BS: BNP Album Dispute Billy Bragg

Subject: BS: BNP ALBUM DISPUTE BILLY BRAGG
From: stevenrailing
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 12:53 PM

http://www.doncastertoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=786&ArticleID=1363019


TOWN FOLK MUSICIAN RECORDS CD FOR BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY
A DONCASTER folk singer has become the voice of BNP leader Nick Griffin on the far right group's new CD.
Lee Haggan, a former BNP local election candidate, has recorded nine songs for the BNP - most of them written by Griffin himself.

And fears have been raised that the CD could find its way into Doncaster schools after Griffin said on a TV documentary: "It's a great way of getting our message to children because they will listen to songs again and again and pick the words up straight away, where as maybe one in 100 would bother to listen to a speech."

And party activist Steven Cartwright claimed on the documentary: "We have a lot of people in schools who are happy to go along and put the CDs in locker areas and such, where they are sold very, very cheaply"
Haggan said: "I'm the BNP organiser for Doncaster and we've never targeted schools and probably never would. I wouldn't personally target schools. I will say one thing in our defence - the kids are brainwashed with that much rubbish in schools nowadays anyway."

Bentley-based Haggan, a party member for three years, was instrumental in producing the BNP's first CD for its new record label, Great White.
The label, whose logo is a shark, is part of a BNP merchandising campaign which the party hopes will raise £100,000 in the next year.
The 11-song CD, entitled Time To Make A Stand, is billed as "a collection of patriotic British folk songs performed by a group of popular patriotic musicians".

But the lyrics, mainly written by Griffin, are awash with polemic. One song, The Menace, features lyrics about "a shower of foreign traitors who want to take our land".

Now folk singer Billy Bragg has waded into the row after learning that the CD features a rewritten version of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land.

Mr Bragg, who is closely associated with the Woody Guthrie foundation, said: "I am going to contact the foundation in New York City immediately. I think they will be very, very angry about this and I think they may well start legal action to get this CD stopped."

The CD has also been criticised by Coun Glyn Jones, Doncaster
Council's cabinet member for human rights and equalities. He said: "We are not aware of any promotion or sale of this CD in our schools. It is the responsibility of individual schools to decide an on appropriate action for any incidents related to this CD and to ensure that they do not allow support for any political party on school premises."

The Free Press tried to speak to Nick Griffin on the matter but he was unavailable.
However party spokesman Dr Phil Edwards said: "It's family friendly. I manage to keep my hatred under control and funnel it through music. All it does is tell the truth. If you're going to be hamstrung by laws to stop us speaking out then we might as well pack it in."
When asked if the BNP were targeting schools with the CD he said: "I should hope so, yes."

Subject: RE: BS: BNP ALBUM DISPUTE BILLY BRAGG
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 01:45 PM

I hope this thread will be properly policed when the usual loonies start putting in their tuppence worth!
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: BNP ALBUM DISPUTE BILLY BRAGG
From: GUEST,reasonableman
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 02:37 PM

agree. loonies on both sides should be moderated. Not censorship, but simply a way to curb people trying to destroy a thread.

Subject: RE: BS: BNP ALBUM DISPUTE BILLY BRAGG
From: Purple Foxx
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 02:39 PM

Speaks volumes about the BNP that they can't even get two of their own members to give a consistent version of events.
Billy Bragg isn't always "Mr Popularity" on this site but he is a very genuine guy.
As for the BNP, as always watch the bastards.

Subject: RE: BS: BNP Album Dispute Billy Bragg
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:01 PM

Come on folks here's your chance to make a stand against racism. Let's see who does.

Subject: RE: BS: BNP Album Dispute Billy Bragg
From: Emma B
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 03:48 PM

One of Nick Griffin's songs was posted last April and despite requesting to have it deleted, as inherently promoting ethnic hatred, it is still available through a lyrics search.
Is "in the name of music" enough to allow this putrescence to remain? How long before we see more BNP hate propaganda above the BS line as "lyric add"?

Yes, I suppose I will continue to "make a stand"

Subject: RE: BS: BNP Album Dispute Billy Bragg
From: Wolfgang
Date: 27 Feb 06 - 04:09 PM

27 Feb 06 - 03:01 PM may just be a BNP man hoping for the publicity coming from attacks.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: BNP Album Dispute Billy Bragg
From: GUEST,smiler
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 04:55 PM

It won't be my desert island disc,but freedom of speech should never be banned.

Let people say what they think. They will be praised or ridiculed accordingly.

Regarding the Woody Guthrie cover, its ironic that he played with a sign on his instrument that said "This guitar kills fascists쳌."

Subject: RE: BS: BNP Album Dispute Billy Bragg
From: GUEST,Redskin from a byegone age
Date: 28 Feb 06 - 06:29 PM

at least 1980's nazi OI! rock music had a decent beat to it..

..if you could switch your higher brain functions off
and ignore the cretinous vicious fascist lyrics..

but in a cynical attempt to court mainstream society
& political legitimacy,
modern day BNP wants to publicly disown OI!
and diassociate itself from the crude but 'honest' portrayal
of its core nazi ideology..

shame, because without the exciting buzzsaw guitars and pounding drumbeat,
nazi 'folk' songs are simply exposed as the incompetent
badly written and performed pernicious shite that they are..