There’s a growing backlash against the British National Party’s attempts to hijack the military and the honour of Britain’s Armed Forces in the run up to the 2010 General Election.
Saturday’s The Sun reported our story about the BNP’s attempts to exploit the image of Fusilier Tom James, who has suffered terrible injuries in Afghanistan.
Despite the campaign claiming it is not political, it has been set up by Simon Bennett, the BNP’s web master, and is supported by the BNP’s reactionary Defence spokesman, Peter Mullins.
The News of the World carried a snippet on the failure of the BNP’s ”Bring them Home” campaign saying it has ”gone down badly with troops – where soldiers of diverse ethnic background serve alongside each other like brothers.” It goes on to say:
“… they just want people back home to support them. They are also angry after the racist BNP criticised Grenada-born VC hero Johnson Beharry, who saved the lives of 30 comrades.”
The People also featured a story about Jessica Deans, the fiancé of Liam Elms, a former marine killed on New Years Eve in 2008.
Jessica, a 22-year-old nurse, said: “I find it an outrage that an image of Liam’s coffin on the day of his funeral is being used as propaganda for the BNP’s personal gain.”
And Liam’s father Michael, 51, said: “We haven’t give our permission for them to use any coverage of Liam’s funeral on this video. It’s out of order that the picture has been put in the public domain and for the BNP to use it for political gain is not on. It feels like an easy way for the BNP to get people involved in their party and to make money.”
Griffin and Darby claim they have the support of Britain’s Armed Forces and believe that by cloaking themselves in the honour of our brave soldiers and veterans it will help to de-toxify their brand. However, ever since our Stolen Valour campaign the British electorate have publicly stated they don’t appreciate their Armed Forces being crudely politicised.
Griffin & co should cease and desist.
Maurice Cousins
For more information on the BNP’s attempts to hijack the Armed Forces please read our Stolen Valour report. Also see our information note “Flying the white flag: How the BNP’s policies would make Britain less safe”.
Tags: featured, Stolen Valour, veterans
Another link to Lancaster Unity who I can’t help but think aren’t exactly supportive of our armed forces under normal circumstances.
I haven’t see the video you mention but I would assume that the soldier wasn’t named in the video & it is somebody for their own political ends that has gone to the family & told them, asking a loaded question about what do you think of the image being used in this way?
I would argue that all coffins shown on the news are “political” as it reminds you what this government has done & that will continue with the next government if they don’t resolve the situation.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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As for the News of the screws & Searchlight, they are beneath contempt on a good day, fat lot of use they are to our troops.
Again who is using who for their own political ends?
Well I guess at a push the NOTW can be used as toilet paper if our useless government can’t supply that along with the correct equipment?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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“……….reported our story about the BNP’s attempts to exploit……”
But the link has no BNP signs or names on e-mail image.
A poor attempt at exploitation I think, you are doing a better job in that regard.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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It would be if you attempted to make political capital out of it, which is what your party is attempting to do with the Armed Forces, dead servicemen and veterans.
I’d like to take the opportunity to remind your party’s outburst about the Gurkhas, the repellent comments made about the Beharry VC & the comparison of British Generals to Nazi war criminals.
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Well it can be argued now that a lot of people are using this as a political football including this site.
The present government are the worst for misusing our troops, unless the incoming Conservative government prove to be worse?
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Maurice,
As you say quite rightly, it “would be if” we attempted to make political gain out of it, but there is a royal “we” in there.
I, as an individual am involved in this – not the party. This is something I have chosen to do off my own back after someone asked for my help. I have, and will continue to go to great lengths to ensure that politics plays no role whatsoever in this. Perhaps you would be decent enough to do the same for the sake of the family involved?
As for any other matters that you mentioned, they are not my immediate concern – this matter is. You have got this one wrong, so please do the right thing and let it go. Allow the lad to have his 21st birthday without any negative fuss or hassle.
If you want to politicise the other issues, by all means do so, you are entitled to as someone who opposes the BNP. This one though, you have got horribly wrong. This is genuinely a personal thing, not political.
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What outburst about the Gurkhas Maurice?
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Read our report.
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http://bnp.org.uk/tag/bnp-gurkhas/
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“massive backlash”
Do you even know what the meaning of massive is?
This site, good for a laugh if NOTHING else.
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“Massive backlash”
It is irony, we British are famous for it!
In this case it means a storm in a thimble, as the tea cup was too big.
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@ reguired re: the truth – its in the report.
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Its in the links awaiting moderation that you wont show.
