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‘I will not boycott VINO’- Local businessman resists being bullied
In fact, Mr Alred C. Frett, the owner of B&F Medical, has ‘put his money where his mouth is’ by renewing his advertising contract with VINO ahead of time, in the face of a threat of a boycott to his business.
Businesses threatened with boycott
“I have been called and requested to boycott VINO or face being boycotted,” Mr Frett told VINO in an exclusive interview on June 17, 2020.
Mr Frett said he asked the caller for reasons for their actions and their claim was that VINO was racist; however, they were unwilling or unable to answer "what I thought were reasonably related questions; including knowing the history of our forefathers.”
The outspoken businessman said he told the caller that “without sound reasons” he would not participate in any boycott that appeared to stifle the freedom of speech or expression.
Who are the alleged bullies?
At least three persons have publicly vowed to lead a campaign to shut VINO down and have resorted to harassing and bullying persons to discontinue doing business with the news site.
The persons include 'ordained minister' Dr Michael A. Turnbull, who is the brother of Opposition Member Hon Melvin M. Turnbull (R2) and former Vice-President of the National Democratic Party (NDP); Mr Aaron F. Parillon, who unsuccessfully contested the Third District seat as a member of the NDP at the February 2019 general elections; and former Acting Chief Immigration Officer, Mrs Geraldine Ritter-Freeman, who was removed from her post months after the September 2017 hurricanes.
A Ms Esther N. Fraser has also allegedly been harassing businesses to boycott VINO.
“This makes it disappointing that credible businesses would give in to blackmailers lacking the vision to look backward or forward… Aren’t we the same ones who condemned Muslims for reacting to cartoons about Prophet Mohammed and, have they considered the effects of their own actions? Won’t foreigners fill the voids they create and drag our people back into colonialism?” Mr Frett had rhetorically asked in a social commentary on June 17, 2020.
The aggrieved persons have claimed VINO trivialised the Black Lives Matter cause and was being racist when they published a cartoon depicting Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert with a knee on the neck of social commentator, Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline.
No evidence of racism by VINO
The 'knee on the neck' phrase was made popular after African American George P. Floyd Jr, 46, was killed on May 25, 2020, when a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee on Floyd’s neck for about 8 minutes and 46 seconds before he died, sparking racial injustice movements around the world.
VINO, in a statement on June 15, 2020, said the cartoon in question was created out of statements made by commentator Skelton-Cline on his Honestly Speaking weekly show on June 9, 2020, when he likened some of the actions and policies of the United Kingdom and the current Governor as having their knees on VI’s collective neck.
An article on Mr Skelton-Cline’s statement was published by VINO on June 13, 2020, captioned ‘UK & Governor have 'knees on VI's collective neck'- Skelton-Cline’.
VINO also presented facts that it has continuously published articles condemning racism and racial prejudice.
'I did not take the cartoon personal'- Skelton-Cline
Mr Skelton-Cline on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, said he did not take “the cartoon personal, because it's not about me... I'm a representation, as a citizen with a point of view of what I see and what we are experiencing as Virgin Islanders."
"The depiction of the governor is a depiction, a reflection that represents the United Kingdom in our Geo-Political construct... that's the way I see it, that's the way I took it," Mr Skelton-Cline explained.
According to Mr Frett, the Black Lives Matter movement was created because black lives have been socially accepted as not mattering and some leaders in the UK still accuse the movement of being terrorists.
“Cartoons are deemed to be trivial by nature and only extreme groups or persons tend to attach deeper importance to these… No one has to agree with what is said but we should never destroy the right to say it,” Mr Frett told Virgin Islands News Online.
“I truly do not understand the outrage – especially at this time - unless we still harbour a streak of master’s house slave mentality and think we will be rewarded for turning on each other,” Mr Frett concluded.
Meanwhile, many other businesses have informed Advanced Marketing and Professional Services, the parent company of VINO, that the same persons have tried to bully them to boycott VINO.
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32 Responses to “‘I will not boycott VINO’- Local businessman resists being bullied”
So why make a racial cartoon? if you so actively condemn it?
There is so much injustice going on here in the BVI which we read in the news everyday so why not this group channel their energy to one. Let’s stomp out blackmail and bullish behavior from amongst us.
Would any one take Arron serious
All crazy people should should go in a mental ward
The VI is a small intimate community with a fragile economy wanting to shut down businesses frivolously in the VI is extreme. The people behind this are selfish, egotistical and irresponsible. If they can't recognize the practicality of their existence shame on them. Again explain to me the racism.
Question 1: If the UK Government REFUSES to assist the Virgin Islands financially ($$$$$$), isn't this a form of systemic oppression?
Question 2: Why am I not hearing your voices on this matter?
I rest my case your highness!
Please close your accounts at CCT and Republic Bank show some people power