Deputy Bernard Flouquet at Thursday’s press conference, where he made the controversial comment. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0674429)
PRESSURE was growing last night on Deputy Chief Minister Bernard Flouquet to resign.
It follows what campaigners have condemned as a racist joke he told at a press conference on Thursday.
Some feel that it calls into question his judgement and suitability to represent the Bailiwick on the international stage.
Neither Deputy Flouquet nor Chief Minister Lyndon Trott was available for comment yesterday, but Deputy Flouquet was understood to be standing firm.
His remark appeared to polarise public opinion in the streets between those who thought it was unacceptable and others who believed it was only a minor issue and that an apology was enough.
But a poll on Guernsey Press sister website thisisguernsey.com showed the majority of respondents felt Deputy Flouquet should resign as a States member, although his colleagues in the Assembly did not think things should go that far.
While many deputies were reluctant to comment, Education Minister Carole Steere was the most senior to call publicly on her colleague to consider his position as deputy chief minister.
Deputy Steere made her feelings clear to 61-year-old Deputy Flouquet before speaking to the Guernsey Press.
‘Frankly, I’m appalled that somebody in his position could make a joke like that at a public presentation,’ she said. ‘I’ve spoken to Deputy Flouquet and said that I can’t defend him on this. I’m someone who is well known as anti-discrimination in all forms. This kind of thing is just not acceptable.’
Deputy Steere gave Deputy Flouquet credit for his quick apology but did not think that went far enough.
‘I feel he should resign his position as deputy chief minister. His role in the absence of the chief minister is as the island representative. He has to go out of the island to represent Guernsey and I don’t want someone who may, in an off-guarded moment, tell a joke such as that.’
Guernsey’s first black football captain, Naro Zimmerman, who will lead the island under-21 side against Jersey at Springfield today, said that action should be taken over the comment.
‘I think it’s ignorance.
‘He’s acknowledged he’s done wrong but I think that was because he had to.’
But the 20-year-old did not believe anything would come of it.
n The Mail on Sunday’s website ran the story yesterday.
Further reaction to ‘joke’ Page 3
Article posted on 22nd November, 2008 - 9.30am
53 Article Comments
He has to go. If he does not it shows that the rest of our states members are as small minded as he is. The majority of the general public do not share his views. If the rest of the elected wish to remain any credence they need to show that they won’t tolerate this abuse. He needs to be forced to resign from all public representations.
Report abuse
Have the States learned nothing from the BBC’s mishandling of the Brand/Ross affair? Sticking you head in the sand hoping it will go away simply will not work – this has taken one day to reach mainland media and will be in the international media in no time. Then, not only will Bernard Flouquet’s name be mud – so too will Guernsey’s. If he cares about Guernsey’s reputation he should resign – and quickly.
Report abuse
It was so sad to see that this attitude prevails at all, let alone at the top of our government. Does he not know that we are now in the 21st century? To look surprised at the response of his audience shows he is living in a past that has been thrown in the dustbin. That’s where he should go.
Report abuse
It was a serious error of judgement to say this in public with TV cameras running. It raises questions whether he is suitable to represent the island in talks with UK or other leaders around the world.
I believe he should resign as Deputy Chief Minister and offer himself for re-elction if he wishes. All the deputies can then decide.
I don’t think he needs to resign as a Castel Deputy. The electorate can decide that issue at the next election.
Report abuse
If a public figure does make a racist joke, they should be sacked and banned from public office in the island. If any legal breaches were made, they should also be investigated. Any racism by our representatives is unacceptable and inexcusable, and I would hope that the majority of the public would feel the same.
Report abuse
i think that if you call for somebody to resign then at the very least you should use your full name when posting a comment on here. i have nothing to hide and i think the media are trying to make this in to a much bigger story than it deserves.
Report abuse
Deputy Flouquet should only resign his position as Deputy Chief Minister and those committees he is amember of that deal with external relations.