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I see the thumbs up and thumbs down have gone. TOO MANY THUMBS DOWN FOR NB. PATHETIC.
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Its easy to be brave from a safe distance – Aesop
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If this is not a rude question, what happened to the thumbs up or down thing?
Some might think you have pulled it because it was not working in your favour?
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I see the thumbs up and thumbs down have gone. TOO MANY THUMBS DOWN FOR NOTHING BRITISH IN BEING A ZIONIST PUPPET. PATHETIC.
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Sadly, reguired its nothing as exciting as a Zionist plot – I was just running a test.
They should be back up and running now.
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Man gives every reason for his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea for his safety save one; and that one is his cowardice. Maurice?
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Good idea to send Tom James a card, i bet Gorden Browns goverment wished it had thought of it first, they would have made a political isue over it.
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Well look what trouble Gordon got into sending letters to soldiers families, I think his advisors would strongly “Say don’t go there Gordon!”
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You can see my reply on HP.
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HP, is that that pro-war site run by zionist cowards? its a mirror.
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What we need to do in Iraq is a leaflet drop, pictures of Maurice and his friends Edmund Standing and Andrew Roberts, on these pictures the words, these zionist warriors are coming for you, by the time the taliban stop laughing the pipeline will be built.
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Barnes is that you or your twin?
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You cretin. How would the Taliban read leaflets dropped in Iraq?
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Simon are you an idiot?
“I, as an individual am involved in this – not the party. This is something I have chosen to do off my own back after someone asked for my help.”
The Party then had said material printed and distributed under the BNP name, therefore they approved it … are you that stupid you don’t see that?
And as you were responsible did it enter your tiny brain to consult the family of the Soldier concerned?
I personally as a family member of 4 service service personnel all currently in Afghanistan think the use of the image of a dead British Soldiers funeral in BNP propaganda is damn right deplorable and anyone involved should be offering an appology to the parents and family of the man concerned, not trying to defend their actions as “not of the party”, do you have no sense of guilt for adding to the grieve of this family?
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“I personally as a family member of 4 service service personnel all currently in Afghanistan”
Prove that anon.
Prove that you are not just making stuff to have a politcal dig at a politcal opponent: Exploiting veterens for political ends.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Excuse me? why does anyone who makes a statement have to prove anything to you?
What gives you any right to ask people to prove any statement? this is typical of the response I would expect from the BNP frankly, because someone isn’t jumping with joy supporting the the BNP you instantly disbelieve anything that person says.
Well frankly you can go to hell sir I couldn’t care less what you are the rest of the BNP idiots think.
Like I said I have 4 family members serving this wonderful country of our in Afghanistan whether you choose to believe that or not frankly I couldn’t care less, but thank you for showing both myself and anyone else that reads these comments that the BNP have a total disregard for any of the families of British Service Personnel by virtually calling me a liar that is exactly what you are doing, you do not deserve to be defended by our Service Personnel if you can show them this level of disrespect.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Excuse me? why does anyone who makes a statement have to prove anything to you?
What gives you any right to ask people to prove any statement? this is typical of the response I would expect from the BNP frankly, because someone isn’t jumping with joy supporting the the BNP you instantly disbelieve anything that person says.
Well frankly you can go to hell sir I couldn’t care less what you are the rest of the BNP idiots think.
Like I said I have 4 family members serving this wonderful country of our in Afghanistan whether you choose to believe that or not frankly I couldn’t care less, but thank you for showing both myself and anyone else that reads these comments that the BNP have a total disregard for any of the families of British Service Personnel by virtually calling me a liar that is exactly what you are doing, you do not deserve to be defended by our Service Personnel if you can show them this level of disrespect.
And judging from the rest of the pro BNP comments here NONE of you have any respect at all for British Troops
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I can remember governments when most of the front bench members had served in the Armed Forces. That was before the professional politicians who think that they know best took over and honour went out the window.
“The News of the World” and “The Sun” appear to be intelligence section for NB!
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Maurice,
1. Sent from the BNP mailing list.
Not entirely accurate. It was sent to a “general” mail list that is NOT exclusive to the BNP. Even if it was, are BNP members not allowed to send good wishes to people or in your fascist mind should we be stripped of that right too?
2. Sent from your official BNP email address.
TOTALLY INCORRECT: It was sent from simon@simonbennett.co.uk – I made damn sure of that!
3. The internet version is hosted on the BNP’s internet server.
INCORRECT: It is one of my business servers that hosts many domains, the domain the “html” for the email was hosted on is copperflash.com – check it yourself. I did this deliberately and in order to try and distance this from politics. I had no idea that people like you were that determined to look for dirt where there is none.
