Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
28 February 2009
11:5916378As the saying goes, it will be tomorrows chip wrapper.
Roger, I well know just from the couple of projects I am involved in with you just how hard you work at promoting this town and creating positive ways of improving life for everyone. Your drive, enthusiasm and cheerfulness would be sadly missed (even when we disagree) and I sincerely hope that you will rise above this nonsense and stay with us.
The joke, to be brutally honest, was not even a new one, just a variation on jokes that have been doing the rounds for years, as anyone prepared to have a laugh and read them will know. Blaming anyone for a joke is pathetic and just shows a lack of ability to come up with anything better. Are we so short of news at the moment that the papers are making so much of this, or are they just going for a target they don't have to think about when writing it?
Don't give up Roger, there cannot be a person in Dover who does not know that you are probably one of the least racist or antagonistic people in this town.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
28 February 2009
13:3416381Had this Joke been said by anyone to anyone to offend that person, it would be wrong.
This joke was a joke and put on a joke page, by a decent person who wanted to make people laugh.
Let's hope something good might eventually, quick I hope, come from this, by educating the odd few, that a joke is simply that, a joke. Not a personal comment intended to offend.
Don't give up Roger, PaulB is right not to remove it, no offence was intended so why remove it.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
28 February 2009
15:1516383howard,the thing you was wondering about is the person who complained and have read scumbag.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
28 February 2009
17:2316384Brian, please tell me both your scumbag posts straight after both my posts are just a coincident?
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
28 February 2009
19:3916385gary,yes they are srry about the confusion.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
28 February 2009
20:4916388i have not read the article from marijke, but have come to the conclusion that lazy journalism has taken over here.
the joke was an old one(as chris previously posted), not very good, but certainly not worthy of all this media tittle tattle.
i think that the best thing that roger could do is have a break for a few days, don't pick up the local papers next thursday, clear his head, calm down and get back to doing what he is good at, promoting dover.
i have been told many times by different people that they would not have a clue what is going on around here without his promotions.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
28 February 2009
21:1316389Brian
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,321
28 February 2009
21:4416390Howard I think your last posting is brilliant (7.49pm)
That is the best advice you could give to Roger.
Roger my love ..........in the words of a very old (like me!) song ........ pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again! Dover needs you, we all need you. Without you our town would be a much darker place so listen to what all your friends are telling you - and keep on doing what you have been - we need you.
And to all of you out there in forumland I'll say this - they say you don't know what you've got til you lose it ............... I think we all feel that way about Roger.
Roger you're the man - innit! lol
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Guest 666- Registered: 25 Mar 2008
- Posts: 323
28 February 2009
22:5416392Hi Roger,
My wifey says...
"I'm a mixed-race Zimbabwean lady (Rhodesian) who is disabled and look forward to my husband reading out the jokes from the forum to me, which I have alway found funny no matter what the tone of them.
As I have lived in the UK over 30 years and don't carry a chip on my shoulder I find it very sad that this country has become such a nanny-state that people are even afraid to sell jam for fear of Golliwogs! and I was brought up with such a doll and would trasure one now.
How pathetic and sad that the brits in their own country have to watch what they say and do for fear of reprisal. Such a small thing as a joke can be balooned into such an affair as this has become.
Please leave Roger alone - I enjoy his postings - if you don't like them - don't read 'em."
Oh Boy!, That'll be the day.........
Guest 658- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 660
28 February 2009
23:3016393Buddy G you're posting made a lot of sense, i used to would with a lot of Muslims they loved our humour it was the white pc brigade that caused the problems. Roger don't let them change you stuff em we know you as a decent man.
beer the food of the gods
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Roger
I think there are a number of issues involved here and heres my view for what its worth.
1; THE MEDIA
Sadly Roger in the past when iv mentioned the media and the damage they can
can do you were not over supportive, but of course thats your right, but now
it has come back to bite you.
2; The joke itself as iv said wasn't pleasant and certainly I wouldnt have put my
name to it, but you have since apologised so thats it for me
3; When your in the public eye as you are Roger its more difficult to be open
as you have learnt the hard way
4;l I always support posters right to post, hjave to say though the joke wasnt the
best, and from, reading it, you could see it was going to cause a stink
certainly couldnt see much funny in it, but i except people have differing
views. but the line has to be drawn and if people offended then have to be
more careful as im sure no one wants to upset people.
5; I hope this all dies down after the local media has a few weeks on it and we
move on
Sadly, the escalation and fuss has also made it almost impossible to discuss this subject, or racism, or any other politically sensitive issue without awkwardness and fear of causing upset. So, another victim of this episode is, in effect, free speech. I have always rather enjoyed the opportunity for debate - even if it does become heated at times! - on the forum, and on the whole we have all managed to agree and disagree amicably despite passions running high sometimes. Banning people, pursuing them through the media, or reporting them to whatever bodies that might be appropriate is not the way forward: discussion, debate and understanding creates opportunities for growth. This has been a sad episode - I hope it goes away soon.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i see that the bloke from kent refugee action forum(kran), pronounced crass, gave a suitably po-faced response to the joke.
i am not sure why this organisation still exists, practically all incomers to kent are from the new europe and legally entitled to be here.
we do not even have a major airport, whence refugees might arrive from afar.
who pays the mans wages?
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
This is the link to the Marijke Cox article....is Roger being too sensitive and who could blame him right now, but take a look..
http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=48dab662-66eb-428d-9892-ae1077705511
That should work. Many thanks to BWS for the link.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
paulb,i have this artical yesterday online,i tought it was a twisted story to boost circalation of the lowest kind.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
What Im suggesting Brian is that maybe Roger and Marijke dont need to fall out at all as they are both very nice people. I was trying to put myself in Marijke's position...how would I handle it if I had to write it. You cant do a rose tinted PR story, it has to have some bite in it, some edge to it.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Roger/Paulb/M arek
I';v not read Mareks version so cant comment on it but I have always found Marek to have strong but balanced views.
I hope this doesn't end ith Roger/Marek falling out as thats in no ones interest.
Sadly when your in the public eye these things happen I suspect had this not been Roger It would not even have come to lihght.
I know from past experience on this.
Hopefully the diust will settle very soon and we will see both Roger and Marek contributing, whilst as Iv said I disagree with many of Rogers posts he does have passion and I share a lot of views expressed by Marek
It would be a sad loss to lose one or both of them
Keith
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Hi there Keith
No, just to clarify..youve got the wrong end of the stick there. Its not Marek we are talking about but Marijke Cox of YOUR DOVER newspaper.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
PAULb
Thanks for digging me out of the mire there!!!!I know I hold strong views but they are my own and I certainly don't need Marijke views attributed to me..lol
Like yourself,Paulb. I fully appreciate Marijkes' position and she has to put to one side her own personal views and paint both sides of canvas to give the full picture.Ben Bano's comments were in my opinion very helpful and supportive as as dear old CharlieE stated "we all make mistakes"
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 650- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 542
Roger seemingly has had an immense amount of support, two key lines of which are that he's a gentleman and that he works very hard indeed for Dover.
As these would appear integral to this situation, then if a balance is needed to any reporting perhaps the local papers would wish to consider giving space to Roger to talk about such things, and about the several initiatives in which he's currently involved.