Benjamin Langlois: The State of Jersey

The State of Jersey has moved!

2008-07-18T00:25:00.010+01:00

Now I have been keeping this quite from you for the last few weeks, but I have been secretly working on The State of Jersey version 2.0! The new version is now complete and online at www.benjaminlanglois.net/jersey.

I realise this comes as a surprise and so I have attempted to answer any questions you may have about the change in my post titled 'Welcome to The State of Jersey 2.0!' at the new version of the blog.

This version of the blog will no longer be updated, and so I would advise you to update your bookmark to the new blog address (www.benjaminlanglois.net/jersey)

I apologise for this short and somewhat abrupt post, however all is explained at the new blog:

www.benjaminlanglois.net/jersey

See you there!

No Rest for the Wicked

2008-07-14T20:20:00.003+01:00

Hello readers,

I would just like to apologise for my recent neglect of this blog; I am currently working on many sideprojects (such as the Jardiniers website is still offline!) and I have simply not had the time to write a decent post worthy of publishing here. However I promise that normal service will resume at some point this week and would just like to thank all of my readers; even though this blog has been stagnant for a while my reader count has remained steady. Thank you very much and I'll be back on form as soon as possible.

- Benjamin Langlois

Personal Disrespect and Abuse of the Commenting Feature

2008-06-28T17:17:00.003+01:00

This blog was creating in order to share with any willing readers my own personal stance on current Jersey life. With the website set up in blog format, comments are not only enabled but welcomed as a way in which readers may interact and share their own opinions with my posts. However recently, specifically my latest post entitled 'The End of A Holiday in the Sun', certain commenters have abused this feature of the website.

I have always maintained the right to unmoderated anonymous commenting on the website, however from this post forward this will be changed. You may still comment anonymously, however your comments must now be verified by myself before they appear on the website.

Until the previous post I have not experienced any difficulties with comments, however the previous post somehow managed to stir up disrespect indirectly aimed at myself and plain abuse. Just a sample of the comments which have now been deleted from the aforementioned post include:

...PLANET JERSEY IS THE ONLY DECENT FORUM ALL THE OTHERS ARE CRAP... (or something similar).

As childish as this may sound, this is my personal blog and so not a place for blatent advertisements. If you would like a link displayed on The State of Jersey, please feel free to contact me and we will discuss it. Do not take it upon yourself to use the comment feature as a way to do so!

Another comment read:

DEPORT THE POOR
BRING IN IMMIGRANTS WHO WILL WORK FOR FUCK ALL AND BE GRATFUL.
JERSEY PEOPLE ARE JUST A BUNCH OF FUCKIN WHINGERS

What on earth has this comment to do with the post it was left on? I am guessing this is a result of an early post entitled 'The Xenophobic Islander' where I stated my concern for growing racist behaviour on the part of a small few Jersey residents. However this is blatently a racist remark directed at Jerseymen. It could even be a sarcastic comment written by a Jersey resident? I simply do not know, however it has of course been removed. It added absolutely nothing to the discussion and was obviously written with the intention of provoking hatred.

There were other posts (one stating something along the lines of 'you are all sad'), oh and another advertisement for Planet Jersey, and these have also been removed.

* * * * *

I have never wanted to moderate comments here on the website, however this has left me no choice. If I did not do so, this blog would quickly become a spam-, advertisement-, and abuse-ridden blog of no value. I apologise to regular, non-abusive readers, however I am sure you understand why this must now be done.

I have nothing to say to the commenters who left those comments.

- Benjamin Langlois

The End of A Holiday in the Sun

2008-06-21T21:36:00.005+01:00

For those of you who have not recently visited A Holiday in the Sun, I am afraid I have some bad news; the author of A Holiday in the Sun has decided to end the blog after a short while away from the blogging world. I will be sorry to see the blog end; however he does make a very good point:

If I'm having to force myself to do it, why bother doing it at all?

As it happens, this post is my first post after a short break away from Jersey, and so I genuinely understand what he is getting at. As a blogger, you find that the more you write the more you want to write; it is only after not writing for a short while that you find you simply do not know what to write about any more. Ironically, I probably would not have posted for another week (due to sheer ‘writer’s-block’) were it not for reading A Holiday in the Sun’s last post.

Of course there are reasons to bother, but I can see what he means.

He has used his last post as a medium with which to say goodbye and to thank his readers, and he has also very kindly included links to other Jersey blogs with which readers may now read. This list included The State of Jersey for which I am grateful.

As for Fructu Non Folis Arborem Aestima; I could not agree more.

I will be sad to see the blog end; however I wish the author all the luck for the future. You can read the last post at http://aholidayinthesun.blogspot.com/2008/06/coda.html.

- Benjamin Langlois

Is Having Healthy Teeth Really Priceless?

2008-06-02T18:37:00.002+01:00

How can dentists get away with charging so much money for so little work? It is totally beyond me. Astute readers of this blog may remember a short while ago I mentioned going to the dentist, and at that time I had absolutely no problem with the whole experience, however right now I am so annoyed.

We all know that going to the dentist is an expensive experience; this is something we have all accepted, but most of the time the price is at least partly justifiable – you can look at the various entries on your dental bill and realise that you did indeed require each one. My problem is that upon looking at the various entries on my bill, along with the astronomical prices, I realise that the overall charge could, and should, have been lower than what it now is.

My dental experience was divided into two sessions; the first being a general assessment, and the second consisting of drilling into my face and plastering various small holes. The first session, whilst using the bill beside me as a reference, consisted of a routine examination (£37.00) which I obviously expected. It also consisted of a ‘Bitewing radiograph’ (an in-chair mini x-ray) which I was assured I needed (another £37.00; not bad for clicking a button twice). I also ‘needed’ a ‘Panoral Radiograph’ (where the x-ray machine encircles your head); this cost me £44.00.

It turns out I need a wisdom tooth extracted and so my dentist sent a letter to the hospital, costing me £26.00. I subsequently needed a full-jaw x-ray at the hospital’s x-ray department. This was free, and makes me wonder why I needed to pay for one at the dentist also?

The second session consisted of three ‘Composite Restorations’ (fillings) totalling £149.00. On my second visit to the chair of personal and financial doom I was treated to a viewing of my dentist’s family photograph collection on his computer. At the time I presumed this was a technique used to calm me a little, however upon leaving I over-heard the two receptionists talking about how the dentist is now charging for time and not for services – I could not believe it, and I only hope my little pre-service ‘treat’ was not included in my time.

