A leopard can't change its spots.

[KichigaiNeko]

---

Indeed, the lawyers will put both cases.

Indeed. My point being a) we have two old biddies that don't have a life and b) just how did the Golliwog get to the window and was it intentional??

Quite frankly I am thinking it is a distraction for the UK for the mess it is in. This is the best your tabloids can come up with?? Not any different to Australlias then...

How do you or I or anybody know what sort of a life these women live? The defendant has already said she thinks a child put it there.
The court will either believe that or not.
Unlike you, I think this case is significant because of its nature.
And I prefer reading a serious story to pages of " celebrity " antics which unfortunately dominate many of our papers.

Right ..so the Euro is going down the gurgler, the financial status of your country is heading for the poor house BUT YOU would RATHER be tied up with THIS issue of two old biddies fighting it out in court??

British are we??

---

I think we are at the end of this now. I have stated I think it is a serious case. I have said I prefer reading about it ( and about the Euro/financial matters ) to pouring over celebrity shite.
Yes, British, but I don't see the point of your question marks.

meh I think you are being distracted from issues that really NEED the judicial systems attention. I find that most people interested in this sort of stuff of British decent ..thank you for contributing to the data.

I personally don't think it is an issue. I think it is about time people got over the personal privilege of 'insult' and became more comfortable with just who they are and how they are..this is just BS imho.

But hey bozo...whatever floats your boat. There are other issues far more pressing than this is all I'm saying

[frankiej]

With Scotland close to an independence referendum, I really hope we get it through.

I think we will do rather well...

BTW, do you think Nick Frost should be arrested for this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNmO_2sKbP4

[Tiberius]

This culminated in the accused, Jena Mason , displaying the golliwog in a prominent window in her 16th century manor house.

No, this culminated in the accused allegedly displaying the golliwog in a prominent window of her house. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Not that I think displaying dolls in your window is any grounds for arrest, but the fact remains that Mrs Mason claims that the doll was put there by a child. It is up to the courts to prove otherwise, which I doubt very much that they can do (and if they do find her guilty, we'll see just how corrupt the court system in the UK has become).

The neighbour, Mrs O'donnell , lives in a £1 million converted barn.
It is clear we are dealing here with rich people.

I fail to see how this is in any way relevant. I'd support the freedom of expression for any person, whether they are rich or poor, black or white, racist or not.

The court will decide whether the accused's actions constitute racial harassment that the complainant is alleging.
The magistrates will need to judge whether the accused intended to harass the complainant by use of the golliwog, KNOWING THAT SO DOING IS RACIALLY OFFENSIVE TO THE NEIGHBOUR.

So now you can get convicted for offending someone? Seriously, what is the UK coming to. People need to lighten up; there are ideas out there that are dangerous to society, but you can't control them by locking up the people who espouse them. Even if you locked up all the racists, the idea of racism would survive. If you want to end racism, you need to do it by allowing it to die naturally, and by enforcing positive legislation (focusing on equal rights).

It can only be offensive if the history of the golliwog figure is taken account of and if it is, in the magistrates' eyes, still offensive today.

I understand how it can be offensive to black people. I simply do not see how it is any of their business what people believe, what ideas they espouse, or even what things they decide to display in their windows. You have the right to be offended; you shouldn't have the right to have someone arrested for offending you. It's a slippery slope towards fascism; something that this country is quickly becoming.

The accused looks old, about my age and she will be well aware of the history of the golliwog and how, over time, its popularity dropped because of the racist connotations. I think it likely, but it is for the court to decide, that she knew exactly what she was doing by displaying the doll so prominently at the time she did so i.e whilst in conflict with her neighbour.

If she did display the doll in her window, then I agree with you. She probably did do it as some racist message. I still support her right to have those views though, and to espouse them in any way she wants to. The fact remains though, that she never attacked Mrs O'Donnell; she never did anything to cause her harm; all she did was display a doll with racist implications in her window. It caused offense, sure, but why should that be a crime?

[KichigaiNeko]

Agree with you Adrian 100%

UK..Brits in particular are getting so caught up in inconsequentialities as to miss the REAL threat to their society and existence; and way of life.

FFS!! Get over your selves and really LOOK at what is happening to the British Isles!!