This alone proves it is you that are frantically trying to make a political issue of this when I CLEARLY went out of my way not to.
4. The postal address is a BNP PO Box address.
I initially used my own address in order to protect Tom’s family from any abuse from people like you and rabid lefties. I then switched it to that PO Box as it is geographically closer to Tom’s family than I am in Cornwall. Had you or anyone else offered any help and a PO Box I would have happily used that instead.
It is absolutely irrelevant to all but the likes of you – you are desperately trying to make any small link you can in order to exploit it and you know it.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Who?
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NB.s Tom James thread is of course closed without an apology for their dishonourable actions.
NB’s attempts to hijack our Forces on this site is the REAL exploitation.
A direct question to the NB organisers: Have YOU ever served Queen and Country?
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Just what right do the BNP have to use images of a soldiers funeral without even considering the feelings of the soldiers family?
Frankly the lot of you are disgusting vile people, and reading the rest of the pro BNP comments here you all seem to agree that they have some kind of right to use these images, well NONE of you have any respect what so ever for the soldiers or their families and I really don’t care how much you people (I use that loosely) proclaim the right you are ALL so very wrong and should frankly be ashamed of yourselves for defending the BNP in this case.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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And the BNP want to bring the boys home, how do you feel about the mainstream parties who tricked us in to this war? Are you angry at them or do you blame the BNP for the illegal war? Do you write to the BBC with the same venom?Do you really know what you are talking about?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Ike says:
February 8, 2010 at 8:06 pm
“I personally as a family member of 4 service service personnel all currently in Afghanistan”
Prove that anon.
Prove that you are not just making stuff to have a politcal dig at a politcal opponent: Exploiting veterens for political ends.
Excuse me just who the hell are you to ask anyone to prove any statement? you have just shown your total lack of respect to any serving British soldier.
How dare you question me or attempt to accuse me of being a liar? if you want to look at liars look at the BNP the party is full of them.
Learn to show some damn respect, if someone tells you they have family serving in a war zone you should damn well believe that and show your support NOT accuse them of being a liar.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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This site is run by liars, you could easily be a friend of NB, i wouldn’t put any dirty trick past them.
Dirty tricks and lies is the name of their game.
You demand respect but don’t give any.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I have every respect for your family members who are serving but the point is being made that they were sent by fools who are misusing them.
I hope they do enjoy their careers & don’t end up like Tom James or worse.
The blame for what happened to Tom James doesn’t lie with the BNP.
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How do you feel about the photo opportunities Brown and Cameron take? Do you really think they care? I support the soldiers 100%, a few of my mates have just come back from Afghan, we just raised nearly a £1000 for help for Heroes over Christmas, its the war itself i’m against and the traitors who tricked us into it.
You just hate the BNP for whatever reason and are taking your anger out on them when you know who the real criminals are.
I can’ speak for the BNP but i know i’m right when i say nobody respects OUR soldiers more than the people of the BNP.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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So the family members of the soldiers serving in any operational zone don’t support British Soldiers as much as the BNP just who the hell do you think you are kidding?
You think the BNP have more respect for British Soldiers than their own families, I didn’t notice you acknowledging them in your response.
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That should read I can’t speak for the BNP ………
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I will find out if 4 members of 1 family are serving in Afghan, until then i wil hold judgment. If they are may God keep them safe.
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Acording to the BNP they have a lot of support from the British Army, they also have war heros in there party as members/candidates.
Quote
“The News of the World carried a snippet on the failure of the BNP’s ”Bring them Home” campaign saying it has ”gone down badly with troops – where soldiers of diverse ethnic background serve alongside each other like brothers.”
Do “News of the world” have any evidence that the BNP campaign “hasn’t gone down well with the troops”? If not, they will be making up lies as usual (a bit like this website) !
Hot debate. What do you think?
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As a family member of 4 serving soldiers I can tell you honestly (whether you decide to believe it or not) that the BNP Campaign HASN’T gone down well with either the soldiers or their families.
All our soldiers want is for the British public to support them in what they are doing and they don’t want these types of campaigns, they want campaigns that are fully supportive of them, campaigns to bet the Government to stop cutting the budget and buy the best possible equipment to enable them to do their job, that’s what they want.
They don’t want parties like the BNP trying to score some points by using images from soldiers funerals in their propaganda, we need the British public to get behind our soldiers and make the Government listen and get them the best equipment as quickly as possible.