Report abuse
There is no doubt this slip up has got every Guardian PC person on the Island out of the woodwork. This situation has prompted CS and all the little left wing crew aided and abetted by BB who is never to far from stoking any situation to feel more relevant. Most non entity’s only way of getting noticed is to run to the press to make them feel more important.
It is about time the Island stopped getting concerned about trivial matters and concentrated on the Islands survival of course that subject would be to difficult to the stirrers as it would be too complicated to get their heads round.
Report abuse
It is appalling that a member of our government, who represents the island internationally, should find such a joke acceptable. He should be removed from office.
Report abuse
I remember reading an article in the Guernsey Press a while ago about a couple who had visited a small village somewhere in Africa. This village had a small cottage industry – they made Golliwogs, it was black people making them. When these villagers heard about the stupid race rules and regulations in Britain they were crying with laughter. Obviously these villagers were grown up.
Report abuse
I strongly believe Deputy Flouquet should be sacked for making those racist remarks. even if it was a joke, If any person in other employment did such a thing, they would be instantly dismissed from their employ, and possibly taken to court for making such racist comments. Why should Deputy Flouquet be any different from any one else, No one is above the law, and Deputy Flouquet should be made an example of, in that we Islanders will NOT tolerate these racial comments from within our government.
Report abuse
sorry but a joke is a joke and nothing more,to ask Deputy Flouquet to stand down because of it is it self a joke, for all that think otherwise, please get a life, their are more pressing things to worry about such as the black hole,sorry i mean the coloured hole. by the way the word Gollywog is in the Collins English Dictionary, need i say more ?
Report abuse
What the hell is wrong with you people, you call him small minded, when you yourselves are condemning him for making a jok. after all it was that only a joke. You are the narrow minded fools who take it in a racist way, you say its interpretation, and yours is wrong. He ment i as a joke, DUE TO OUR HERITAGE. It is precisely this reason that britain is falling into a state of disrepair, you allow the country to deteriorate because of your own weakness to do anything. He has the nerve to try an lighten the mood a little, and you fools, after putting him in place to start with, do a complete 180 and go against him. In any event it is your own fault, you interpreted it in a racist way, insinuating you were predisposed to thinking in that way to start with. Grow up and start thinking about the bigger picture. Comedians tell racist jokes all the time, but they are not racist. He is human, we all make mistakes, but you cannot just try to make him resign because you feel it was racist, racism is with malicious intent, please explain to me the intent behind what he said?
Report abuse
Get some perspective please. Why do the media feel it necesary to make such an issue or even bring it up at all. The comments were made in a closed room and were not aired live – why did this even make its way to the general public to then erupt into a ridiculous farce, leading to some idiotic members of the public asking for him to resign. This is like the behaviour of a modern day lynch mob – they were actual racists! Get over it and move on.
Report abuse
For goodness sake people, get a life!
He made a mistake….have YOU never made mistakes, perhaps remarking on something or someone at an inapropriate time?
Im sure he’s learn’t his lesson and has appologised.
Lets leave it at that.
Stop stirring the pot!
There are far bigger issues to contend with these days.
Mr Flouquet, slap on wrist, don’t do it again!
Report abuse
I think it was funny and everyone is entitled to there own opinion i dont beleive its racist at all, all those who do are childish and small minded and need to grow up and take control over there own lives before you start judging people on there’s also most people in guernsey are racist i hear it all the time mostly by the older generations.
Not only do i think he should keep his job i think all those who have slurred his name should apologise to him.
i know if this message doesn’t get posted this isn’t open to all sides just one and i hope the guernsey press have the decency to show everyones opinons not just there own.
Report abuse
Shockingly inept display. Please get him out! This man does not represent my views.
Obama doesn’t like offshore islands. Great start to our relations, Bernie.
Report abuse
I think most people will be utterly bemused that Deputy Flouquet should think that such a joke was either (a) funny or (b) appropriate for the circumstance in which it was told. If he wishes to tell jokes of this kind in private, that’s one thing, but to do so in such a public forum demonstrates a breathtaking lack of judgement.