The fool that I am, I also believed the dentist when he informed me that I ‘needed’ an appointment with the hygienist (to be honest I was a little offended), where I had my teeth cleaned and was taught how to use floss. This cost me £60.00.

I paid the £60.00 upon leaving the hygienist, and so I now owe a total of £293.00, an amount I simply and honestly cannot afford to pay in one payment. To be fair, I honestly did forget about the bill for a few weeks, and so as a result I recently received a copy of the bill though the post with the words Terms: 14 days net kindly double-underlined in red. The receptionist has already threatened me with a home visit if I fail to pay (said rather confusingly with a friendly smile).

As I have already mentioned I am not exactly a regular in the dental chair, and so what I have described may be quite a normal experience; if this is so I would appreciate somebody informing me of this (leave a comment or email me) as if this is the case it really should be addressed by somebody. Are dentists the new lawyers?

If the dentist or receptionist happens to be reading this, I will be making a quick visit tomorrow (Tuesday 02 June 2008) along with a cheque for £100 towards my total bill – I will pay the rest when I can afford it. Oh and by the way, whilst I am in a this grumpy mood I would like to remind you that my name is Benjamin and not Ben; friends may call me Ben but I find it rather rude when you assume you may do the same. Thank you.

I apologise to my regular readers if you have found this post quite boring; it is something I needed to ‘get off my chest’. Please do not ask me for the name of the dentist in question as I will not reveal it (I guess I am just too nice a person).

Normal service will resume shortly,

- Benjamin Langlois.

PS: I have recently set-up an email address you may use if you wish to contact me regarding this website. It can be found using the 'Contact me' tab at the top of any page.

I do not hate everyone!

2008-05-25T17:58:00.001+01:00

It appears that many people are misunderstanding some of my posts here at The State of Jersey; most definitely due to my choice of wording.

I often refer to ‘The States’ as Jersey’s biggest problem in recent times, however I must clarify that this does not include every single states member; some of them, just some of them, are actually doing a decent job and show a real interest in the wellbeing of Jersey residents. I am certainly not backtracking on what I have previously said; however what I have previously said has been taken the wrong way by many people.

What I am trying to convey is that I do not hate EVERYONE!

This post is a result of an interaction with two States members yesterday who mentioned this website and how ‘we [States members] are all a load of ******* . . . except Peter Hanning of course’ (is this implying a suspicion of political bias?) This was in no way a confrontation, in fact the two people concerned were laughing about it, however it highlighted the fact that my messages have been slightly misconstrued.

To my knowledge I have not once mentioned these two people’s names on this website, however I have written about the generalised ‘States’, thus creating the assumption that this umbrella term includes each and every member – which it does not. To be fair it includes most of them, but not all.

So from this post forward, whenever I use the term ‘States members’, please remember that this is not a universal inclusion of each member, but a generalisation of most of them. From reading my previous and future posts I am sure any reader of this website could work out who is included.

I do not wish to be known as ‘that grumpy blogger who hates everyone in the States no matter who they are’, and so I hope this post will convince anyone who currently believes this otherwise.

But on a lighter note...

Much was achieved yesterday at the Jardin des Buttes, with most of the cow parsley and nettles cleared from the main area of the woodland. There will always be work that needs doing, however the work accomplished yesterday will be sufficient until sometime after summer. Much-needed refreshments were served at the Parish Hall after the word had been done.

Unfortunately I have been unable to achieve much progress with my previously-mentioned side-projects. For all those waiting, rest assured the Jardin des Buttes website will be online sometime during the next few months; however it is more complicated than I first expected and so there are a few technical problems I need to resolve before any further progress can be made.

- Benjamin Langlois

Connétable Peter Hanning's Blog

2008-05-23T00:47:00.002+01:00

It all started with Senator Stuart Syvret's blog; the public reaction it produced was what first motivated me to start this website. What makes his blog so popular, at least in my opinion, is the way it destroys the apparent secrecy surrounding States members; what do they really think? what must it be like to be a person 'in power'? Such questions are easily answered when a States member starts blogging.

Of course Senator Syvret's will always be the Jersey blog, however that does not mean it should be the only Jersey blog.

In recent weeks I have not only been following Senator Syvret's personal commentary, but Connétable Peter Hanning's also. From my previous comments here you will most probably already know that Mr. Hanning is in my 'good books' so to speak, however I would like to make it perfectly clear that this website is not, and will in no way become, a politically biased commentary. That said, I would like to harness this website's growing popularity, and the so-called 'power' that inevitably follows alongside, to direct your attention to Peter's online voice.

Started in July 2007, Peter Hanning's blog acts as a means to connect with us; the 'general public' (not his words). This is a great idea, and something I believe every States member should be doing, however I have noticed that none of his posts have been commented on. As a 'blogger' myself I can tell you that seeing this is not very reassuring; are people even reading my posts? am I doing something wrong? is there any point continuing if nobody is 'on the other end'?

Therefore I ask you to spare just a few minutes to read through some of his more recent posts; possibly even submit your own comments just as you would do here. Of course you don't have to, but surely it is our own interests to connect with our Connétables?

So, if you will, you can find Peter Hanning's blog at http://peterhanning.blogspot.com. I have placed a direct link in my 'Jersey blogs' section.

- Benjamin Langlois

St Saviour Woodland: An Overview

2008-05-16T03:23:00.004+01:00

Good morning readers, sorry once again for not posting in a while; I have many side-projects on the go at the moment, one of which I will present to you later in this post.

This post concerns the newly-revamped St Saviour Woodland (officially named Le Jardin des Buttes just recently), which is located just across the road from St Saviour’s Parish Hall. You may remember this deceptively-large plot of land as an overgrown mess with ivy dominating the otherwise healthy trees and wildflower, and that is the way it would have stayed were it not for the work of Graham Langlois, my grandfather.

For many years Graham had been planning to rejuvenate the area, not only for the sake of local wildlife but for schoolchildren and the general public also. In the last few months his plans have manifested as direct action from a growing number of volunteers (the official woodland volunteer group is now called Le Jardiniers); from hacking away the over-confident ivy from the trees to creating many large log-piles for the benefit of much wildlife. Such actions have resulted in an award of £3,500 from Sandpiper Checkers which shall play a great part in enabling us to continue work in the area.

