Mural in Edinburgh school

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Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby EMDEE » Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:42 pm

Is it reasonable that someone has complained about a mural in an Edinburgh school on racism grounds because it includes a picture of a golliwog?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-24999917
Merda taurorum animas conturbit. Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby katya » Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:56 pm

If it were drawn nowadays I would say there would be more grounds for the complaint, because it is seen as being racist. But this mural was done in a time where it was not seen as racist. Not sure why she complained to the police, I would have thought it would be brought up with the school in the first instance?
For a bit of perspective, when I worked in France in 1998 the supermarkets had black biscuits called "Little Nigger Heads"...
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby EMDEE » Tue Nov 19, 2013 2:14 pm

These were my thoughts too. The point is that the mural is "of its time", and was painted in 1936. We are all aware that the golliwog has since become regarded as a symbol of racism, but this shouldn't mean that history and the negative attitudes held in an earlier era should be swept under the carpet and ignored merely because they are now unacceptable. Surely the history of racism itself should be something that school pupils should be aware of in order to know how we have arrived at where we are in the area of race relations. The whole of society and attitudes therein are the result of our social history. There is much that is unpalatable in the history of any country, but that is not a reason to simply ignore it and pretend that it didn't happen.

I also find it puzzling as to why the police should become involved. What are they going to do about it? Dig up the artist and prosecute him/her? There must be more pressing issues in Edinburgh for the police to deal with than somebody making a complaint about a picture in a school.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby gray_marian » Tue Nov 19, 2013 8:25 pm

To answer EMDEE, no it's not reasonable and is a complete waste of police resources, If it's good enough for the school and the Heritage Fund then that should suffice. If Mrs PC from Edinburgh is offended then look away. Why should one person spoil it for everyone else.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby gizmo » Tue Nov 19, 2013 8:59 pm

The "Gollywog" was originally written as an untrustworthy troublemaker who was lazy and mischevious.
He is a stereotype who should be eradicated, this is 2013. Surely by now, no-one in their right mind can possibly think it is acceptable to portray black characters in this way. Put yourself in the position of a small black boy looking at that mural, would he be thinking, is that how people see me? Time to break out the whitewash methinks.(no pun intended).
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby lochend » Tue Nov 19, 2013 11:34 pm

The world has gone quite mad.Are we to go around destroying all works of art that depict murder,rape, mutilation etc? Are children to be banned from art galleries? Are we never to see the cartoons of Hogarth or the nightmarish paintings of Peter Breugal? In todays fevered climate having this image in a school was always going to get someone 'at it.' What ever happened to the age of innocence for our children? I'm sure none of the youngsters would have seen it in a racist context.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby gray_marian » Wed Nov 20, 2013 4:46 pm

I agree with your point Lochend.

Gizmo, I don't think children in this day and age [may be wrong] would be aware of the connotation of the gollywog. Most I think like my own children looked on at it as another soft toy. However if the school in question did change the colour and hair perhaps that would take the police out the equation. The children will eventually learn in senior school through history that a great deal of barbaric events happened all over the world in days gone by, still do.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby Martin » Thu Nov 21, 2013 6:04 pm

....
Last edited by Martin on Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ouch !
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby odds » Thu Nov 21, 2013 6:47 pm

"Police Scotland treats all reports relating to hate incidents extremely seriously and will thoroughly investigate whenever a report of this nature is made."

Now they really are having a laugh. !!!
I do not believe that people actually get offended by things like this, and it just goes to show that most racism only exists because there are people out looking for it to suit themselves at every opportunity.
I'll bet the pupil will be really proud of their parent if it has to be removed and then all the fingers will be pointing at her/him, and the whispering about who was to blame for the mural being removed. Then I suppose the parent will complain about racial harassment of their sibling.
Just my opinion.

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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby EMDEE » Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:06 pm

Actually when I see a golliwog I always think of jam and marmalade. :roll:
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby Martin » Fri Nov 22, 2013 8:22 am

It was from the jam that I got my Gollywog band, collecting coupons, we got through a lot of jam back then it seems. I have a wee badge somewhere as well.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby Shona » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:25 am

gray_marian wrote:If Mrs PC from Edinburgh is offended then look away. Why should one person spoil it for everyone else.


And where would we have been if all the people who fought (and still fight) against racial discrimination just 'looked away' because they were 'spoiling it for everyone else'?
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby Martin » Fri Nov 22, 2013 1:16 pm

Where would we be ? Probably in a much more tolerant and sensible society than we are stuck with now.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby Shona » Fri Nov 22, 2013 1:56 pm

Martin wrote:Where would we be ? Probably in a much more tolerant and sensible society than we are stuck with now.


Nonsense, Martin.

People like Rosa Parks should be applauded for taking on those who supported racial segregation. I'm pleased she 'spoilt the fun'.
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Re: Mural in Edinburgh school

Postby Martin » Fri Nov 22, 2013 3:28 pm

Oh dear, how quickly a mural in a school in Edinburgh spreads to the civil rights movement in America.
Thank you for brightening my day and making me smile.
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