ANTI-racism campaigners yesterday condemned Deputy Bernard Flouquet’s Barack Obama ‘joke’.
One of the organisers of the Love Music Hate Racism campaign, Lee Billingham, said he was shocked that the comments had been made by a politician.
‘Our reaction is quite simply that someone in public life who makes comments such as that should be sacked. This is unequivocal,’ he said.
‘It’s overt racism and ignorance and saying afterwards that I supported him [Senator Obama] I just think is too little too late. I don’t see how it’s possible to say something like that without understanding how people are likely to interpret it. For us it’s fairly cut and dried.’
Mr Billingham’s comments were made yesterday afternoon as pressure grew on Deputy Flouquet to resign as deputy chief minister.
It follows remarks made at the beginning of a press conference on Thursday, which were caught on camera.
Deputy Flouquet later issued a full apology.
Mr Billingham said when Love Music Hate Racism spoke out after a shop put a golliwog in a window, it was accused of being politically correct. ‘But there’s a clear association with slavery. That’s when the image or icon came about,’ he said.
‘The golliwog is obviously a distorted stereotypical image of a black person: a racist depiction, I would argue. To link that to Barack Obama cannot be seen in any other way than in association to racism.’
He said no one in public office should get away with the type of comments made by Deputy Flouquet.
‘Even if there is only a tiny number of ethnic minority or foreign people in Guernsey, they are not going to have confidence in someone who says things like that, to care about them and their rights. That alone means he should resign.’
n Love Music Hate Racism is keen to hear from anyone interested in putting on a live music event in Guernsey. For more information, go to lovemusichateracism.com.
Article posted on 22nd November, 2008 - 9.24am
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25 Article Comments
I think the ppl moaning need to seriously get a grip on themselves, are there not more important things to worry about then a bloody golly wog joke? FFS get a grip!
Jason
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totally and whole heartedly agree jason!
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Why are people so sensitive to almost any comment, was Obama in Guernsey to hear Mr Flouquet, even if he was he probably wouldn’t care and rise above it. Not like these over sensitive people who like to raise the race card for any silly reason. I suppose they would complain if someone in a cafe ordered a black coffee. These people are so pathetic, why don’t they grow up.
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the “do-gooders” are having a field day…next week it will be animal aid or the cars at cobo again..this island and its small minded attitude makes me wonder about having more kids…bring back the golliwog on my jam jar i say…if our kids have to learn about islam at school then they should teach modern english history as well.
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So what would you have Jason ‘FFS’ Le Page? Moaning about a dead dog, a fertile family, japanese knotweed, speed bumps, smoking in pubs, or is not a blatant racist remark about someone’s colour of skin not good enough for you? Of all the things that are widely posted about, this is easily the most serious. How can a modern politician possibly get away with this? It’s painful enough overhearing these comments in the pub or the workplace (believe you me the racists are still abroad) but having them rammed down your throat by an unliked politician that could barely scrape through in their parish should be the straw that breaks this arrogant circle of power’s back. All you ‘it’s PC gone mad’ idiots need to live a life outside of the meat draw and understand exactly what the ‘golliwog’ statement means.
I’ve been away in the UK and I first got wind of this in the nationals. Bernard ‘Fluke, eh?’ Flouquet should be walking from front line politics right now. He should be apologising for crass ignorance (that is the ‘at best’ of scenarios) and hiding away in abject embarrassment.
“Standing firm” is not an option. People defending him should be ashamed.
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Fast Robert
Although I respect your right to your opinions, I find your statement and I quote “Of all the things that are widely posted about, this is easily the most serious.” frankly unbelievable.
Are you really suggesting that this is more important than the Jersey children’s home scandel? Tell that to the victims!
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I have decided not to put my name to this, due to any repercutitions that I might receive. I will however say that I believe in freedom of speech, but for someone in his standing, he really should of known better.
Before anyone questions this either, I am a local woman! Born and Bred!
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Oh and Leigh, I have to say, you have seemed to have jumped on the band wagon on every story on here and if you think your comment on the above:
“bring back the golliwog on my jam jar i say”
begs to answer this question, how small minded are you? I take it you do not like Black people?
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Arguably the most important qualities of a politician are (in no particular order),
1. Intelligence, 2. Foresight, 3. Compasion, 4. Diplomacy, 5. Eloquance.
Anyone can make a mistake, I think we can all accept that, and provided the consequences
are not too severe the error is forgiven and we move on. However this was not just an error
demonstrating a lack of intelligence or foresight, or compasion, or diplomacy. This error
demonstrated a lack of intelligence AND foresight AND compasion AND diplomacy. Unfortunately
the eloquance it was delivered with just served to heighten the embarrassment.
The head of the British Humanist Society wrote;
‘I find it worrying that a Minister, or anyone holding public office, is not committed to equality
and respect for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, religion or belief, or indeed any such
personal characteristic.
I have personally suffered descrimination due to my ‘appearance’ by a local civil servant,
sanctioned by his executive officer and verified by a high ranking politician.
