Saturday, January 29, 2011

Jersey Hypocrisy Day?


Since 2001, Jersey has been marking Holocaust Day with a ceremony.
Twenty-two people from Jersey are known to have died in the various extermination camps during World War Two and it is perfectly proper that they should not be forgotten.

But, as referred to in our previous blog – this ceremony is part of our obsession with death in war and the manner in which this is so often presented as something glorious.

At the centre of Jersey’s Holocaust Day is the former navigation light, now turned into yet another obelisk to the memory of the fallen and every year it is the focal-point for a service of remembrance and laying of wreaths. Of course, that is all perfectly desirable - but what else does or should happen?

“It must never happen again” is the message on so many lips year after year - and the same annual speeches are presented by Jersey’s leaders about man’s inhumanity and the horrors of war. Yet, the people of Jersey fail to remove the discrimination and injustices within this little community that are the very breeding ground for discontent and hostility between groups and nations.

Here, in the following video we look very briefly at this year’s ceremony and speak with Constable Simon Crowcroft who laid a wreath for the people and Parish of St. Helier.

Last year, interviews with Senators Freddie Cohen and Ian Le Marquand were posted on You Tube by The Voice and these are re-presented here too so that the smug complacency of our government might be exposed.

With the passing of yet another year, there is even less chance of Jersey enacting anti-discriminations laws in the near future or signing-up for so many of the international human rights conventions and treaties that were written following the “Holocaust.”

Jersey was supposedly “liberated” in 1945 from occupation and should be leading the world in upholding human rights standards. In fact, this Island is so far behind most places that it is becoming an insult to the memory of the many millions who have died in wars.

This Island claims not to have the funds or resources to ratify the world’s most basic obligations with regard to children, women or disability yet has ample money to establish overseas offices in Brussels, the Middle East and China touting for tax haven business.

This is hypocritical and discredits Jersey’s Holocaust Memorial internationally.

13 comments:

  1. "This Island claims not to have the funds or resources to ratify the world’s most basic obligations with regard to children, women or disability yet has ample money to establish overseas offices in Brussels, the Middle East and China touting for tax"

    Yes Sir! Could not have put it better!

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  2. It does not cost anything to stop using the police to persecute smashed up people. It costsa lot of money to use the police as a private army to bully people who have been smashed up, to try to stop them speaking about the way they have been abused. Cover ups always costs.

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  3. No nonesense plain English piece of literature, even the Birt's and Bailhache's of this world might understand it?

    One Day!

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  4. This is a most excellent post. A must read for everyone.

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  5. Is Jersey a “democratic country” as suggested by the Constable? Romania under N C was a “horrible regime” but it had elections. I believe Tunisia and Egypt have regularly held elections and nothing changed.

    Senator Cohen, being Jewish, understands about oppression. When ever there is “a time of troubles” the Jews get it in the neck and they know it.

    Interestingly the Home Affairs Minister has had to abandon the anti discrimination legislation because Ozo and friends have cut the budget. There is money for other things, like buffets at the Radisson Hotel, but that £100k Senator Le Marquand mentioned is unavailable now in 2011. Maybe its not the fault of the Home Affairs Minister, but the problem is when you are part of a government, there is collective responsibility. Perhaps there is a more obvious solution and that is to ditch the Ozo. But then they are all in it together.

    How about spending the £100k on buying now unwanted second hand tear gas from Tunisia? It might be money well spent.

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  6. As long as we can pop down once a year for a photo, say the right things, then do nothing else till the following year, then thats ok. The interview with Senator Cohen is priceless. You just cant help but shake ones head at this stupidity. This really is a great piece. I hope we have some follow ups

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  7. I have been informed that the interview with Senator Cohen is a year old. Is this True?

    rs

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  8. Rico.

    Yes the Freddie Cohen interview was filmed the year before. They've all been saying the same stuff for the past 60 years or so. They will be saying all the same stuff in another 60 years. Jersey has learnt nothing, whether it be from the Child Abuse Scandal, deaths at the hospital or the Holocaust. If those poor people who lost their lives in the holocaust could see Jersey today and that nothing has changed in the discrimination laws, what, or how would they feel?

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  9. So, we have no money to impliment long overdue discrimination laws but Gorst wants to consider buying plemont - the words priorities and wrong spring to mind.

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