Local man is shocked at being named in BNP list
Thursday 20th November 2008, 2:30PM GMT.
A FORMER soldier has spoken of his horror at being named as a member of the British National Party.
In 1990, as a reaction to an IRA bombing in which five colleagues were killed in Northern Ireland, Carl Bougourd (pictured), along with other servicemen, paid a one-off £6 membership fee to the National Front because of a campaign it was running calling for British soldiers to be taken out of Ireland.
He was 27 at the time and says he has paid no more money to the National Front or the BNP.
Mr Bougourd, 45, was named along with 13,500 other people in a BNP membership list published on the internet. It gave addresses and other contact details as well as people’s backgrounds. Four from Jersey were also listed.
‘The National Front campaigned to bring the troops home from Ulster. They were condemning the IRA,’ said Mr Bougourd, who decided to tell his story to the Guernsey Press. ‘It was a small fee, £6, and a lot of the boys joined because they were campaigning against the IRA and for getting the troops out of Ireland so they joined up. It was just a one-off payment.’
Mr Bougourd said the soldiers did not think of it as a racist organisation. They signed up because of the campaign.
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As an ex-soldier I can’t believe this,not too many years ago they would have ended their service at the Tower.Now the seeds of their folly are being spread around,and they are bleating!
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Didn’t think it was a racist organisation? Yeah right – at 27 you aren’t capable of working out right from wrong eh?
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If no money has been paid since, how come there is an 07781 mobile number listed…. These launched in C2000…?
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The British National Party. Is a political party that is ‘pro’ Britain. That is, promote, British interests. Shouldn’t they all? A British National flag flies from Buckingham Palace as we do from Castle Cornet. I’m not wrong to say that the Royal Family promotes British interests.
Racist? I’ll guarantee you that during at least the last eight years no person of middle eastern origin has entered Britain or Guernsey without the relevent security authorities questioning them at the very least. could the same be said of Latvians, Portuguese, American, French? I’d doubt it.
Racist or protecting British Interests? There is good and bad in every walk of life and a very fine line divides racism and patriotism, unlike the broad line between greed and patriotism (topical at the moment). Though if we tar everyone with the same brush then we’d all be black!!!!
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Anyway Sarnia Expat your opinion dosen’t count because you’re not wearing a disguise.
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People should not be singled out because of their beliefs – people dont point at Labour supporters & judge so why point at people that support BNP?
People are hypocrits – Whilst not a member of any party I think the BNP have some very valid point…. some wrong ones as well but they are entitled to their opinion – exactly the same as you or I….
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This squaddie and his buddies did what they considered right at the time…any of you two previous posters ever patroled the ‘Murder Mile?’
Don’t condemn what you don’t understand..stand firm soldier, let the BS go over your head.
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A lot of soldiers until the 1990′s were very racist; just as the Police were.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of – people in the UK in the 1970′s and 80′s were racist, just as people in America were racist.
It happened and now people (most of them) have moved on and embrace change.
People are racist because that is how they are brought up, or how their piers behave – I don’t think you are racist now, but to deny you were makes you look shallow.
Most of my ‘buddies’ were, but are not very anti racism.
All I can say is look at the Tuskegee fighter pilots then, and look at the USAF now. It happened, and it has changed. To deny it is to insult those people you marginalised in the first place.
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I’ve known Carl Bougourd since he was a boy and know he’s not a racist simply because he’s not that kind of person, he hasn’t the capacity for that kind of hatred in him.
I believe him when he says he was ignorant of the BNP’s racist policies. I have long since ceased to be amazed of how ignorant people can be of the world around them and Carl being a Guernsey boy born and bred an ignorance of British politics does not surprise me.
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I have served with Carl for over 10 years, I can tell you he has not got a raciest bone in his body, Carl did what he did for his own reasons, and the organisation is not illegal although many people are outraged at some of their policies or beliefs.
I can also tell you he is no homophobe either, in case that will be the next outcry along with raciest.
While we are on the subject of homophobes the Roman Catholic Church, and the Church of England has their own issues about that subject so should we publish lists of religious memberships as well?
It makes me wander that in this world where people are dying of ignorance, Disease, hunger, wars and murder we concern ourselves with petty matters about membership to a political party.
Is it so news worthy that you actually have a “so called member” of a political party in Guernsey.
Carl is non-active ex member who paid £6.00 once, who has stood in the front line and defended what he believed in on more than one occasion. When he stayed behind to help the soldier injured on the mountain, do you think he would have left him if that soldier had of been black? The very thought that anyone could think that of him revolts me.
If any one has any other questions regarding Carl’s integrity then feel free to ask.
Oh! and no my name does not appear on the list.
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I think this point is valid…
If no money has been paid since, how come there is an 07781 mobile number listed…. These launched in C2000…?
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give this a rest. the BNP are a legal political party and if you want to join then you can, if you dont want to join then you dont….what could be more simple?
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Don’t let the smooth words of Herr Griffin or his henchmen fool you guys – this organisation is vile, and for anyone to willingly pay to join is in my opinion downright nasty. OK, maybe young Carl is not a racist and of course we all put our hands together to give him a real round of applause for serving his country, England. However – he was not a young man when he signed the BNP application form was he? Did he think the BNP would be sending goodwill packages back to the frontline? How many black or asian soldiers signed up too?? Guernsey does have a bad attitude to outsiders – and as such is probably a good place to drum up support for such organisations as the BNP. I am glad to say that I won’t ever be conned into joining an organisation I thought was OK.
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The thing is either the BNP is a legal party or not; why dont they just ban it along with positive discrimination policies which are also racist.
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