I wish the BNP would understand this and stop this ridiculous campaign, they have no chance of becoming a government so they should use the support they do have in getting the equipment needed for our troops and stop pretending that this campaign is important to them, it isn’t going to win them the election and it isn’t going to have any effect what so ever in the long run.
Whatever Government we have by June isn’t going to pull the troops out of Afghanistan and we all know it, the BNP are NOT going to suddenly make the Government pull the troops out, but they could if they really thought this one through have had an effect on making the Government invest in equipment for the troops.
I spend a lot of time campaigning and talking to my local MP to put pressure on the Government for new equipment that’s what’s going to help right now not this bring them home campign that angers soldiers and their families because we all know it isn’t going to happen.
And that’s the reality of the situation here, so the BNP should stop this and campaign for getting better equipment quicker to the front line.
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Annon,
You are speaking from the heart but not the head. Some of us, “disgusting vile people” have served in the Armed Forces so we are not unaware of servicemen’s feelings.
I would defend your right to speak out against myself and others (although I thought insults were not allowed on this site). Would YOU defend OURS?
I doubt it.
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All they have to do is watch the MSM.
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The tories, labour and lib dems all bow obedience to the corrupt EU. Yet during the Falklands campaign Belgian refused to give our armed forces ammunition with which to fight the said war. Now we are in Afghanistan, have been in Iraq, yet our so called EU allies will not match the British input. Only the USA. The so called democratic political leaders Brown and Cameron refuse to give the British people a referendum. Now am I missing something because these so called leaders keep on praising our troops but are content to let the EU get away with all sorts of schemes, all of which are to the detriment to the British people and their troops.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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The BNP are not exploiting anything. This website is.
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Pots and Kettles.
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What about the truth?
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When are you going to fight in these wars you love so much Maurice?
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HA HA, like it, fairplay.
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No, nothing in the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ about thumbs up and down
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I have family serving in Afghanistan (4 members) and I 100% support the work they are doing there and NOTHING any BNP member/supporter could say will change my view.
Our Soldiers ask for support and don’t ask to be used by the BNP to score political points in this truly disgusting way.
If like you claim you support British Soldiers then show that support and DON’T use them for political gain by using images of our brave dead Soldiers who are doing the job they love for US.
Show them the respect they deserve.
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Annon, prove that statement. Because I think it is made up crap from a political extremist exploiting our veterans for political point scoring.
I think it is idiots like you and this site that exploit our troops in the most cynical way.
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Annon, prove that statement. Because I think it is made up rubbish from a political extremist exploiting our veterans for political point scoring.
I think it is idiots like you and this site that exploit our troops in the most cynical way.
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And just how would you like to me prove that, would like like the list of name rank and numbers?
Get real and show some respect please, not everyone who comments on a website is a liar.
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What load of rubbish from another desperate lefty liar…
…if you have ever even seen a soldier being spoken to on TV you will have noticed that his rank, name and often his regiment appear in the introduction bar as they do when in any report; another example is that lists of dedications and messages from soldiers serving in the region appear on TV and in the press at Xmas all with full name, rank and regts and that regt magazines regularly name personnel and where they are serving….
which makes a mockery of your trolling nonsense and exposes you for the desperate lefty liar you are.
You are a nasty troll who exploits the Armed Forces for you own political ends, you should be ashamed.”
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Twist things if you must, you only make yourself seem hysterical. Nobody cares more for members of their own family than members of a family, it goes without saying.
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Bloody marvellous. Now, not only are BNP trolls undermining the work of our troops and trying to hijack their efforts for political purposes, now they are trying to violate operational security. I would strongly encourage the original poster NOT to release publiclly any information about their families members’ units or postings, particularly in an operational area. Tommy Taliban has web access too and proving racists wrong on the internet is not important enough to jeopardise the safety of service personnel. Anyone with a real link to the forces, or indeed understanding of the job they’re doing, wouldn’t have asked.
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What load of rubbish from another desperate lefty liar…
…if you have ever even seen a soldier being spoken to on TV you will have noticed that his rank, name and often his regiment appear in the introduction bar as they do when in any report; another example is that lists of dedications and messages from soldiers serving in the region appear on TV and in the press at Xmas all with full name, rank and regts and that regt magazines regularly name personnel and where they are serving….
which makes a mockery of your trolling nonsense and exposes you for the desperate lefty liar you are.
You are a nasty troll who exploits the Armed Forces for you own political ends, you should be ashamed
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Good point, Afghanistan would be the place.
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Maybe they would be on a training course about selling the jihad abroad?