I am myself a volunteer, and I have been surprised not only by the immense effort put in by the other volunteers, but also by the encouragement from the Constable of St Saviour, Peter Hanning. To be perfectly honest I had not heard much of Mr. Hanning beforehand; the only other time I remember seeing his name was on the leaflet distributed at the Anti-GST demonstration; however since then my opinion of him has most certainly changed for the better. But this post shall not be political in nature.

Mr. Mike Stentiford has also volunteered his own expertise on the subject of local wildlife, and has played a large role in identifying beneficial plant and animal species and presenting ideas on how to encourage such wildlife.

* * * * *

Since starting work at the woodland, the ivy is now very much under control, the paths have been well defined, and most of the litter has been collected however there is still much work to be done before it can become a popular leisure destination, with the next problem being the immense mass of what I believe is cow parsley which has become the dominant ‘weed’ during the past week or so. I have already made one attempt at removing this dangerously irritable plant, however after working hard at it for over an hour I had only managed to eradicate it from an area no large than two metres in diameter – I could almost hear the weeds laughing at me. It is at such times that the refreshments offered at the parish hall are very much appreciated, and I can only thank the parish for the use of their facilities.

Side-projects

I am planning on creating the official website for the woodland, which is one of the reasons I have not posted here in the last week. The website will have interactive community features enabled, such as a message board for example, which I hope will be used not only by volunteers but by other islanders also. I am also in the process of designing an official ‘St. Saviour Woodland Volunteer’ enamel lapel pin badge; however this is proving a little more complicated than I first assumed. There is a strong sense of friendliness amongst the volunteers, and I hope that both the website and the badge will serve to reinforce this feeling.

I apologise if this post is in any way incoherent; it is very late (or very early depending on how you look at it). If after reading this post you are interested in either volunteering at the woodland or you would simply like to know of any updates, check back here regularly (or subscribe) and I promise to keep you informed.

I am beginning to ramble on a bit now, so I will say goodnight and I thank you for your patience,

- Benjamin Langlois

The Bailiff's Letter RE: The GST Demonstration

2008-05-07T18:46:00.006+01:00

As promised, below is a copy of the letter sent to the demonstration's organisers. I have had to crop the letter in order to fit it onto the page, and so what you cannot see is the filepath in the footer which shows the location on the the States' computer where the letter was saved, and this shows that the letter has been saved in a file named 'Adhoc Ent Permit'.

A Predictable Start to the Demonstration

2008-05-06T22:33:00.008+01:00

Today's anti-GST rally in the Royal Square started with a predictably laughable action on behalf of the establishment. The demonstration was planned to start at 12:30, a schedule that had been publicised for at least three days beforehand (and I am sure much sooner still); however upon the arrival of 12:30, with a nearly-full Royal Square waiting patiently, the crowd was informed by Time4Change/Reform that the rally would now be starting at 13:00 . . . because the Bailiff was having lunch and did not want to be disturbed! He didn't appear too bothered by the load machinery being used on the opposite building site, which I can assure you was much loader than the microphone speakers being used.

Mr. Nick Le Cornu has kindly offered to send me a copy of the Bailiff's letter via email, which I promise to post here as soon as I receive it.

After this rather sickening incident I must say the demonstration proceeded rekarkably well, with many different speakers stating their case against GST (and certain States members in general). This was not any normal 'pop-demonstration' though, at least I do not believe so; there was a real sense of genuine passion from all speakers who have been personally affected by this tax (as opposed to a bunch of millionaires saying they have been affected for the sake of public support). Much was covered in all, and I found it both emotionally-charged, powerful, and educational - exactly what a good demonstration should be.

Many papers were available to the crowd, most notably a full list of the 28 States members who voted for the implementation of GST, which I will reproduce for you below (this list was also read aloud at the rally, followed by loud booing from the crowd following certain names near the top of the list):

Frank Walker, Senator
Terry Le Sueur, Senator
Wendy Kinnard, Senator
Paul Routier, Senator
Mike Vibert, Senator
Philip Ozouf, Senator
Jim Perchard, Senator
Patrick Ryan, Deputy for St Helier No. 1
Alan Maclean, Deputy for St Helier No. 2
John Fox, Deputy for St Helier No. 3
Jacqueline Huet, Deputy for St Helier No. 3
Guy de Faye, Deputy of St Helier No. 3
Sarah Ferguson, Deputy for St Brelade No. 1
Peter Troy, Deputy for St Brelade No. 2
Ian Gorst, Deputy for St Clement
Dan Murphy, Constable of Grouville
Andrew Lewis, Deputy for St John
Geoffrey Fisher, Constable of St Lawrence
John Le Fondre, Deputy for St Lawrence
Silvanus Yates, Constable of St Martin
Juliette Gallichan, Deputy for St Mary
Ken Vibert, Constable of St Ouen
James Reed, Deputy for St Ouen
Thomas du Feu, Constable of St Peter
Collin Egre, Deputy for St Peter
Peter Hanning, Constable of St Saviour *
John Gallichan, Constable of Trinity
Anne Pryke, Deputy for Trinity

Senator Terry Le Main (Housing Minister) and Senator Freddie Cohen (Minister for Planning & Environment) were absent on the day of the GST vote, but have consistently supported the tax since then. Neither will face election this autumn.

* I must say that although Mr. Hanning voted for GST, he has shown great interest in the St Saviour Woodland, which I believe shows a genuine interest in the welfare of both wildlife and residents in the Parish.

I would also like to use this post to mention the minimum of three police officers present at the demonstration:

I have not seen one police officer walking through town in the last few months (of course I am sure they do, but the fact that I have not seen one after near-daily visits tells me that there are not many of them there). In fact to be entirely honest I cannot remember the last time I saw a police officer on foot anywhere in Jersey. In town at night I have never, and I mean never, seen a police officer; so why on Earth were there three of them at the demonstration today?

Just over a year ago I was assaulted in town at night (nothing severe), and to be honest a police officer would have been a very welcome sight at the time, but there was not one! I can only assume they are too scared, which is in no way sarcastic; what other reason is there? Surely town at night, a place of many 'drunk and disorderly' people, a place of potentially dangerous people, should be a priority for the police force?!