[frankiej]

Agree with you Adrian 100%

UK..Brits in particular are getting so caught up in inconsequentialities as to miss the REAL threat to their society and existence; and way of life.

FFS!! Get over your selves and really LOOK at what is happening to the British Isles!!

What do you expect, there are a bunch of Tories in power down south.

[Napoléon]

all she did was display a doll with racist implications in her window. It caused offense, sure, but why should that be a crime?

It hurted derrr feelings owwwwwwwww.

[frankiej]

Yeah, they have hurt feelings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lg51dzWHJE

[bozo]

This culminated in the accused, Jena Mason , displaying the golliwog in a prominent window in her 16th century manor house.

No, this culminated in the accused allegedly displaying the golliwog in a prominent window of her house. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Not that I think displaying dolls in your window is any grounds for arrest, but the fact remains that Mrs Mason claims that the doll was put there by a child. It is up to the courts to prove otherwise, which I doubt very much that they can do (and if they do find her guilty, we'll see just how corrupt the court system in the UK has become).

The neighbour, Mrs O'donnell , lives in a £1 million converted barn.
It is clear we are dealing here with rich people.

I fail to see how this is in any way relevant. I'd support the freedom of expression for any person, whether they are rich or poor, black or white, racist or not.

The court will decide whether the accused's actions constitute racial harassment that the complainant is alleging.
The magistrates will need to judge whether the accused intended to harass the complainant by use of the golliwog, KNOWING THAT SO DOING IS RACIALLY OFFENSIVE TO THE NEIGHBOUR.

So now you can get convicted for offending someone? Seriously, what is the UK coming to. People need to lighten up; there are ideas out there that are dangerous to society, but you can't control them by locking up the people who espouse them. Even if you locked up all the racists, the idea of racism would survive. If you want to end racism, you need to do it by allowing it to die naturally, and by enforcing positive legislation (focusing on equal rights).

It can only be offensive if the history of the golliwog figure is taken account of and if it is, in the magistrates' eyes, still offensive today.

I understand how it can be offensive to black people. I simply do not see how it is any of their business what people believe, what ideas they espouse, or even what things they decide to display in their windows. You have the right to be offended; you shouldn't have the right to have someone arrested for offending you. It's a slippery slope towards fascism; something that this country is quickly becoming.

The accused looks old, about my age and she will be well aware of the history of the golliwog and how, over time, its popularity dropped because of the racist connotations. I think it likely, but it is for the court to decide, that she knew exactly what she was doing by displaying the doll so prominently at the time she did so i.e whilst in conflict with her neighbour.

If she did display the doll in her window, then I agree with you. She probably did do it as some racist message. I still support her right to have those views though, and to espouse them in any way she wants to. The fact remains though, that she never attacked Mrs O'Donnell; she never did anything to cause her harm; all she did was display a doll with racist implications in her window. It caused offense, sure, but why should that be a crime?

You are correct in the first part. She is indeed inocent until proven guilty. My mistake. And yes again, the court will make a judgement about whether she did or not.
I only mention how well off they both are because it would not be surprising for a woman of that age and background ( shire woman not nouveau riche I am speculating ) to have racist tendencies. Again speculating, part of the problem may, stress, may, be their different backgrounds. The case may prove me right or wrong on these.

You obviously don't like the idea of punishment for race hate crimes, but that's your problem. The law does punish such crimes. So lighten up yourself to actual reality. If mrs. Mason had stoped to think about the possible implications for her actions ( if she did it ) then she took the risk and the risk bit her.

[Napoléon]

I only mention how well off they both are because it would not be surprising for a woman of that age and background ( shire woman not nouveau riche I am speculating ) to have racist tendencies.

Are you serious? This kind of blatent stereotyping is what leads to things like racism in the first place. Treat people as individuals, not ages, backgrounds, races or cultures and the world would be a better place.

[bozo]

I only mention how well off they both are because it would not be surprising for a woman of that age and background ( shire woman not nouveau riche I am speculating ) to have racist tendencies.

Are you serious? This kind of blatent stereotyping is what leads to things like racism in the first place. Treat people as individuals, not ages, backgrounds, races or cultures and the world would be a better place.

Do you know what " speculating " means?