Harmless fun?

[youngmafbog]

Or do the pinko's on this site find it violates their human rights?

http://news.sky.com/s...ng-to-go-up-in-flames

[ichkeria]

""Then we had George Osborne but he hasn't really got a face that everyone knows and he's just a chap in a suit. We felt he would be a bit boring."

Surely the ultimate insult: too boring to have your effigy burned ... :-)
Seems a shame to burn all those lovely figures ...

[mushroom25]

having burned osama bin laden in 2001 and a gypsy caravan in 2003, one wonders whose delicate sensitivities will be scorched by the bonfire societies of Lewes this year......

[rojash]

"Or do the pinko's on this site find it violates their human rights? "

You do come up with some drivel when you want to, don't you? (Nice use of apostrophe, by the way).

[anotheoldgit]

As most of you know I am far from being a pinko, but I find all this to be rather medieval, and how can we criticise the 'Poppy Burners' and others in the Middle East who will burn anything at the drop of a hat.

But if some must then this sort of thing is better saved for the those real bogey men of history such as Guy Fawkes and Adolph Hitler.

[ludwig]

I quite like the idea. The Jim'll fix it badge is a nice touch.

[jomifl]

Lance and Jimmy....strange bedfellows...

[andy-hughes]

I find effigy burning out of place in a modern society.

In days past when life was hard, brutal and short, the burning of a traitor's effigy such as Guy Fawkes was considered the norm, but it would be nice to think we have moved on from what was essentially barbaric times.

So, the notion of burning the effigy of a living person - what ever their real or reported, or even imagined transgressions is inappropriate in this day and age - it sends out an unpleasant message.

What's a pinko?

[sandyRoe]

They'll be getting their town a reputation to rival Hartlepools, where they hung the monkey.

[ludwig]

// In days past when life was hard, brutal and short, the burning of a traitor's effigy such as Guy Fawkes was considered the norm //

..actually the burning of the actual traitor was considered the norm andy, so if we're only doing effigies these days, then we've definitely advanced.

[andy-hughes]

A fair point ludwig - but if the point of effigy burning is to re-affirm the nation's hatred for a traitor, then surely only effigies of traitors should be burned - leaving aside the distasteful message of such behaviour which really has no place in a modern society.

So the figures involved are not appropriate - especially as none of them have been traitors in the accepted sense of the word.

I think if you were to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes these days, and took a random poll of the people who turned up to watch it, you;d be hard pressed to find double figures of anyone who knew who he was, and the history of the event which is recognised by the burning they are watching.

[bednobs]

am i the only one who has no idea what a pinko is?

[ummmm]

No, me and Andy haven't a clue either.

[bednobs]

well a quick wiki link tells me a pinko is someone who is affliated with communism!

[ludwig]

// I think if you were to burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes these days, and took a random poll of the people who turned up to watch it, you;d be hard pressed to find double figures of anyone who knew who he was, and the history of the event which is recognised by the burning they are watching. //

Which is why we need more modern figures to burn. It's all good clean fun.

[jackthehat]

It's a shortened version of 'pinko-commie-bas***d'......which is used to humorous effect by the right-whingers on this site to describe anyone with a slightly more sensible reaction to the world around them.

I think ymb ought to be congratulated for managing to spell 'human' correctly, on this thread, too.

[andy-hughes]

Actually ... i did know what it meant - just a mild tease in youngmafbog's direction.

Hi jack - how ya doin'?

(Shhhh, don't tell AOG I said that!!)

[jackthehat]

;o)

<taps side of nose>

[andy-hughes]

LOL x

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// but if the point of effigy burning is to re-affirm the nation's hatred for a traitor, then surely only effigies of traitors should be burned ///

Blimey Andy if we were to do that and with the number of traitors we now have in this country, we could start up a company making effigies 24/7, that would help to reduce the unemployed numbers.

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

I heard you, it all puts me off my lunch, why don't you two do the honest thing and get hitched?