He should follow the advice of his colleagues Geoff Mahy & Carol Steere & resign his post to draw a line under the affair & save the island from further embarrassment.
Report abuse
There should be no option open to this small minded man. There should be no tolerance for his casual racism. He is someone that the States members have elected into a position of authority. If the States members do not take action then they are as weak as his deluded ‘free speech’ defenders.
Resign now, Flouquet, only 900 odd people voted for you in your parish, probably at great pains to find an alternative, and be properly contrite in doing so. I’m not sure what era you are living in, but alluding to black people as ‘golliwogs’ is not funny, not intelligent, not acceptable and deeply offensive.
For those of you that like blaming ‘politically correct’ motives need to spend time with repressed minorities and find out what life is really like as the butt of ‘jokes’.
This man should be accountable to the electorate. Too often the top table of Guernsey politics get to view their nasty side without recrimination (not that long since Jones’ “the EU are no better than nazis”). Get rid of these throwbacks and join reality. It’s no wonder nobody cares about politics anymore, they’re ashamed.
Report abuse
Dennis Paul
You wrote ‘Deputy Flouquet should only resign his position as Deputy Chief Minister and those committees he is a member of that deal with external relations.’
You didn’t give a reason for him staying in local politics. Might that be because people of colour living locally don’t deserve any better? I would hope not and suspect that you hadn’t consider this point.
Report abuse
It was only a joke, are we going to ban the irish jokes , scottish jokes, This political corretnes has gone mad
Report abuse
Lawrence what on earth has Dave Jones got to do with this issue .Every thing Dave Jones says about the EU is correct and I have just received an Email that states when the House of Lords were taking evidence with regards to the EU and the Channel Islands one of the German contingent stated that he would like to see the Islands squeezed until the pips popped out.
That is what I call an outrageous remark against Islands that have suffered so much years ago. We have proved time and time again we are well regulated which you can never bear to hear.
I think it is far more offensive to hear people that make remarks that we will be outlawed and closed down.
You would think people from the Channel Islands would be writing in their hundreds when they hear those kind of remarks that could effect their livelihoods and their families future, but no they get more upset on something quite trivial.
Perhaps Lawrence you are one of the BB,CS,MF left wing Guardian PC group.
Just for once it would be nice to see people being loyal to the Island that feeds them.
Report abuse
Let’s hope Deputy Flouquet does not make two gross errors of judgement within one week by failing to resign without delay.
Report abuse
Aston – whether you think it was acceptable or not is irrelivant; it was a racist remark. There are laws against such things, never mind etiquette.
Would you advocate beating of children, arsen and terrorism? I expect not, as they would probably impact you adversely should you be on the receiving end, just as an African / African American would hearing Bernard’s dumb comment.
He should be sacked, not resign.
What a pathetic man.
Report abuse
Racist jokes may be acceptable to people in largely white Guernsey but outside the island they have long been considered unacceptable.
Deputy Flouquet the second most important politician on the island making such a joke has brought the Island into disrepute. Guernsey has received much negative publicity lately it certainly dosen’t need anymore.
Report abuse
Gawdelpus, what a pathetic bunch of ninnies some of you Guernsey people have become.
I laugh at, and forward around the world, all sorts of jokes: Pope jokes, King jokes, Islamic jokes (though those aren’t all that funny) black people jokes, jokes about old people (I like them best of all cos I’m one) jokes about poofters, about drunkards, about…..Hey, I must think up one about puerile misery guts Guernseymen!
Get a life, eh?
Report abuse
He must go !!!
Report abuse
I think it was a really stupid thing to do. Fair enough if your in the comfort of your own house, making a joke maybe ok. But in the public eye, I dont think he should be sacked for being a racist, I think he should be sacked for being stupid-whoops that means half of the guernsey politicians would have to go as well!
Oh dear lynch me, I just made a bad joke.
Report abuse
Dominic
Words fail me.