I apologise but that is something I just needed to get off my chest; the sight of three police officers chatting to each other jokingly with stretched grins across their faces whilst there is undoubtedly a crime being committed somewhere was a sight I could not simply dismiss. Maybe in another post I will explain my reasons for disliking the police force, but not here.

As mentioned earlier I will post the Bailiff's letter whenever I receive it. Check back soon.

- Benjamin Langlois

Update (08/05/2008):
The YouTube video of the GST demonstration mentioned in a recent comment can now be viewed below for all who could not attend the demonstration in person. Unfortunately YouTube will only allow me to publish a low-quality copy here, however the higher-quality version can be found at the following link: High Quality Video

This video was filmed by crapaudvision, who has kindly given me permission to publish his video here. You can visit crapaudvision's YouTube Channel by clicking here.

Upcoming Anti-GST Demonstration in the Royal Square

2008-05-04T22:20:00.037+01:00

After a rare visit to Cineworld this evening I was intrigued to find a professional-looking man handing out yellow paper leaflets just outside the entrance. I asked for a leaflet and was pleased to read about an upcoming demonstration in the Royal Square. The details on the leaflet were as follows:

Are you fed up with our government?

Then get off your arse and do something!

LUNCHTIME DEMONSTRATION

Date: Tuesday 6th May 2008

Time: 12:30 -1:30pm

Venue: Royal Square

Come join us and have your voice heard

As you can imagine I was very excited by this, and so I thought "yes, I will get off my arse and do something!" I only hope all my readers will think the same.

Please come and join me and many others. The protest is timed to coincide with the standard working lunch hour so there really is no excuse if you are near town! Also, please remember to register your name to be eligable to vote in the coming elections; if I hear "one man/woman cannot make a difference" one more time I think I will go mad!

I look forward to seeing you all there,

- Benjamin Langlois

Official Time4Change/Reform Press Release

Time4change/Reform have organised a demonstration to 'welcome' the arrival of GST to Jersey, this coming Tuesday, and are asking islanders to attend to show the States of Jersey how they feel about this tax. They are also calling on the Chief Architect of GST, Terry Le Sueur, and his 29 supporters in the States to attend and listen to what the people have to say.

Lieve Hodgetts, a spokeswoman for the group said, "We live in a democracy, albeit an imperfect one, so it is important that the 30 members of the 'GST Party' are reminded that they have brought in this pernicious tax against the will of the vast majority of people.

The rally will start with the names of the 30 members of the 'GST party' being read out loud, and flyers will be handed out of all the guilty politicians. There will be a proposal for the zero rating fof GST and failing that for exemptions to be put on foodstuffs, childrens' clothes and school books. We also hope to put an end to the myth that there are no viable alternatives to GST, and will be proposing a whole series of viable, fairer alternatives."

The rally which will take place from 12:30 - 1:30pm on Tuesday 6th May in the Royal Square, is expected to attract many workers in St Helier over the lunchtime period.

Message to the organisers: If you would like to contact me to follow-up what we very briefly discussed earlier this evening (Sunday 04 May 2008), you can reach me at online@benjaminlanglois.co.uk. Thanks.

A Rather Busy Schedule

2008-05-02T05:35:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post today.

I just wanted to reassure all my readers that I have not abandoned this blog and I will be back posting again shortly (hopefully in two or three days). I have been very busy during the past week or so and, as much as I have tried, I have simply not been able to find the time to sit down and post a blog entry.

As you can see I am writing this at just after 05:30 on a friday morning; there is literally not enough hours in the day!

Thank you to all my regular readers and, especially for my subscribers, thank you for being so patient.

- Benjamin Langlois

Sympathy for a Post Office Employee

2008-04-22T19:23:00.003+01:00

I apologise for not posting in a while; I have been rather busy lately. In fact I was not planning on posting again until Thursday, however today's front-page news story in the J.E.P. really got me venting; and where better to vent my frustration than here.

This post refers to the Post Office employee who, after noticing 39 blank postcards being sent to one address in Somerset through the postal system by one Mr. Nigel Keegan, thought something suspicious may be going on. As the J.E.P. reports, he contacted Mr. Keegan's local councillor (Mr. Hann) via email with the following message:

My attention was drawn to the fact that someone had posted 39 identical postcards locally with no message or anything. I wondered if you might have a look at the house [in Somerset] next time you are passing to see if there is anything special or unusual about it or the inhabitants.

We cannot see any immediate reason behind this unusual posting so that made us prick up our ears.

As you may know, we try to be vigilant to spot people abusing the mail for the purposes of drug smuggling or scams of various types, although we cannot immediately see a terribly plausible use that 39 postcards like this could be put to.

Perhaps it is a joke or a birthday surprise. In any event, if there is anything suspicious, perhaps you would let me know and I would take it further by informing the relevant authorities.

Mr. Keegan's response to this email was, in my opinion, an over-reaction to say the least; intrusive and evidence of a surveillance society. Now I am well aware of the growing 'Big Brother' nature of Jersey in recent years, but surely the Post Office employee's actions were commendable in this instance; he (or she) noticed something out of the ordinary, used his initiative and performed the necessary (and formal) steps needed in order to ensure nothing illegal was occurring. If he had not done this and Mr. Keegan was breaking the law in some way, the Post Office would have been blamed! The employee should be praised for his actions!

Mr. Keegan then lapses into a moment of sarcasm regarding the employee’s slight concern that the postcards may be involved in drug smuggling or a scam. He seems intent on destroying this honest worker simply because he has inconvenienced him slightly; he complained about an invasion of his privacy (I don’t see how he justifies this claim; the postcards were supposedly blank) and asked the J.E.P. to investigate. This has now grown into an internal investigation at Jersey Post, which in turn has grown into a police investigation.

I am quite honestly amazed; I have either missed something important here or this entire story is just one grand over-reaction on the part of Mr. Keegan, Jersey Post, the J.E.P. and the police. Please (and I am being honest here), if I have missed something; tell me. If Mr. Keegan happens to be reading this, please get in contact and correct any misconceptions I may have; or if the Jersey Post employee in question happens to be reading this, please contact me and I will happily listed to your side of the story.

Thank you for bearing with me in this post, I am very tired and am only just regaining control of my mouth after a visit to the dentist. If this post is in any way incoherent; blame it on that.