(who couldn’t be bothered to even see me.) And I have that all in writing. I was so devastated at the
time that I took the matter no further. However this incident still haunts me today.
My point here is that there is something very ‘wrong’ about the authority in this island which
shows no signs of dispersing.
To all of those that might say ‘get over it’ i’d say no problem, as soon as you have finished signing
the cheque that would compensate for how much that treatment cost me. Untill then I will shout it down whenever I see it.
So Jason le Page, brodie, Paul, leigh haines, get your cash out and put your money where your mouth is.
You all seem to think a racist attitude is trivial then surely you won’t mind paying for it.
£75,000 a piece would settle it and that’s cheap. Doesn’t sound quite so trivial now does it?
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Black, white, grey, green, blue - who cares?
Get a life!
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Not Brian - what a ridiculous statement. Of course the Jersey child abuse scandal is appalling, but it doesn’t make Flouquet’s behaviour excusable. The fact is that both islands are run by self-interested people who are about 30 years behind the times. Is it only by condemning this kind of unaccountable government that we will eradicate ourselves of it. And by the way, scandel is spelled scandal.
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Bridge - did you read my post or just run a spellcheck on it?
Nowhere in my post is there any suggestion that I consider Mr. Flouquet’s comments excusable. It is a response to a post claiming that this is the most serious subject posted. It simply is not and I stand by that statement.
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Not Brian
I was talking about the more popular threads, not the ‘most important human interest’ stories. The bile that the 24/7 kennel owner received for the unfortunate death of a dog in her care and the thread concerning the ’size zero woman with lots of children’ and the ire she manages to attract highlight what I mean.
Compared to them this is ’serious’.
A bad attempt at a bad joke by a senior politician in front of the cameras shows a severe lack of quality control. For that very reason alone the man should leave his post.
There is no excuse for such ineptitude, Flouquet is clearly incompetent at this aspect of his job. That is a serious issue for the electorate. We need faith in our politicians, especially in a time where Guernsey’s reputation is still getting a kicking in the international media.
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Fast Robert - If that was your meaning, then I am in total agreement with you.
This is indeed a serious matter. However, I still feel that the response has been disproportionate compared to more emotive issues. I personally will not get too worked up over it.
Mr Flouquet may or may not step down now, but if he chooses to stand again, then I think he may be disappointed.
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Fast Robert
Totally agree with you, I am a retired Guernsey Police Officer and I can guarantee that if I had made the same comments as Flouquet whilst in service I would have lost my job.
He may have apologised but now he is damaged goods and cant be trusted.
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The reason is is correct to call for Deputy Flouquet’s resignation is the context of the “joke” that he made. If he choses to find such humour appropriate in the privacy of his won home or circle of friends that is his perogotive. To chose to exercise such misjudgement in such a public arena when he is taling by virtue of his office means that he should do the honourable thing and resign from being Chief Minister. His position is untenable and he has damaged the reputation of Guernsey at a very critical time.
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I cannot believe the arrogance of this bloke. How can he believe that his apology from the floor of the house will excuse him any more than his previous one? It is his judgement which has been called into question and he is one heartbeat away from representing this Island internationally. I hope that the necessary steps are put in place to remove him from office.
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Don’t hold your breath ormerboy. The ‘backbenchers’ obviously have no inclination to actually represent their parishioners otherwise papers would have moved by now. They must have known that he wouldn’t resign, it’s Flouquet we’re talking about here, not someone with good judgement.
They are complicit in rubbishing Guernsey’s name.
Bar a few, we are led by rabid, right-wing throwbacks.
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When one considers the enormous strides made since the abolition of slavery, through the tumultuous Martin Luther King era, and finally the breakthrough election of Barack Obama, it simply beggars belief that Guernseys’ Deputy Chief Minister has words such as “golliwog” in his subconcious,(as John Langlois pointed out), let alone voicing an immature, racist joke at a Press Conference.
Furthermore, in failing to resign from such an important position which carries with it international exposure on a fairly regular basis, now proves beyong doubt the arrogance and closed thinking of this man.
An apology is not enough; to protect the integrity of Guernsey where the worlds’ spotlight is ever increasing in intensity, the Policy Council must take action and remove Mr Flouquet from office.
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The joke was inoffensive, but really not even funny and ill-timed.
Surely the grovelling apology made would have been enough to satisfy the hysterical hordes baying for his blood.
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Aren’t you just a tiny bit angry too, Roberto, that you have a man with a clear racist tendency - certainly in terms of the language he employs - representing your island on the world stage?
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all these people have political agendas the guy made a mistake he apologised for it. can we move on now ?
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my view is based on the representation of our island, he made a human error, an error that a man of his position should never make, therfore bring in disgrace to our island on the global market, we are not just an island in the channel, we are tax haven with global buisness
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absoultly agree with you Martyn
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Let’s be honest, is anyone really surprised by this. Guernsey is, after all, institutionally racist. Having lived in many places in the UK and British Isles, Guernsey is by far the most racist least tolerant place I have ever resided in.
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