A public facing elected representative should not be making racist jokes on television. There is no other logic. Do you really believe that by apologising for Flouquet you are doing ‘the island’ a boon? All it does is highlight the paucity of education in insular societies.
On the Jones front, are not his protectionist opinions on Guernsey industry (markets/dairy) exactly the same as the “inward looking” policies of the EU? You need to read more facts instead of regurgitating badly written polemics from the gutter press.
Please explain to me what ‘political correctness’ is. A US invention for preventing litigation, that’s what. How that equates to casual, banal bigotry is beyond me.
On your ‘pips squeak’ argument, Guernsey has had it good because of the laissez-faire attitude of our bigger neighbours. The fact that they are becoming less laissez-faire is as a direct consequence of their arrogant mismanagement. I would suggest that Guernsey needs to be proactive at changing its priorities from making money from tax variances to highly experienced financial managers. The outside perception will only be changed by us admitting that our wealth is derived from tax avoidance and that we will fully cooperate with the nations that are losing out because of this. There is no real reason to be alarmed, after all, GuernseyFinance is ‘punching above its weight’ to make sure the rest of the world understand what we stand for. Which is what exactly? Ignorant racism?
Report abuse
I never realised there were so many Guardian readers in Guernsey. Brian Harpers comment is spot on.
Report abuse
I personally believe that if you can’t joke about racism you’re not entirely clued up on the subject and probably underneath all this ‘political correctness’ a racist.
The same goes for any humour regarding prejudice. Never have I taken offence at jokes of being inbred or driving my tractor to school.
If Deputy Chief Minister Bernard Flouquet is good at what he does let it be.
Life’s too short to worry about politically correct issues.
Report abuse
Fast Robert for goodness sake get your priorities in order. I find so many people uncaring about important affairs and totally ill-informed on matters that can affect the Islands. Many people can only be bothered to post comments when they see they can give a Politician a good kicking and smell blood. I think it is far more offensive to hear Politicians and others outside the Island and people like you that make remarks and threats that we will be outlawed and closed down which could affect the Islands future than some silly joke.
That joke will not affect us in any way but the serious threats we here daily could.
All your postings are about running the Island down and on Europe from your postings in the past you have not got a clue Guernsey needs people like you CS,BB,PR like they need a hole in ones head.
Apart from the usual people not many people remonstrate or take issue with anything that can really affect their future a really pathetic bunch. Let us hope Richard Murphy posts again like he promised to get down to real issues
Report abuse
Dominic
If you think that Flouquet’s comments are ‘needed’ for Guernsey then that is particularly deluded. Whether or not people are agreeing with the fact that Guernsey is being run by a few people to make those few people very rich, at the same time denigrating the essential workers with year on year pay cuts, by encouraging global tax abuse and by ignoring the electorate is neither here nor there. Guernsey needs people in office to look after the Guernsey person, not the foreign multinational companies. You ought to get your priorities right and stop thinking that the world owes us a favour. We are rich because of lax tax laws that have previously favoured the powerful. The powerful are learning that most people don’t like this. What do we do with our riches?
We let people get complacent enough to not understand the difference between genuine public humour and blind ignorance. I have no doubt the chap is remorseful, I imagine that he is probably a decent soul, as most are, but is that good enough for a high profile politician?
Your assertion that people are ‘doing the Island down’ is laughable because of this measly defence. Trott’s threats and now Flouquet’s utter misjudgement are doing this quite readily as it is. Your ire at the likes of Murphy and the TJN are hollow. It just sounds like the politics of fear. Do you stand to lose out? Tell that to the millions around the world that are daily being fleeced.
Report abuse
The new government of Barak Obama is pledged to outlaw various international tax shelters and Guernsey is among those so named. When Guernsey makes its representations to the US on this issue the US State Department’s background report on Guernsey will almost certainly flag up this unhelpful gaffe. Perfect timing Deputy Floquet!
Report abuse
As a regular visitor to the Island, I was dismayed to hear about this matter and that the Minister has not done the decent thing and resigned.
