bats

I drove past this house yesterday. I was appalled that anyone would think these were suitable garden ornaments. Not surprised though.

moneypenny20

That's dreadful but it's making me inappropriately chuckle.

Stinkypup

Yes, ornamental breeze blocks are so 70s- what the hell were they thinking? I approve of the dog sculpture.....obviously. Flowers are pretty naff and I quite like the holographic house sign

MillieF

It would be nice to think that they reflected the owners of the house, and this was a family depiction, but I think it unlikely...I think it encapsulates a lot of the very 'something slightly off' ness that I often come across here. I wasn't so keen on the dog either!

Danny B

That is one huge back garden, glad I don't live there. Too much grass to mow.

bats

Smart arses!

It is awful though isn't it? I want to knock on the door and ask them if they realise just how nasty it is. We're not long back from North Carolina where we saw remnants of slavery and Jim Crow laws so seeing this real annoys and upsets me even more.

As Millie says there's definitely something not quite right.

Almost Canadian

Are black people not allowed to have statues depicting their leisure activities on their land?

Do you know that the owners are not black?

dbd33

I can't make out the picture (the click to expand feature doesn't work for me) but a common ornament around here is a lawn jockey, usually black. They always make me shudder although I know it's me that's out of sync, jumping back a few decade is often cited as one of the stronger arguments for moving to Canada, and they're perfectly acceptable here.

BristolUK

In a Simple Lawn Ornament, Echoes of Slavery, Revolution

Partially discharged

A lot of assumptions have been made. The last time I checked there was nothing illegal about that type of lawn ornament/decoration.

I think they have made a good use of spare concrete blocks.

Almost Canadian

I simply ask: Would Bats have taken exception if, rather than black people, the characters were Gnomes, frogs, or white people dressed from the early 20th century?

Now, if the owners also have Confederate flags, swastikas or burning crosses, I get the raising of eyebrows.

Shard

I don't see a particular problem. Some black people fishing...just a nostalgic Americana type scene. Agree with Stinky on the breeze blocks tho, quite unsightly.

bats

Is this image viewable?

You're not the only one? I haven't seen any of the lawn jockeys for a while and confederate flags have been removed since the Legion fancy dress incident though many still can't see what the fuss was about that. It's a deeply white, old fashioned, conservative, Bible bashing, area. I doubt the intention is racist but it's message is one that sees black people as cute little pickaninnies.

Shard

Or it's simply a rural scene, and the people happen to be black. Methinks bats doth protest too much.

magnumpi

The area is well gnome for things like this