- Benjamin Langlois

PS: Mr. Keegan, it is possible to smuggle drugs through a postal system using postcards, however I will obviously not explain the procedure here (or anywhere else for that matter)!

A Response to the Channel Island Forum

2008-04-17T00:46:00.007+01:00

I have had a rather large amount of traffic to this blog over the last couple of days (well, a relatively large amount), and so I started searching through my site statistics to see where all these visitors are coming from. To my surprise I noticed that a few people had come from the Channel Island Forum.

Intrigued, I visited the forum to search for a link to The State of Jersey, and to my delight I noticed UserName had posted a new thread about my website (thank you for that). I have just read the replies to his initial post and was surprised to find that Dicko has posted a rather harsh response to The Xenophobic Islander. This really is nothing personal; everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however I would like to use this post to respond to Dicko’s comment.

Dicko’s response to The Xenophobic Islander was:

Another example of PC bollox.

I have nothing against Polish people, I just think there’s too many on the island.

Having a strong opinion on immigration doesn’t make someone a racist.

Firstly, I would like to make everyone reading this post aware that I am very much against political correctness for the sake of politeness, and so there is nothing P.C. about the post in question at all. As for the last two sentences, Dicko may be surprised to learn that I agree entirely (in fact the rate of immigration is one of my greatest worries about Jersey); however holding the opinion that there are too many Polish people in Jersey and voicing a racist comment to a Polish individual (as mentioned in my post) are two completely different things.

Nowhere in The Xenophobic Islander did I state that holding a strong opinion about immigration makes somebody a racist, and so I fail to see the reasoning behind Dicko's last sentence.

I would also like to mention that I do not believe racism to be a very large problem in Jersey at the moment; but nobody can deny that a minority of residents are openly racist (and by this I do not mean having a strong opinion on immigration, I mean being insulting to immigrants because they are immigrants). I fear that this small amount of racism may in time grow into an island-wide problem, and so by becoming aware of it now we may be able to prevent this growth – this is the purpose of The Xenophobic Islander.

Once again thank you to UserName for making the effort to advertise my blog.

- Benjamin Langlois

Senator Stuart Syvret's Christmas Speech 2007

2008-04-15T16:24:00.013+01:00

When performing my daily visit to Senator Stuart Syvret's blog today, I was surprised to see that he has published his 2007 Christmas Speech as Father of the House in full. In this post I will not make any commentary (read Stuart's blog post here for his opinion on the whole matter), but instead I will simply post the speech in full here for your viewing pleasure. I hope you don't mind Stuart:

Senator Stuart Syvret's 2007 Christmas Speech as Father of the House

CHRISTMAS 2007

FATHER OF THE HOUSE SPEECH
TO THE STATES ASSEMBLY
BY
SENATOR STUART SYVRET

Sir, Your Excellency, fellow members – but especially the people we are here to represent.

As Father of the House, it is customary for the senior Senator to lead the seasonal exchange of greetings with which we end the year.

In these addresses, it is common to reflect upon the year past – and to contemplate the coming year. And it is the birth of Christ that we mark with these reflections and which we celebrate in this season of goodwill.

Christ taught many things in the course of His life. Amongst His teachings was the virtue of honesty.

For even though I am an ordinary, fallible person, with no particular religious convictions, still, I could not stand here and falsely claim that the past year has been an episode upon which we, as an assembly, could look back upon with satisfaction – or even self-respect. This has not been a year in which we have displayed wisdom, compassion or even basic common sense.

As is now public knowledge, we as a society - Jersey – this community - have begun the awful task of facing up to decades – at least – of disgraceful failure – and worse – towards children.

I will not refer to my personal experiences of 2007; perhaps I will speak of such things on another occasion.

Instead, I wish to speak of the children, the victims, the innocent – the many - who have been catastrophically failed by the edifice of public administration in Jersey – year in and year out. Decade after decade.

We like to imagine ourselves as being some kind of model community; a safe, well-governed and happy group of people. Whilst I cannot speak in detail of individual sufferings now; nor of the many betrayals – I can say this: that as far as I am aware the coming months and years are going to require the most painful reconsideration of our communal values, our competence – and our collective ethics.

Indeed, I am not aware of a more wretched and shocking example of communal failure in the entire 800 year history of Jersey as a self-governing jurisdiction.

How much worse could things be than the systemic decades-long betrayal of the innocents?

As we approach the birthday of Christ, we should reflect upon his words. When on an occasion, some little children were brought to Jesus, Jesus’ disciples became angry and rebuked those who had brought the children into Christ‘s presence. Scriptures then tell us, “But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them “ Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Jesus is also recorded as saying, “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name received me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea”

I would hope that these simple words – that place children and their welfare at the heart of human values – could be accepted by any decent person – regardless of their particular religious thoughts or beliefs.

Greater minds than mine have said that we may gauge the quality of a society by how it treats its children. Having learnt what I have learnt in the course of this year I have to say that our smug self-satisfaction as a charitable and civilised community in fact conceals a festering canker. For though it would be bad enough for us to have amongst our midst's the abusers that are to be found in all societies – the victims in Jersey have been doubly betrayed – betrayed with indifference, betrayed with contempt, betrayed with the naked and idle self-interest of an administration that should have been protecting these - the most vulnerable of the vulnerable.

Sir, some people seem to enjoy being politicians. This is not a view I ever understood. My 17 years as a States member have, to me, been a fairly consistent period of struggle; on some occasions so Kafkaesque, so dispiriting that many times I just wished to cast it all aside and seek a civilised occupation instead. But nothing – nothing – nothing in those 17 years even begins to approach the sheer existential bleakness of this year; of trying to contact, to listen to, to help so many people whose childhoods and lives were wrecked by abuse – often abuse at the hands of the States of Jersey and its employees – and doubly wrecked by the conspiracy of cover-ups engaged in by public administration.

A few brave people – front-line staff, victims, and whistle-blowers began to bring these failings to my attention. As my understanding developed, I took extremely high-powered specialist advice on child protection issues – and I think this assembly should acknowledge with gratitude the involvement of Chris Callender, Andrew Nielson and their leader, Frances Crook of the Howard League for Penal Reform. The support and guidance of the Howard League was a great source of strength to me and those whom I was working with in Jersey.

