Should I report this?

[Lookingforsomedirection]

Each week I drive my kids to an activity and we pass a house on a busy corner. They have a union jack flag proudly waiving and next to that they have a life sized gorilla (obviously a racist trope given the context of the flag and current affairs). It was initially dressed in a suit of armour like a knight but now wears a penguin onesie. I find it to be a really offensive and ignorant attempt at a racist joke - the suit of armour and penguin costume reference "Britishness". Is this something to report? It seems totally bizarre that someone can display something inciteful and intimidatory like this given the climate but also I'm aware its on private land so are they actually breaking any laws? Should mention the house is bordered by a tall hedge and these things are elevated and outward facing eg definitely can't be seen by the owner from their own property and clearly meant to be seen by the public.

how is a penguin indicating “Britishness”?

😕 How?

Why not report it and let the people you report it to decide what action (if any) needs taking. That seems simplest to me.

Penguins are used in popular culture to represent an English gentlemen, formally dressed in a tuxedo. Tuxedos are colloquially called penguin suits and used in fiction to ramp up the britishness of characters eg James Bond or The Penguin from Batman and Robin. If the symbolism of a gorilla dressed in a penguin suit next to a union jack is lost on you, I'll not try to persuade you otherwise as I expect it'll be a waste of time.

Yeah I thought this too but not sure who to report to (Police? Local authority?) And dont want to waste people's time if its not a crime.

😂😂😂😂

Wouldn't the simplest be to just ignore it?

What?

That sounds utterly horrible and racist. I would ring 101 and explain that someone has what seems to be a publicly racist display in their garden which is offensive. Surely they'd visit and ask them to remove?

I think we need a massive 🦇 and a huge 💩 to represent this thread! 🤣

Where would the world be if everyone did nothing and ignored shameful behaviour. Dreadful. Good on you OP. The flag fine by itself, with the gorilla it is disgusting behaviour.

I dont think so. I think that's a really priveldged position to comment from - if it doesn't effect you just walk on by.

"First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist...

...Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me"

We phoned the police when people were actively putting flags up in the dark on a busy dual carriage way and they did nothing and seemed uninterested (both with the racism and the safety issue)

@Frampamsam totally agree. What a sad state of affairs - either poor cultural attunement and not able to spot the symbolism or can see it and thinks its fine?

Flags are for the council to sort, it’s their responsibility not the police’s.

The penguin-suited gorilla isn’t an offence unfortunately.

I made no moral judgment on doing nothing, I made a factual statement. Doing nothing is objectively the simplest course of action.

Is an English man in a tuxedo now deemed to be racist?

Life sized gorilla statues painted in a variety of styles were used as part of an art trail/fundraiser for Bristol Children's Hospital about 15 years ago. They were then auctioned off after the trail finished and raised about half a million pounds. Lots of places have them outside their premises.

I've seen life size (and bigger) animals outside various houses. Whilst it's not common, I have never heard of it being racist. We went to a cafe place last week and the kids loved climbing on the gorillas.

There was a huge model gorilla tacked onto Blackpool Tower a few years back.
Nobody seemed to mind it being there

There's a guy that drives around my local town (in Canada) with a life size gorilla wearing a hockey shirt in the flatbed of his truck. He's also go 2 Canadian flags
Maybe he's a secret racist?

Yes I agree with that entirely. Of course it is. I struggle to think of any situation where doing something is simpler than doing nothing. It doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

"If you do nothing in a difficult time,

your strength is limited."
Proverbs 24:10

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

I don't agree that doing nothing is the right choice.

What action do you expect the police to take?

We have one locally. He’s called Gordon, is hugely popular and receives lots of birthday cards. No one is offended by him, no matter what he wears. Get a grip.