Any member of the Guernsey public can make a formal complaint about this individuals conduct, to the States Members Conduct Panel. They are from what I have read ‘independent’ and can judge if the Minister in breach of the following section of the Conduct Code “28th September 2006″. Sections 8 and 9:
8. Members shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner
which will tend to maintain and strengthen the public’s trust
and confidence in the integrity of the States of Deliberation
and never undertake any action which would bring the States,
or its Members generally, into disrepute.
9. Members shall at all times treat other Members, civil servants
and members of the public with respect and courtesy and
without malice, notwithstanding the disagreements on issues
and policy which are a normal part of the political process.”
Anyone can download this from the http://www.gov.gg/ccm/navigation/government/states-members-and-committees/code-of-conduct/
Guernsey needs to act fast, these remarks will and have damage the island’s reputation.
Report abuse
I have thus far refrained from commenting publicly on this matter.
However, I understand that an e-mail written by me on Saturday afternoon may have been obtained by some members of the media.
In an effort to militate against the possibility of any part of my response being taken out of context, I have reluctantly decided to reproduce the e-mail in full below.
———————————————-
Dear Mr X,
Many thanks for your e-mail. It is one of several I have received on this subject, and together they represent a very interesting and diverse range of opinion and advice.
I note your request for a reply from those among us, like me, who have thus far refrained from making comments in the media about the incident to which you refer.
I should wish to make it very clear that my decision not to comment publicly, despite the best efforts of the media to tempt me into doing so, has nothing whatsoever to do with any hope or expectation that these matters will ‘blow over’ given the passage of time.
I spoke at length with Deputy Flouquet last evening and made my views very clear to him during that private telephone conversation.
But I am not his advisor. I spoke with him because he is a colleague and acquaintance – and after all, I am only a newcomer to the States, and I can’t presume I have any authority or right to offer Deputy Flouquet or anyone else my advice in determining how to deal with quite personal issues such as this.
I simply do not believe it is helpful or necessary for me to use the pages of the Press, or the airwaves, to provide a running commentary on these unfolding events.
None of us are infallible. And were I ever to commit a serious error of judgement, I should prefer it that my colleagues discuss it with me first and advise me privately, and perhaps afford me a reasonable opportunity to take any appropriate action, before offering the media the benefit of their advice.
Nor do I feel the need to comment publicly in order to assert my ‘equality’ credentials. Anybody who knows anything about my politics will be aware of the sort of views I hold on such matters.
That is how I should prefer to be treated, and that is how I have resolved to approach this matter.
I should be grateful if you would not interpret my response as condoning Deputy Flouquet’s comments at the press conference (which I do not), nor am I in any way criticising the remarks made subsequently by Deputies Brehaut and Steere. I understand and respect the reasons they have decided to take a slightly different position to me publicly.
Everybody must have the right to react in their own way to someone else’s errors.
Perhaps you will feel that my reaction makes me guilty of an error of judgement myself, and I am sorry if that is the case. I am just doing what I think is right in these circumstances.
In summary, please be assured that I have made my views known very clearly to Deputy Flouquet. But as far as using the time and space of the media is concerned, while I remain a politician, I shall endeavour to comment publicly only on political matters, and as infrequently as possible on those of a more personal nature.
It was Robert Kennedy, the best President America never had, who said: “Too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of other human beings”.
I suppose one could apply that message to either ‘side’ in this sort of matter.
But I have come to the conclusion that whatever my personal views (as I say, expressed privately to Deputy Flouquet), I have no intention of attracting publicity for myself or my opinions in the immediate aftermath of the Deputy Chief Minister’s difficulties. I should rather allow him the space for a period of measured reflection over the course of the weekend, without poking my nose into this affair through the media.
Once again, many thanks for your e-mail. I am most grateful that you have been in touch to convey your views. And I assure you that I take this matter as seriously as you do.
Please accept my apologies for the length of this reply. Verbosity is probably one of my many weaknesses.