Likewise Professor June Thoburn, who agreed to bring her world-renowned expertise to the post of Chair of the Jersey Child Protection Committee.

In particular I believe we should acknowledge the bravery, integrity and unshakable commitment to child welfare exhibited by Simon Bellwood. He alone – amongst the entire panoply of the child “protection” apparatus in Jersey - said that the way we were treating children in custody was simply wrong. He alone took a stand against the appalling ill-treatment of children who needed care – not abuse. That he was sacked for his efforts really speaks volumes, and illustrates well the ethical void within the system we are responsible for.

Sir, I repeat, we must focus upon the victims – and the friends and families who suffered along with them.

For a period of many months, I investigated these issues – and the more I investigated – the greater became my alarm and anger at what I was learning from people throughout our society. Jersey being the kind of place where many people know other people, the chains of contacts which developed – the networks of victims and witnesses simply grew and grew. Sometimes new revelations occurred - almost by the hour.

As I met, and spoke with people of all ages – young teenagers to retired people – it became clear to me that what we were facing was something far worse than occasional, isolated instances of abuse. What Jersey had tolerated in its midst was a culture of disregard, abandonment and contempt for children – especially those children in need; the vulnerable; the defenceless. During these dark days, when I contemplated how people could treat children in these ways, I was often reminded of the words of Sartre, when he said “hell is other people”.

But, the strength and bravery of the many victims was a source of strength to me as I contemplated several years of bitter struggle against the Establishment, who were clearly going to use the predictable range of oppressions against me in an effort to keep the truth concealed.

So when the States of Jersey Police Force took me into their confidence and gave me a comprehensive briefing about the work they were doing – it was as though a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I had been steeling myself for years of struggle to expose the truth and to seek justice for the victims. The realisation that I was not going down this road alone was a tremendous release – to me - and to the victims. So I must pay tribute to the leadership of the Police Force. This time - finally - there is no hiding place.

During my work I have had conversations with people - teenagers, parents, young adults and older people. People from all parts of society and all backgrounds. Many of these people - victims and witnesses - naturally enough found speaking about their experiences extremely difficult; and many of them were, and are, reluctant to become identified. Likewise the many brave front-line staff who still contact me regularly - notwithstanding the blocking by management of e-mails sent to me by Health & Social Services staff from their work computers.

Such is the climate of fear that victims, witnesses and decent staff experience, that very many of the meetings I have taken part in - have had to be arranged in great secrecy. For example, one brave employee who gave me very important information, made initial contact with me via a text-message sent from her daughter's mobile phone.

I went about the back-streets, the housing estates, the tenement blocks, the foul, overcrowded and exploitative "lodging houses" in which the poor in Jersey often dwell. And I listened to people opening up; often for the first time in their lives speaking of what they experienced - what they saw - and how they had been failed by everyone. For many of these people, I was the first person in authority they felt able to speak to about what happened to them.

I listened to things - things sometimes said through tears - that I hope never to have to hear again.

As time passed, I found myself moving from these dark rendezvous with witnesses - going amongst the soaked and blackened streets - experiencing encounters with victims - and clandestine meetings with brave whistle-blowing front-line staff.

In the early stages of this odyssey – this drizzle-soaked sodium-lit quest amongst the night roads and back alleys of St. Helier - in the unspoken underbelly of Jersey - I realised what I was seeking - and finding - were ghosts.

Shades and spectres – the vaporous trails of long-departed children – still haunting the outer shells of people I met. Sometimes you catch a glimpse of these ghost children - in eye – or word – or gesture – and you want to reach out to them – but these burnt and vanished phantoms disappear into the scars, the tattoos, the needle marks, the self-harm lacerations, the haunted faces and the wrecked lives.

Although many of the people I met are in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and sixties - I cannot but see them as children still. And many of these children have passed through the hands of the States of Jersey 'system’ - I cannot bring myself to use the phrase "care". Some of these children ended in custody for minor offences - and such was the cruelty, abuse, neglect and violence they suffered - many went on to become habitual criminals. When many of these people explained their criminal life-styles, they did so with humility, many candidly use the phrase 'we were no angels', and they have said they were not proud of the things they have done. But as a States member - I cannot look at these people - these victims - and not ask myself the awful question: "had these vulnerable, confused and angry children been treated with love and respect and care by the States, perhaps they would have avoided criminal life-styles; perhaps they would not be - in many cases - alcoholics, drug addicts - often broken and shattered beings, wrestling with mental health issues."

Could I - could any of us - say with confidence that our failures have not contributed to, or led to, such tragic outcomes for so many people?

No, we cannot say that. We must, at the last, admit the awful truth that many of our regular inmates at La Moye Prison are there because of what we - the States of Jersey - did to them as vulnerable children - in the time in their lives when they most needed love, care, support & nurturing.

Amongst our victims have been many many children who had not misbehaved; children who had to be taken into "care" for their protection; or children who had to be taken into the States-run institutions because of the death of their parent. I have met with siblings who's mother died of cancer when they were little children. I have met with several of the victims of this particular States-run institution. But when I met with the brother & sister - now adults - and listened to their experiences - all I could feel were two things: shame - that the States of Jersey allowed these things to be done to them - and anger that upon the tragedy of the death of these young children's mother from cancer - we - the States - heaped violence, cruelty, battery and abuse upon these already bereaved children who needed our care, support & love.

Towards the end of my conversation with them - they embraced tearfully, and the brother repeated a vow that no one would ever harm his sister again.

That meeting took place in a room in this building. And I confess at that moment I seriously considered walking from the door and never setting foot in this place again.

Another, older, man I met explained his experiences of being a resident in Haute de la Garenne in the mid-nineteen sixties. Even for the "standards" of the day, the treatment of the children there was barbaric & cruel - at best; for worse things happened.

What really struck me about my meeting with this man was that he was not especially bothered at the treatment he received. I was touched and moved that his overriding concern was - and still is to this day - the fate of his best friend in that institution. He gave me the name, and some details, such as he could recall, from these days far ago in his childhood.

I was able to look into what happened to this boy who was in our care in Haute de la Garenne in the mid-sixties. Little information was available, but the Office of the Deputy Viscount was able to supply me with the following facts:

Michael Bernard O'CONNELL

Aged 14 years

Died on 7th or 8th October 1966, by hanging from a tree, off Rue des Haies in Trinity.

