'Winston Churchill' stuck in straitjacket (New statue)

WorldNetDaily ^ | 3/12/06 | WorldNetDaily

[wagglebee]

 

Statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in straitjacket (photo: Eastern Daily Press)

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, recently voted the "Greatest Briton" ever, is being remembered this month in England with a statue of him in a straitjacket.

"It's not only insulting, it's pathetic," Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames, a member of Parliament, told the Sun newspaper. "It is grossly offensive to Sir Winston and his millions of admirers."

The statue of Churchill in a straitjacket in the town of Norwich is the product of Rethink, a mental-health charity looking to draw attention to the stigma surrounding those suffering from mental disorders.

Churchill was selected for the exhibit since he dealt with symptoms of manic depression during his life, was able to become prime minister, led the country through World War II, and was voted top Brit in a national poll.

"We chose the former prime minister to show that mental illness should not be a barrier to leadership, historic significance and popularity," Rethink's chief executive, Cliff Prior, told the Eastern Daily Press. "If the general public's negative views on mental health held sway, Winston Churchill would never have been an MP, let alone prime minister."

Another Rethink spokesman, Paul Corry, told the BBC the statue was not meant to be offensive.

"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," he said. "We are not intending to undermine Churchill or denigrate the efforts of anyone involved in the Second World War in any way whatsoever."

Allen Packwood, director of the Churchill Archives Centre, said while he could understand the reasons for putting up the statue, he disagreed with the portrayal of Churchill.

"It does highlight the fact that even the most famous individuals, the most iconic, are human, do suffer from human frailties ... and I think it is quite right that that does not diminish him, it heightens his achievements," he told BBC Radio 4's Today program.

"What I would question is whether his depression was ever really a straitjacket for him," he added.

Soames commented on Rethink's effort, telling the Sun, "This is probably a good cause in search of publicity and they have let some idiot ruin their case."

[wagglebee]

"It's not only insulting, it's pathetic," Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames, a member of Parliament, told the Sun newspaper. "It is grossly offensive to Sir Winston and his millions of admirers."

He is absolutely right. Churchill may have been depressed, but he knew how to define evil and stand up to totalitarianism, unlike the appeasement crowd.

[wagglebee]

Ping.

[festus]

The only churchill that belongs in a straight jacket is Ward.

[SAMS]

"a mental-health charity looking to draw attention to the stigma surrounding those suffering from mental disorders."

If some organization is trying to dispel a stigma, I'm of the mindset that putting someone in straight jacket is not the way to go about it.

[359Henrie]

Well said.

[ClearCase_guy]

So, they want to send a message that people who suffer from depression are dangerous, and ought to be locked into straitjackets before they hurt themselves or others.

Nice attempt at removing the stigma.

[Doctor Raoul]

Rethink should rethink.

[trashcanbred]

I think they meant to be cute and funny and send a message... I think they were dumb to do it this way... but I don't take this as "that" offensive. Trust me I am a BIG fan of Churchill and I know what they were trying to do... Lincoln also had some serious problems where he took "Blue Mass" which contained mercury. I think it would have been equally stupid to make a statue like that of him. There are better ways to get your message across.

[perfect stranger]

Please let them know what you think about this idiocy

Rethink general enquiries
Tel: 0845 456 0455 or email info@rethink.org

National advice service
Tel: 020 8974 6814 (open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday) or e-mail advice@rethink.org

Media contacts: press office
Director of Campaigns and Communications, Paul Corry, Tel: 020 7330 9110 or 07775 585 178 or email: paul.corry@rethink.org

Media Manager, Lana Savic, Tel: 020 7330 9129, email lana.savic@rethink.org

Media Officer Liz Nightingale, Tel: 020 7330 9112, or email: liz.nightingale@rethink.org

[Dialup Llama]

Rethink is a very Orwellian sounding name for a mental healh facility. Sounds like it comes from a Phillip K. Dick novel.

[Dark Skies]

I don't have a problem with Churchill in a straight-jacket. That is what the appeasers thought at the time. Of course they were wrong...and history proved Churchill right.

Now let's put Mohammed in a straight-jacket and see if history can exonerate him.

[ecomcon]

...the stigma surrounding those suffering from mental disorders...

A little stigma can be a good thing.

[Kakaze]

" "It does highlight the fact that even the most famous individuals, the most iconic, are human, do suffer from human frailties ... and I think it is quite right that that does not diminish him, it heightens his achievements," he told BBC Radio 4's Today program. "

One more attempt, ( sad at that )to destroy any true type of hero or role model.

We're all sick and depraved, discipline is a myth, thats what they want the youth to think and I'm afraid its working.

[Sometimes A River]

It's not PC to be (or have been) a strong white male.

[Alouette]

I thought they meant this Churchill:

[Dark Skies]

My rendition of "da man"...

[6SJ7]

It does highlight the fact that even the most famous individuals, the most iconic, are human, do suffer from human frailties...

The creed of the liberal: If something is great, tear it down. If something is trash, elevate it.

[ikka]

Why not have these people in a straitjacket:

Madonna (who lives in London these days)

John Maynard Keynes (founder of the shared delusion called Keynesian economics)

Harold Wilson (as Prime Minister, he was essentially the Jimmy Carter of that country)

They will happily tear down authority figures who are in any sense "conservative" while praising to the skies any prominent leftist.

[LibKill]

That is just wrong.

Churchill was a great man. Much more so than any of these little weenie-boys.

[goodnesswins]

Someone should start putting up statues of lefty people in DIAPERS......at LEAST Churchill could MANAGE his life AND world affairs, unlike the commie/socialist/lefties we are faced with now.