Please feel free to get in touch with me again at your convenience on this issue, or any other.
Yours sincerely,
Deputy Matt Fallaize
Report abuse
Please keep in mind that this is the age of
global communications, and that incidents like
this are seen worldwide.
This is not a good advert for Guernsey and cannot be swept under the carpet.
We fly the Guernsey flag in our office in Vietnam
but sometimes i want to take it dowm!
More care please Bernard.
Report abuse
Darren- You obviously don’t understand the idea of freedom of speech and as for advocating beating of children and all that is irrelevent what you should have asked is if we should advocate jokes of beating children, arson and terrorism that i beleive not. and you dont see how much we are on the receiving end of Racial abuse I for one am Welsh I dont go throwing my toys out of my pram when some one makes a joke about us and im guessing your a Guernsey boy born and bred so you know there are racist jokes about you yet u don’t hear about that in the papers do you. Also I like how no one contradicted me on the older generations being racist. My message is forgive and forget lifes to short to hold a grudge. GET OVER IT
Report abuse
If Barry Brehaut wants Flouquet’s head then the process is Code of Conduct and then, I assume, a vote of Confidence in the States. If he doesn’t then his protestations may come across as a little faux.
Come on Barry, put your money where the microphone is or shut up.
Report abuse
Matt Fallaize is exercising maturity and tact and I feel he will ultimately merit a senior position himself.
Tony Webber
Report abuse
Obama already had “Tax Havens” (sic) in his sights, so I’m sure that one of those jurisdictions making him the butt of a joke is not going to help much is it?
Now, we in Guernsey know that Bernard Flouquet is just an amateur politician with limited knowledge of the real world, but those outside in the real world may not realise that he is just a local yokel and take him seriously.
Then we’ll be in trouble.
Report abuse
Bring communism back…
We most all think and talk the same
Report abuse
Yes, Melec, you are right. It is reminiscent of the communist system in the old Soviet Union, with the States Policy Council (with the honourable exception of one of its few lady members) acting like some sort of self-styled, unaccountable Politburo. We can only hope that the democratic will of the people prevails and that the ‘comrade’ who has failed us does the decent thing and steps down.
Report abuse
Aston – wrong on both counts you are, which probably explains your prejuducial reaction and support of Bernard. You are short sighted and have the political strategic vision of a hamster.
Report abuse
I work in finance and that Joke would have cost me my job if I said it at work. Why is it that these people get away with these kind of things. I wonder if he knows to much wrong doing in the states that some deputies have to stand by him to keep him from blowing the whistle?
Report abuse
The joke showed him up to be either racist, or lacking in judgement. I suspect that he probably isn’t racist, but a lack of judgement is not a quality that we need or desire in a senior politician, so on that basis I think he should certainly cease to be Deputy Chief Minister, whether by resigning or being pushed, and probably leave the states altogether before his ambitions see him in an even more senior position!
Report abuse
Having read much of the above I can’t understand why there are “foreigners”living in greenhouses?
Report abuse
I remember a few years back when deputy flouqet called a states tenents meeting at st. peter port school.He called me xenophobic, . all i said to him was its a bit disheartning when you phone up the department to enquire about a states house only to talk to some person with a english accent,
Pot , kettle, black ??
Report abuse
Run Flouquet, Run!
I would put freedom of speech first. It is the responsibility of the listener to judge for himself and react in his own way, based on his previous life experience. It’s then Deputy Flouquets duty to react to other’s comments in any way he deems fit. It’s nice that his comments have received such press and have provoked an interesting philosophical debate which has far reaching implications and on which everyone seems to have some viewpoint of other due to being a deep aspect of our culture.
