My blood ran cold! Flax-Charles horrified at disturbing VINO cartoon
Territorial At-large Representative and Junior Minister for Trade, Shereen Flax-Charles recounted her horror after first viewing a despicable cartoon that was run on the Julian Willock-owned Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) website.
The offensive cartoon, which was quickly pulled after overwhelming negative feedback from the community, attacked government critic, Cindy Rosan, portraying her as mentally disturbed, among other things.
The website later argued that the cartoon was misinterpreted and noted that it was the first time one of its many offensive cartoons was ever pulled.
“Today I was very disturbed as a woman. Today I was disturbed by a publication on a news site. My blood ran cold when I saw that cartoon. A negative aura came over my soul, came over my whole being,” Flax-Charles recounted in the House of Assembly yesterday.
She said the stigma of mental illness is present in the entire Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The legislator expressed that she was embarrassed at the insensitivity displayed in the cartoon and said she was bombarded by many calls and messages after it appeared on the website.
“Misogyny is alive, well, kicking and very rampant in the BVI,” she argued.
Bringing the issue even closer to home, Flax-Charles said she too had been stigmatised many times for speaking up.
“I have been called crazy by members of this very House because I have spoken up,” she stated.
Legislator breaks ranks with party
Meanwhile, Flax-Charles registered her disapproval of Premier Andrew Fahie’s efforts to prevent House Speaker Julian Willock from paying legal costs in a failed injunction he filed.
“This is not the time to convolute due process with tactics and machinations,” she argued.
Thus far, she is the first and only government legislator to break ranks with the Premier’s position to have taxpayers shoulder the burden of the Speaker’s court costs.
She said the overwhelming voice of the people suggested that the move was not what was desired.
“The will of the people is loud. [It’s] so resounding, the nation is shaking,” Flax-Charles said while noting that her conscience is clear.
She further argued that while she’s a team player, she expects her decisions on issues that will come to the fore to be respected.
“Conformity is doing what you’re told regardless of what is right, morality is doing what is right regardless of what you were told,” the legislator stated.
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It never ceases to amaze me how men fight nastiest when opposed by a woman. Imagine if she was to get personal?!
And on the topic of the cartoon being “misinterpreted” what a donkeyish thing to say. It was not just art, there was literature attached to it. Just watching it I can tell it was created with the intention to cause pain and embarrassment. Good on you Mrs. Flax-Charles for calling it out.
Flax-Charles We need more like you we know standing up to the Premier took a lot, don’t back down
I don’t know what hold the dishonourable speaker has over Andy but it must be something for the Premier to allow this country to be dragged into the sewer again by this disgrace. The Premier should be a leader and remove the embarrassment – but instead he says “Let’s have a committee look at it”…wow…. The Premier is accountable and rather than drawing on the best help he can get he has retreated into a shell of defensiveness, lack of transparency, and periodic ranting about the economy going into “overdrive”. He knows that is not the case and the worse things get the more aggressive his retaliations become. He seems to hope that enough voters will buy into the false dream and believe if he says it often enough it is true…the BVI electorate is not renowned for its perceptive analysis of a politicians promises.
The infrastructure of the territory falls to him. His responsibility. Roads remain a disgrace; sewage runs in the streets (most of it from the HoA) and the odor of Road Town permeates the evening air like the scent of a dead body; our government pays $27 million a year for water and collects $5 million; the incinerator, for many years, spews noxious fumes into the air probably causing long term damage to the health of those unfortunate to live in its vicinity..and even across the channel.
But never mind…construction is booming..and income at the Shipping Registry is set to rise 20-fold notwithstanding years of promising just that have come to nothing. But this time it will be different? Another glass of Koolaid for the voters? Don’t worry, they will swallow whatever we feed them.
The premier is the one who instigated the whole thing that is why he is fighting tooth and nail behind the speaker, ayo blind?
It all goes back to the ministry of Education back in the last VIP government. Willock, Beavis and F** Albert as thick as thieves back then. Only Beavis did time.
Good for you, Shereen!
Well said Hon. Flax-Charles. Thank you for having the integrity to use your voice to call out what you view as wrong.
In the political arena, it is now a confirmed reality that the BVI has entered into another era of of non progress and productivity.
A new cartoon is already in the making for next week just wait and see
The VIP like man not woman
Gyal if them fire yo we in VG got your back…We will put you up to run against Vincent…Simple!
infact he does not need to come again. we got shereen. Real talk.
Mrs. Flax Charles you and the government are the ones who selected Mr. Willock to be the speaker of the house. How Willock is behaving is how he always behaved before becoming speaker. Because of politics you all overlooked his terrible conduct and rewarded him because he used the same news site to tear down the NDP government and it worked in your favour. My blood has been running cold from that site for over a decade. It is sad that only now yours is running cold. Every government member is responsible for what Willock is doing. They all knew who he was but it benefitted them at the time to get elected. Now because the public is upset they now clammering to keep favour with voters. Not impressed!
I luv it! They knew who the speaker was before they got in bed with him. He helped them and they were willing to overlook his behavior and probably even encouraged it.
Now that there is public backlash against his most recent outrageous behavior, some are getting religion.
I am not convinced it’s all genuine despite I welcome the Jr. Ministers stand on the issue.
Ain’t it the truth. Agreed 100 with this post. Not impressed either.
This is why I voted for you Honourable Flax-Charles; A woman of vision and valor!
Just what we need in our House of Assembly!
And we should all be concerned about such a stigma as mental illness. And it should not be used to castigate, or cast down. Rather, a level of caring should be involved, because all of us know someone who is suffering from this condition!
To use these conditions in a comical manner to try to malign Cindy is abhorrent. And to imagine,all this comes from an online news source, a medium from which we all depend on for information and resource!
We should all strive to be our brother’s keeper,in a manner that is responsible and respectful!
Ms. Flax Charles you seem to be a person to vote for in the next election but if I were you I would not run with the VIP they have done too much wickedness to be voted back in.
Very interesting. You speak against what the cartoon portrayed, and spoke of the atigma of mental illness. I am confused. Are you saying that those who challenge govt are mentally ill. Woooow. very interesting illustration. And you put him in the seat he is in and did not ask for an apology. I question your sincerity as u were only responding to the call you got. We dont care that you got calls Very sad. Your words ring hallow.
it’s just reality settings in 0r being realized ( you all put the ESTEEMED in the house of assembly , because he has a way with words ? now he is clever enough to rename it ( house of ARROGANCE
And here see the only one with enough b**ls to listen to the people and stand up for us is a woman.
Hon Flax Charles. Break away and run. You have my vote.
I support your stance Lady Charles. The court has ruled in the matter.
Are we now allowed to ignore the court’s rulings?
Many waiting in que waiting for the outcome. Judgements received and if this honourable house can overrule a high court judge we in que.
All the Premier had to say is that he and the Speaker had the discussion and he advised him to go ahead and file the injunction (because they were pissed about the COI and thought filing the injunction would work). What in that to lie about? It might make you look bad but the truth shall set you free. He could even sell it as at the time he thought it was the right thing to do but in hind sight realize that it wasn’t. Well sah, I guess he going die trying. Maybe the Speaker got something on him and he needs to pay this debt for him to be square buddy, cause….this makes no sense when the court done rule!!
must have something incriminating, like Putin on Trump. Something so bad that the wig is untouchable in this comedy administration.
Wonder what this could be?
Honourable Flax Charles gave a brilliant, principled and brave speech. She’s finer than re whole boiling lot of the VIP put together.
—-She said the stigma of mental illness is present in the entire Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
Unfortunately that lesson is taught almost everywhere, from the highest halls of ivy to other arenas.