How to persuade your womenfolk to be suicide bombers, as in your next life will be a whole lot better than this one is for you?
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Got my illegal wars mixed up.
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No information on the MSM about the next big push then?
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Required
In this game they need all the friends they can get!
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I have no intention of giving any details on any website, I do understand the need for security. My first concern is obviously for my family and not proving these idiots who frankly should know better than to even ask for proof in anyway.
To be this is just another way they show their disrespect for our serving soldiers, to virtually demand names and info knowing that it could pose a security risk shows a total lack of respect for not only the soldiers concerned but also for me and the rest of my family by insinuating I am a liar because I made my feelings known on this website.
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You should try being in my shoes for a change instead of just banging on about the BNP being all caring.
Every news report about a death and our whole family sits by the phone or the door waiting for that call or knock.
How you ever experienced that feeling of everything in your body sunddenly dropping and the fear that comes with the possibility that knock on a door or the telephone ringing could be the news your are dreading?
If you haven’t then don’t dare to have a go at me or anyone else that has to go through that.
For the families that I have had o experience that to then be used by a party like the BNP without any consultation has to go through that all over again just how do you think that makes them feel?
Do you even consider that when defending the actions of the BNP in this way? I doubt yo do.
And as for you calling me hysterical try calling that the way it really is furious/anger and rage at the disgusting actions of the BNP.
Again all I hear from BNP supporters is telling people like me that tey are a liar I have seen no shred of respect from anyone here but what more can I really expect from people like you.
I will be pointing as many service families to this page as I possible can so they can see just how little respect the BNP suppporters have for them and lets see if you gain any votes then I would seriously doubt it.
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You should try being in my shoes for a change instead of just banging on about the BNP being all caring.
Every news report about a death and our whole family sits by the phone or the door waiting for that call or knock.
How you ever experienced that feeling of everything in your body sunddenly dropping and the fear that comes with the possibility that knock on a door or the telephone ringing could be the news your are dreading?
If you haven’t then don’t dare to have a go at me or anyone else that has to go through that.
For the families that I have had o experience that to then be used by a party like the BNP without any consultation has to go through that all over again just how do you think that makes them feel?
Do you even consider that when defending the actions of the BNP in this way? I doubt yo do.
And as for you calling me hysterical try calling that the way it really is furious/anger and rage at the disgusting actions of the BNP.
Again all I hear from BNP supporters is telling people like me that tey are a liar I have seen no shred of respect from anyone here but what more can I really expect from people like you.
I will be pointing as many service families to this page as I possible can so they can see just how little respect the BNP suppporters have for them and lets see if you gain any votes then.
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“Twist things if you must, you only make yourself seem hysterical”
No try damn right angry, let me ask you a question – have you ever sat watching the news reports to hear a report of another dead British soldier? (well obviously you have) now consider this:
Every time ANY family member of a soldier hears that news each and everyone of them automatically goes through a set of emotions, the heart virtually skips a beat you feel desperately sick and scared.
Then you spend the next few hours waiting for either the phone to ring or the door to knock or to hear the news reporter say “the families have been informed” before that fear leaves you and you feel a little less sick.
But as soon as you know its not one of yours your mkind instantly turns to the family of the person who has died and that feeling of sickness comes back because you know how they are feeling at that very moment because you sat and gone through this hundreds of times, and I myself sit and cry every time I hear of another one dieing because I know how it feels to have that long wait, but to have that wait ended by being told the news that the soldier that has died is yours…….
How do you think that feels? and then to have that topped off by the BNP using images of your son/husband/father’s funeral without even considering consulting the family just how do you think that feels?
Have you EVER considered it? then to visit websites like this to be called a liar for speaking my mind, even in the angry manner I did so (rightly angry I must point out), do you consider this when defending the actions of the BNP?
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I am not “virtually” calling you a liar – I am actually calling you a liar straight out.
You are a liar exploiting our troops for your own political ends.
Disgusting.
Prove otherwise or STFU.
“What load of rubbish from another desperate lefty liar…
…if you have ever even seen a soldier being spoken to on TV you will have noticed that his rank, name and often his regiment appear in the introduction bar as they do when in any report; another example is that lists of dedications and messages from soldiers serving in the region appear on TV and in the press at Xmas all with full name, rank and regts and that regt magazines regularly name personnel and where they are serving….
which makes a mockery of your trolling nonsense and exposes you for the desperate lefty liar you are.
You are a nasty troll who exploits the Armed Forces for you own political ends, you should be ashamed.”
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http://bnp.org.uk/2008/07/let-us-praise-our-soldiers/
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