemingly be readily curtailed. But this really aint a hook to hang any of those concerns on.

 

[Treacle Toes]

^^^ Well said!

 

[josef1878]

Nice to see the wealthy have nothing to worry about apart from planning permission for stables, the disposal of organic horse shit and knitted dolls in neighbours windows.

 

[Mr Moose]

What? Which bit?!