It seems one in five voters would consider voting for Nick Griffin following his appearance on Question Time. And one of those, is ….my mother!
It has caused great ructions in this house as everyone has tried to challenge her opinion which they should all know by now does nothing but cement her weird ideas even further. I know she is partly doing it to get attention but it has really upset me.
She insists she is not a racist but in the same breath says that he isn’t either as he has apparently said in the past that non-white people can stay in this country if they pull their weight, and that’s what she thinks too. And then she goes on and on and on with her views on muslims, asylum seekers, eastern Europeans, blacks (she doesn’t differentiate between them) etc…..and how they are “bringing this country down”. I hate it when she talks like this. She has always held very right-wing views that have got worse since my dad died. He used to keep her in check and I have often warned her to keep her thoughts to herself, which she has largely done. Now though, thanks to Nick bloody Griffin, she thinks she can express them loudly and proudly. She believes most people feel the same but don’t have the courage to admit what they really think in public.
I feel so ashamed of her. The children have been arguing with her and Ewan has taken to simply avoiding her. She’s been in a mood all day and has just screamed at me that I am turning my family against her even though I’m the one who has said the least. There’s been a horrible atmosphere in this house since that damned programme was aired and right now everyone is in their own rooms, feeling miserable.
It’s not often like this in our house but when it is, it’s because of her.
5 Things Friday
11 hours ago
Nick Griffin and his ilk appeal to the worst and lowest common denominators and people's own inherent fears and misconceptions. It is generally the immigrants to this country who pull more than there own weight and a good proportion of the "native" population who are prone to skiving and sponging off the state.
ReplyDeleteSelina, in my role as a radio reporter I once had to cover a BNP meeting in Bradford. From what I heard and saw, no one with any kind of informed opinion or broad outlook on the world would ever consider voting for them. Which is precisely why they target in the main the most deprived and least socially mobile sections of society. That's not me being a snob, because really I'm not. I just know that the BNP campaign on very local issues like promising to clean up the recreation ground/putting speed bumps on the road, prompting the response that "they are the only party standing up for me" that you so often hear.
ReplyDeleteLook a little deeper into the backgrounds of those at the top though and you will see there is a little more there than altruists with a social conscience who "merely" want to stand up for "honest, hard working British people. Don't be fooled!
There is a French politician of the same ilk named Jean-Marie Le Pen, and his name was plastered up and graffitied in many places a while back. And fortunately, some quick thinking folks with a pot of paint and brushes went around and transformed "Le Pen" into "Le Penis" . . . which caused great laughter every time I spotted one of those cases...
ReplyDeleteThey're also notorious for failing to deliver on local issues more comprehensively than any other party, which is why they've consistently lost ground in those areas where they've initially gained seats.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is almost as bad. You should hear her about Mexicans or Democrats. But the fact that she lives in Florida makes it easier to deal with...
I'm from Bradford and John is right. I live within a couple of miles of some pubs that were featured in an undercover documentary about the BNP.
ReplyDeleteThe area I live in is always targetted by BNP would be politicians. It makes me sick. Posting their leaflets filled with hate and propaganda through my door. Scaremongering. It's vile but veiled.
Round these parts many many people are openly racist and some are borderline. The BNP does play on insecurties and at the last general election they managed to get 4.2% of the vote, which may not sound like much 2000 votes in a small town is alot.
The thing I find here in Bradford is that racism is often learned behaviour. Passed down from the older generations. I have pulled my Father in Law up for saying certain things before as I will not have my children learning hate like that from family. Of course they will hear it elsewhere, but not in on my watch.
Sorry for rambling!
:)
I'll admit that i don't know who this Griffin person is (In my mind he looks like this http://www.vampirerave.com/premium/files/ncbandit/Griffin2.jpg and thus at first I couldn't NOT believe that you could not like a thing that has paws like that!). Upon reading your post further though, it came to my attention as to what is actually going on...
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather is quite right wing and it is nearly impossible to discuss politics with him. His biggest fear is that I am going to marry a black man - seriously. In someways I kind of wan to, just to spite him, yes, I realise that makes me a bad person.
And then I giggled because you spell program 'programme' and that's why I love you Brits!
Er that was just suppose to say could NOT. not Couldn't not. apologies. I was so excited about those paws!
ReplyDeleteHi Selina...
ReplyDeleteShared an award with you on my blog today.