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Great Britain: Fury at Churchill statue (Former PM and beloved hero is in a straightjacket)
The Sun (U.K.) ^ | March 11, 2006 | JOHN TROUP

Posted on 03/11/2006 12:30:59 PM PST by Stoat

Fury at Churchill statue

Storm ... statue has provoked fury
Storm ... statue has provoked fury
 
 

By JOHN TROUP

 THE family of war hero Winston Churchill yesterday slammed a statue of him in a STRAITJACKET.

MP Nicholas Soames — his grandson — said: “It’s not only insulting, it’s pathetic.”

Churchill is known to have suffered periods of depression which he called his “black dog”.

And the charity Rethink put the lifesize statue on display in Norwich yesterday to symbolise how the mentally ill are stigmatised by society.

But Mr Soames said: “This is probably a good cause in search of publicity and they have let some idiot ruin their case.


 

Inspiring ... Sir Winston
Inspiring ... Sir Winston
Picture: REUTERS
 

“It is grossly offensive to Sir Winston and his millions of admirers.”

And World War II veteran Captain John Nunnely MBE, 83, said: “I am appalled to think that the 20th century’s greatest leader is being treated like this.”

Churchill’s family objected to the statue when it was planned.
 

But the charity went ahead anyway. A spokeswoman said: “Churchill was a great leader and this is an illustration of what people with mental illness can achieve.”

But one visitor to Norwich’s Forum centre said: “It’s wrong. Winston was a great man, whatever his mental problems were.”

 



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: art; britain; churchill; england; greatbritain; history; milhistory; statue; straightjacket; uk; unitedkingdom; winstonchurchill; ww2
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Sky News No Rethink Over Churchill Statue
 
The Churchill statue
The Churchill statue

Churchill Statue Backed

Updated: 10:39, Saturday March 11, 2006

 

A mental health charity has defended its decision to create a statue of Winston Churchill wearing a straitjacket.

The statue of Churchill, who suffered from depression, was unveiled in the centre of Norwich as part of a continuing campaign by the charity Rethink.

There has been widespread criticism of the statue, with Churchill's grandson, Conservative MP Nicholas Soames, telling The Sun: "It's not only insulting, it's pathetic.

"This is probably a good cause in search of publicity and they have let some idiot ruin their case. It is grossly offensive to Sir Winston and his millions of admirers."

A Rethink spokesman countered: "We believe that destroying the stigma that surrounds mental illness is a matter of national priority.

"We also believe that it is the joint responsibility of the media, Government and the public to achieve this aim, by portraying a more positive image of people with mental illness."

Rethink said Churchill was chosen because, despite depression, he was able to become Prime Minister and lead Britain to victory in the Second World War.

The charity said it wanted the statue to illustrate how discrimination surrounding depression and other mental illness acted like a straitjacket on sufferers.

Rethink said it had decided to focus its latest campaign on Norwich because there were more anti-depressant drugs prescribed in the city than anywhere else in central or eastern England.

Norwich also has a higher suicide rate than the national average and a higher rate of people self harming.

Rethink director of campaigns Paul Corry added:"We did not intend the statue to be offensive in any way.

"The message we want to portray is that it is possible to recover from mental illness and overcome it and be successful - because Churchill is an example of someone who was able to do that."

 
 

 

 

1 posted on 03/11/2006 12:31:06 PM PST by Stoat
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To: Stoat

The organizers of "Rethink" should consider their name v..e..r..y carefully, and then do so....

What complete "maroons".


2 posted on 03/11/2006 12:36:46 PM PST by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: TPartyType; snugs

W.Churchill ping.


3 posted on 03/11/2006 12:47:48 PM PST by Majie Purple
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To: ScaniaBoy

The point these idiots miss is Churchill battled his shortcomings in private. He did not become a "victim", along with accompanying sense of entitlement that these sort of organizations endorse.


4 posted on 03/11/2006 12:48:45 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
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To: ScaniaBoy
The organizers of "Rethink" should consider their name v..e..r..y carefully, and then do so....

What complete "maroons".

Aside from the obvious insult to Sir Winston, his family and to those who know even the most minimal aspects of the history of Great Britain, I'm astonished that such a project as this has been allowed to come to completion.  To commission and publicly place a large statue is extremely expensive, and before doing so one assumes that this organization did some minimal bit of research which suggested that the design would further their goals.  I can't believe that needlessly offending millions, perhaps billions of people would be a positive thing to do for any organization.

5 posted on 03/11/2006 12:49:52 PM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Purple Mountains Maj

Just don't say anything against muslims, jews or arabs and you are fine.


6 posted on 03/11/2006 12:50:44 PM PST by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: Stoat

It is truly ugly. Every time this kind of thing happens I kerep hoping the welfare addled masses of England will wake up.

If a high percentage of people are on anti-depressants then there's something wrong with the government that is handing them out. This would put ME on anti-depressants.

and I'm just Susy Sunshine.


7 posted on 03/11/2006 12:53:02 PM PST by squarebarb
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To: edcoil

"Just don't say anything against muslims, jews or arabs and you are fine."

Please explain why this was posted to me? I don't understand why...


8 posted on 03/11/2006 12:53:13 PM PST by Majie Purple
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To: Stoat

The Communists have always hated Churchill -- wonder if there is some connection.


9 posted on 03/11/2006 12:53:38 PM PST by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: squarebarb

kerep=keep

Maybe I need anti-dyslexic medication.


10 posted on 03/11/2006 12:53:42 PM PST by squarebarb
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To: iPod Shuffle
The point these idiots miss is Churchill battled his shortcomings in private. He did not become a "victim", along with accompanying sense of entitlement that these sort of organizations endorse.

Exactly, and to the best of my knowledge he was never so badly afflicted that he actually required a straightjacket or institutional commitment.  It grossly overstates the severity of his condition..

11 posted on 03/11/2006 12:53:53 PM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Stoat

guess the nazi/commie supporters have come out of the woodwork and into the open!


12 posted on 03/11/2006 12:54:51 PM PST by madtier1
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To: Stoat
to the best of my knowledge he was never so badly afflicted that he actually required a straightjacket

Of course not.

13 posted on 03/11/2006 1:12:40 PM PST by Siena Dreaming
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To: Siena Dreaming

In short, he coped.


14 posted on 03/11/2006 1:26:02 PM PST by luvbach1 (Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: madtier1

?


15 posted on 03/11/2006 1:46:21 PM PST by snugs (An English Cheney Chick - BIG TIME)
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To: squarebarb

Percentage wise I would assume similar to America.


16 posted on 03/11/2006 1:48:05 PM PST by snugs (An English Cheney Chick - BIG TIME)
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To: Stoat

Just let them make one of Mohammed in a strait jacket and
see how long they last.


17 posted on 03/11/2006 2:09:59 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Stoat; MadIvan

Ivan grab a lorry and go run the damn thing over...destroy it.


18 posted on 03/11/2006 2:38:50 PM PST by Dog
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To: Stoat
American left-wingers refused to put Franklin Roosevelt in a wheelchair statue for his memorial. Some disability groups complained, but the Left didn't care about the complaints, or the truth, they wanted a phony statue of their hero. So it goes.
19 posted on 03/11/2006 2:56:40 PM PST by TimSkalaBim
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To: Stoat

OMG-- What is the meaning of this?!


20 posted on 03/11/2006 2:59:40 PM PST by Fudd Fan (GET OFF THE THREAD YOU BIG DOPE! (I'm so Levinitized!)
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