• Welcome to the Land Rover UK Forums

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to register then please Register Now

Not trying to stir things up....but this is just plain dumb

ButtonMonkey

ButtonMonkey

Trekker
Firstly Apologies to Mods & Staff this post does come hot on the heals of some recent silliness but is not ment to stir things up again.

IMHO this is what is wrong with this country today, we are so scared of insulting people somthing as simple as the Robinsons Golly can be seen as a racial insult.

I'm sure the complaint has come from some namby pamby libiral that's scared of his or her (can't be sexist) own shadow.

This was part of my childhood, I remember collecting the tokens so I could get the badges and the toys

A row has broken out over a golly exhibition at a Hampshire museum.

A collection of golly badges on display in Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham has been criticised for its perceived racist connotations.

Dr John Molyneux, from the University of Portsmouth, said the items should not be regarded simply as a childhood pastime or hobby.

But Nick Martin who owns the collection said the exhibition had been very popular and no-one had complained.

No complaints

Mr Martin told BBC News: "There is no dispute going on at all. The museum said that not one person had complained.

"I spent an hour and a half at the museum speaking to people who had come to see the exhibition and no-one had any problems with it."

The museum said it would continue to show the collection, but reconsider the decision if it received complaints.

The golly badge, which was once produced to promote sales of jam and marmalade, is now a collector's item.

The collection on display at the museum was compiled by a local resident who started collecting the badges as a child.

But Dr Molyneux said the original creation of the golly character has more sinister connection.

He said: "At the time that they were produced they were part of a racist atmosphere, of a racist attitude towards non-white people, very definitely. That's the history I don't want to be lost.

"Presenting them as just innocent children's play things is suppressing that real history."

Hampshire County Council said it is sorry if anyone has been offended and the museum said it would reconsider the showing of the exhibit if it received direct complaints.

Councillor Margaret Snaith, from Hampshire County Council said: "Most people of my age can remember these things and can remember collecting them.

"We were very sorry when the connotation changed. I just think it's a great pity."
Click to expand...
 
However unless you know the story, and just think of it as a childhood experience then of course it may sound silly, however to many black people its regarded as racist.
This is not new and has been a subject of complaint over many years, that's why you don't get them anymore and why you rarely if ever see any dolls for sale or the words used.
 
It is a historical collection. A museum exhibit. If you start to ban such things then you might consider banneing eg a historical photograph of Americans that included slaves. If you did that then you should certainly also ban all pictures or representations of eg Nelson's navy as many sailors were press-ganged intop far worse conditions than slaves. And then it follows that many representations of 19th century factory workers or miners must be banned because they were enslaved too by socio-ecenomic pressures. Don't forget to ban any first world war picturees of German soldiers who might have turned into Nazis, and so on.....
 
I think its different in as much as racism is still around today, and being called a golliwog still happens.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the thing should be pulled, however i am saying that i understand some people being upset with it.
 
I can't read anywhere where Dr Molyneux wants it to be banned. In fact, according to the quote he says that it's part of our history that he doesn't want to lose. His comment was that it's not just a piece of innocent childrens pastime history but part of a racial ignorance that prevailed at the time.

Sounds like the media trying to stir up a bit of racial unrest yet again. In my opinion, that is what is wrong with our country today..........
 
Back
Top Bottom