Esther Stanford - Best advert the National Front ever had.

It was my extreme misfortune to see and then hear (on Radio 4’s the Today Program), Esther Stanford talking (read shouting) about how the British government should not only apologise for the slave trade (abolished 200 years ago next year) but should also pay compensation to the descendents of the victims.

You’d have to be some kind of revisionist nutter to try and pretend that the disgusting trade in human beings was anything less than one of the most shameful episodes in human history. I say ‘human history’ because I do not think that white northern Europeans can or should be singled out for the dubious honour of being entirely responsible for the deaths and abuses committed during that period. As the historian who was sitting next to Ms Stanford on Breakfast pointed out, the slave trade would not have been possible without those Africans who were already selling their enemies and fellow countrymen to the Arab traders (who had been operating since the 9th century). This point was refuted by the lawyer, Esther Stanford, who went on to say that a minority of ‘collaborators’ should not be used to damn an entire people. (an irony that must have passed her by, as she was damning the whole of British society by holding it accountable for the 200 year old crime).

I guess the problem I have with Esther is her enormous anger - which she has directed at the white section of our society. I wonder what wrong was done to her to make her so angry at a group of people whose only defining feature is the colour of their skin.

I do not believe that the majority of black people feel that they are owed a debt (either morally of financially) by British people with white skin. I would like to believe that most sensible people who hear her divisive rhetoric would laugh her off as an angry racist nutter, however I think that there are enough disaffected and angry people in this country who will listen to her and agree with her beliefs as to make her a figure with some influence.

She made me feel angry this morning, shouting down reasonable debate on TV and radio - and I’m a left liberal type - what will all those right wing Daily Mail readers ‘think’? Well done Ms Stanford - You have just helped the BNP get another council seat - give yourself a big pat on your back (but be careful not to dislodge that enormous chip…)

Written by exmonkey on November 27th, 2006 with 11 comments.
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