Regarding the outcry and finger-pointing at ‘racist comments’ then… I think that any finger pointing symbolizes a view point, lets break this down a bit to gain some understanding of what’s going on… In my view, a viewpoint is a conglomeration of all known information about a certain matter being summed up meticulously by the internal self auditing, comparing, rejecting and supressing processes which relate to a persons existing world view, which is based on previous life experience. This very personal understanding can only be reached through this internalisation of a notion which creates choices of potential action which provokes our latent learned behavior. To express a view point one must then have faith in one’s own understanding and attempt to reproduce these internal ideas, in the format of socially accepted expressions, be they words, symbols or other gestures in an act that demystifies one’s viewpoint, defines something the face of the infiniteness of other potentialities with the hope to create similar ideas in the minds of others who, in turn, will separate the information from the infiniteness of everything else that is happening around and to them at any given moment. We cannot truly know the understanding of others, faith is always involved and despite the pack mentality and accepted symbols, reassurance of understanding, no matter how convincing these gestures have evolved by learning to communicate historically, it is always a leap of faith… we can never be responsible for the others take on us… thus the idea of ‘individual’, but are we sheep or wolves, do we vibrate in harmony or are we all singing different songs? Perhaps some of us are sheep in wolves clothing. As the information is registered and acknowledged and processed in relation to past experience, our mind is gradually made up but the crux is that understanding is always relative to previous knowledge, thus, in my viewpoint these outcrys of racism are from repentant racists attempting to externalize their own understanding through ‘pointing the finger–style responses’ in attempts to extricate the self from those shared internal notions, at least that’s what I imagine to be doing in their shoes.
A quick blitz of racism… it starts with finger pointing and is equally about the colour of skin as it is about culture, ideologies, differences, indeed racism starts with finger pointing at difference. Pointing the finger at opinions and ideas, jokes, functions whatever is also an externalization of an unaccepted part of the self so I feel we should extend our knowledge of this intricate maelstrom and address the finger to ourselves before we take things out on a spokesperson, he, like us all are a product of our society and racism runs deeply in the blood of Guernsey and many fingers may be pointed as people try to externalize it in attempts to understand it and alienate the self from these shared notions which are deemed unacceptable, it’s not until you accept something that you can start to work on it, understand and move forward and so to disown this common material and face the terrifying fact of our own alienation (something which begins at birth and thus is inherently necessary for understanding ANYthing) we can begin to understand and accept differences in opinion, culture, skincolour, sense of humor etc. Racism, an exponent of difference, exists in the minds of both the active and passive, it is simply a matter of judgement, it is a naturally occurring faculty… one is aware of difference as in difference one finds the self, and extricates self from not-self and in finding the individual self, paradoxically one finds communication and community – ideal for the faint hearted. When no- awareness of difference and ‘otherness’ occurs, we diagnose ASD and so and mind aware of the dualism of external and internal and embraces that particular notion relies and has faith in the idea of difference. So I would say, as one wisely makes sense of the world in his own way, the racism DOES exists but as much within the outcryer’s repressed unconscious as anywhere else, it seems that Flouquet has been scapegoated for expressing something flippantly, something which resides as an integral part of our cultural experience.
With our current understanding of human nature I predict that our friend Flouquet will also attempt to sidestep these feelings or be forced out by others’ attempts to look clean and pure in the light of society. Otherwise he could say “Yes I’m human, Yes I’m racist, Yes racism is the understanding of there being several different races and has got a very bad press due to slavery, which still continues dressed up as capitalism, Yes, it may be better summed up as culturalism or colourism, or whatever other useless symbolic ism we discover to help us point the finger away from our own unwanted feelings in an attempt purify and externalise our own terrifying experiences of alienation… Yes I’m as guilty as you!”.
To get off of the fence of knowledge and to point a finger and alienate Flouquet or anyone else is learned behaviour to an impulse, a simple response, enraged by a possible misunderstanding. Bernard is fully responsible for his actions and he will choose his way in light of currents events, relating them to his own past experiences, I do not condone or condemn him or anyone but I do condone the search of universal truth. I believe that if any of us recieved the exact cultural influences and genetics represented by Flouquet, we’d have done EXACTLY the same thing and find sheep in wolves’ clothing pointing black fingers at us.