Inquest held on 17th October 1966.

The memory of this young man is kept alive by his friends - children - people who had similar experiences and who - in the midst of their own struggles with their lives - keep the flame of their friend burning.

But let no one imagine that the things of which we speak are confined to the past; an age of dark and sick attitudes. No - today we have the very same problems.

Recently, I made the appointment and accompanied a young man to the police station so he could add his experiences to the present investigations. This young man had fallen foul of the law in some very minor ways as a young child - and thus he suffered the awful fate of falling into the maw of the so-called youth "justice" system of Jersey. Such was the counter-productive barbarity of the treatment meted out to him - and others like him - that his behaviour became more angry, bitter and lawless. At various stages he passed through Les Chenes and then Greenfields. This young man was, at one stage, held in near complete isolation for two months - passages of solitary confinement which went on for weeks. Having induced - unsurprisingly - a complete mental collapse in this child through this solitary confinement - the response of the institution to his needs was to send a "councillor" from CAMHS to speak with him - for half-an-hour - once-a-week.

As I listened to him recount his experiences over about 2 hours to the police officers who were conducting the initial interview, I kept looking at the vast cross-hatchings of self-harm scars which make his left arm look like a road map of New York, and I listened to him explain how he lay bleeding from these wounds alone in his cell and untended - as a child - I looked at him and I thought "we have done this to him"; "we have wrecked his life".

It is striking just how many people who passed through the hands of the States of Jersey as innocent children emerged from the other side of that experience, bitter, angry, contemptuous and lawless. Former inmates - current inmates - and those about to become inmates - many many of them are our victims.

Society has a low regard for those who break the law, and that view is routinely echoed in this chamber. So it is not often a member asks us to reflect upon those who have crossed the law and to consider that amongst these people are many - far too many - children who were broken and betrayed in so many ways - especially by the States.

For amongst these people who find themselves imprisoned, these adults cast adrift - within them linger still the ghosts of the children they were - and the spectres of what they should have been.

So Sir - today - the expression of seasonal goodwill, the greeting, the recognition and the charity I stand to offer goes, from me at least, to all the victims of abuse, all those who have suffered - and all those whose childhood experiences have led them to become prisoners. Those who have languished in La Moye - or who are still there now - I want them to know that if their lives are wrecked, their actions driven by the nightmares of their childhoods - some of us understand. Some of us recognise them as victims - tragically and shamefully - often victims of the States of Jersey.

I wish to finish by quoting the final verse of a song by Mary Chapin Carpenter:

Somewhere in a dream like this
The light of love leads us home
Broken worlds will not be fixed
Vengeance take us as thy own
We’re just like beggars now
On our knees we hear our names
God forgives somehow
We have yet to learn the same.

Excerpt from Dead Man Walking by
Mary Chapin Carpenter

Senator Stuart Syvret
Christmas address to States of Jersey
2007

BBC audio clip of the 2007 Christmas Speech

I have also found a BBC recording of the speech (an excerpt) which you can listen to by clicking here.

The Jersey Cow: Death of the Traditional Image?

2008-04-14T20:38:00.003+01:00

Whilst travelling around this little island I have had the pleasure of conversing with a number of tourists from many parts of the globe, and they all mention one aspect of Jersey in particular – the Jersey cow. In fact whilst recently travelling on the bus (the Yellow Route) I sat in fascination as the visitors snapped away with their cameras every time we passed a field of Jersey cows, followed by an ecstatic “Look mummy - Cows” from one particular child. It amazed me to see such a reaction to something I take so much for granted.

But when you stop and think about what they were photographing from the perspective of a visitor, you really can see the appeal; a little island with its own way of life, its own quirky accent, and its very own cows. This image is certainly very appealing to a non-Jerseyman.

But now let’s imagine the same bus route in a few years time, when our Jersey cows are mixed together in the fields with other English breeds. I doubt there will be much reaction on the Yellow Route then. And that is the problem; the Jersey cow is not known only for its products, but for its appearance also. A field full of nothing but Jersey cows is a sight many people come to Jersey to see! This is a fact many of the pro-importation arguments fail to recognise.

So why, after centuries of establishing Jersey’s ‘niche’ would anybody want to destroy it? Who in the States could be behind such sacrilege? The answer: Chief Minister Frank Walker. What surprises me about this is I cannot see how he could profit or in any other way gain from it, and let’s all be honest for a moment, when was the last time you heard of Mr. Walker really doing something for the ‘people of Jersey’?

Of course the Jersey image is not what the pro-importation activists have in mind; all they seem to care about is the amount of money they can make per cow (and I do understand the monetary worries of Jersey farmers, but destroying Jersey’s appeal as a holiday destination is not the solution). I only hope some intelligent person does not realise that the Jersey Royal is quite a small potato!

As always I welcome your own opinions on this matter.

- Benjamin Langlois

The Xenophobic Islander: Issue #1

2008-04-12T23:19:00.012+01:00

The Xenophobic Islander will hopefully become a regular column on The State of Jersey. It aims to address issues of racial prejudice and outright racism by a minority of islanders. I would like to make it clear however that I am not ‘the xenophobic islander’ – the title refers to the growing trend towards racism in Jersey (especially amongst the younger generations).

Paranoid Delusions on the Number One

As a result of my recent fascination with the relatively new Liberation Station, I have been using the currently-good-value bus service as my primary means of transport. This has opened up a whole new world to me; from talking to new people to analysing the various forms of social interaction on public transport (yes I know I’m a bit of a nerd) I have discovered something new and interesting with every journey.

Most of the time I have been pleasantly reassured that human kindness still exists, however on a few occasions I have been appalled. It is one of these negative experiences, a paranoid delusion on the number one, that I will be focussing on in this post.

A few days ago (I cannot remember the exact day) I was travelling on the number one bus from Liberation Station to my home which is located at some point along the route, and as always I was monitoring the behaviour of my fellow passengers. A couple of seats in front of me were two Polish men conversing energetically, and to my immediate left was a middle-aged Jerseyman reading the J.E.P. Of course there were other people on the bus also, but they are near-irrelevant here.

As the journey progressed, I could sense the energy in the foreign conversation increase, and looking around I noticed most of the passengers glancing pseudo-secretly at the two men, including the Jerseyman in question. This was no ordinary looking however; there was a strong sense of mistrust from most people.