Incidently, Mr Wolf is pointing a finger at us all and simply saying we need to evolve our understanding.
Report abuse
To Stuart Ogier – yes we need to evolve our undertsanding, but it the mean time we cannot stand by and ruminate while schoolkids have their backs tatooed with stanley knives on the way home from school because they are seen as ‘other’, because of ignorance that wasn’t challenged. Racism has to be stopped where it starts – that’s why it is so important to challenge and condemn Flouquet’s public racist utterances. In his position he is influential(believe it or not) – if the witty Dep Chief Minister implies Obama is no better than a (golli)wog than it must be true, no? Your philosophy has a place somewhere Stuart, but not when you’re trying to persuade the National Front from burning out immigrants or the Ku Klux Klan from a lynching, or even now, lining up the cross hairs on their dream target. Fight back folks.
John
Report abuse
Stuart Ogier
An interesting post.
But one that is no way related to this incident. Flouquet is DCM for a globally reaching jurisdiction. He made an unfortunate gaffe in front of media. He then tried belligerently to play it down. News is spreading that Guernsey is led by people that call black people golliwogs.
Who cares if we’re all closet racists, as you imply, we all belong to one tribe or other and feel protective towards our own. The difference in civilised communities is that we learn to work with it and to harmonise with other tribes for mutual benefit.
What Flouquet has done is expose a weakness. Humans are weak, but those that try and speak for us, our elected representatives, must be schooled enough not to show that weakness. What we have in Trott and Flouquet are examples of amateurs playing games that they are not fit to play.
When Flouquet resigns as DCM, as surely he must now, then I suggest he goes to school and learns some decorum. Maybe he can be rehabilitated for public office, but as wolves grow old, new tricks become difficult to learn.
As more and more foreign workers are needed in Guernsey to fulfil its industry leaders’ hopes for themselves, the index of global awareness rises. As Guernsey becomes more cosmompolitan then our politicians should reflect this. Being stuck in a time zone when most Guernsey folk would never have seen a black person or indeed left the island altogether is not satisfactory. If we are unsatisfied it is up to the politicians to rectify this. He can go someway to repairing the damage by resigning as DCM.
It won’t be forgotten, though, nor will Trott’s dreadful behaviour towards his colleagues.
Grow up Guernsey.
Report abuse
Stuart Ogier
Sorry but your comment it too long to read.
Report abuse
Stuart Ogier:
I have struggled through your analysis but have had difficulty in reconciliation. I am sure you must be right depending on where you are coming from. From my direction I confess to not being able to follow it in its entirety.
Human nature in its subjectivity is a cauldron of conflicts and resists being categorised.
Let us consider the Brandt/Ross affair. Is it not a fact that the incident that lead to the out pouring of disgust and loathing was merely a catalyst and gave vent moreso to the historical fact that vast numbers were already seething over the presence of Ross anyway due to his persistent smutty humour for which the BBC pays a ridiculous salary. They used the occasion to vent their feelings and I do not think there is anything wrong with that. The incident merely confirmed their conclusions.
To me the Flouqet business probably bears much the same elements. It seems from responses in these columns that he is rather like marmite except that it’s the other way round. as marmite is popular by a vast majority. Like many people, I know not this man personally so can only make judgement on his public persona. It is not unfair to say that, for whatever reason, to find anyone with a good word for his emergence in the States is like seeking gold dust. It is true that possibly some specks have alighted in these columns. I would guess that there is a large element who were waiting for him to slip up and he did so big time despite the attempt to minimise it by his ’specks’. Big enough to justify their long held feelings and certainly sufficient for him to relinquish his post. It demonstrated so many things. I have expressed my conclusions elsewhere but would like to say to him that subserviently apologising in order to keep your job is not an apology in reality. If you respect the essence of public service then your only course is to resign and retain a measure of respect so that your public might be more compliant in the future. These things happen at the helm and to cling on usually is by far the worst option.
Report abuse