At about three minutes into the journey the two Polish men started laughing uncontrollably, leading to even more inevitable looks of mistrust and inquisitiveness from most passengers; but the Jerseyman in question was looking in a much more different manner, almost with disgust. He continued reading his J.E.P. as he muttered a seriously insulting phrase, which I obviously will not repeat here, but it is enough to say that it was both vulgar and blatantly racist. Luckily, I don’t think the two men heard, at least they didn’t react anyway.

Why am I mentioning this here?

Although the Jerseyman’s behaviour on the bus was a minor act of racism, it was racism nonetheless. Not only would it have been harmful to the two men had they heard, but it is also part of what I believe to be an increasing island-wide trend of growing racist attitudes. Surely this is something we need to at least recognise as a problem.

I believe this problem is in part caused by paranoid delusions on the part of us – the Jersey-born residents. Why do I believe this? Well, to understand where I am coming from we need to understand what prompted the Jerseyman on the bus to say what he did. I believe, although some may disagree, that he thought the two Polish men were either talking about him in particular or about Jersey people in general; after all they were talking and laughing in their own native language whilst in the presence of Jersey-born residents. But let’s stop and think for a moment, is there a more rational explanation? Could it be that (and this is my own personal hypothesis) they were simply engaging in a rather funny polish joke? Their speech became increasingly energetic until the point where it climaxed into hysterical laughter – it makes sense.

If this is the case, we must seriously reconsider our beliefs about immigrants; and this will be the subject matter of many future posts in The Xenophobic Islander.

This post has used a very mild form of racism as an introductory example; in future posts I will discuss many other aspects of xenophobic behaviour as well as possible reasons for this behaviour and, more importantly, rational solutions to remedy the problem.

I welcome any comments on this issue; personal experiences with racism, your own opinion about the rising levels of immigration, etc. Anything relevant is welcome. Your comment may even be included in the next issue of The Xenophobic Islander, now there’s a privilege!

- Benjamin Langlois

PS: As you may have noticed I have recently installed a five-star post rating system. Nobody has had the courage to use it as yet, so please feel free to be the first!

The Durrell Vision: A Near-Perfect Plan

2008-04-06T19:57:00.014+01:00

Many weeks ago, in early February, I attended the open presentation held by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, in which four speakers explained the Trust’s drastic long-term plans for their Jersey headquarters. In this, my second post, I would like to present my personal opinions about the redesign but also raise just one minor disagreement.

I arrived at the Princess Royal Pavilion shortly before the presentation was scheduled to start and was very warmly greeted by friendly staff and offered a complimentary drink. Lee Durrell was circulating the small crowd, and greeting and engaging in polite conversation. Altogether I felt very welcome and at ease, despite my scruffy appearance.

After viewing the wall-mounted plan diagrams we took to our seats and the talk commenced, at least shortly after the first expert recovered from hitting his head on the stereo speaker. I won’t go into the details of the plan here, but you can get a rough idea from browsing the Durrell Wildlife website.

But to summarise the one-and-a-half hour presentation, the Trust needs to generate £47,000,000 in order to expand into surrounding land and pretty-much knock everything down and start again. This will include a large Eden-project-style ‘bubble dome’ in which a microclimate will be established, along with many other structures which will hopefully be better-suited to the animals’ needs. The new gorilla enclosure will also feature a large (hopefully reinforced!) glass wall, whereby visitors can get close to the gorillas in their outside environment. However, and rather reassuringly, the gorillas will have the choice as to whether they venture out to the glass wall, and so they will retain at least a little privacy.

As I said, I will not go into the details of the plan; however it is enough to say that in my opinion this is a very worthwhile cause. Although £47,000,000 sounds like a lot of money, the returns on this investment are potentially much larger.

Firstly, this new vision will help the Trust further enhance and advance their present and future conservation campaigns, which you simply cannot put a price on. Secondly, and more relevant to Jersey, the completed revamp will pull in a vast number of overseas tourists which, considering the potential future of the island’s economy, can only serve to help the common person of Jersey. I was pleased to hear at the presentation that the Trust has focussed heavily into generating more tourists through many new ideas, such as building ‘eco-lodges’ inside the complex where paying tourists can stay overnight.

But this is where my abovementioned disagreement lies.

In my opinion these so-called ‘eco-lodges’ are awful. When I first heard the word ‘eco-lodge’ at the presentation my mind conjured up images of a rustic little cottage-like building possibly with a small wind turbine or a solar panel mounted on the roof.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's plan for the 'eco-lodges'
Image copyright Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

As you can see from the above image, this does not seem to be the case. All I can see is an ultra-modern floating shoebox mounted on a large door-stop. The question of how these buildings will look amongst the surrounding environment was asked by a member of the audience, and we were all assured by the experts that they would ‘blend in’ with their surroundings through the natural process of weathering.

I am afraid I am not convinced. No amount of weathering is going to change the overall shape or alter the sharp lines and angles. I fear this is a case of taking the ‘modern’ vision a little too far.

However, I should not complain; the grand design of the entire complex is a very exciting prospect. Not only is it innovative, but as I mentioned previously the potential for the economy is fantastic. I don’t think I will ever like the ‘eco-lodges’, but they are only a small component of the overall design – a grand design all in Jersey will one day be extremely proud of.

So if you have ever considered making a small donation to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, or ever considered purchasing a membership but have always put it off, now is the time to do it. Regard it as an investment in your future life in Jersey, and I am sure it will pay dividend. I know I will be.

- Benjamin Langlois

Contact me

2008-04-05T00:01:00.001+01:00

If you would like to contact me regarding this website, please use the email address below:

I always reply to emails as soon as possible, however during busy times there may be a delay of a few days; rest assured I will reply whenever possible.

Introducing The State of Jersey

2008-04-04T04:30:00.021+01:00

After weeks of developing the concept, registering with many online accounts, and slightly tweaking the design and HTML, The State of Jersey is finally online. Admittedly not everything is exactly how I would like it, but such is life I suppose; especially in Jersey.

The purpose of The State of Jersey
The State of Jersey is the medium I will use to publish my personal thoughts and opinions regarding various aspects of Jersey life, and possibly even some slightly satirical personal musings along the way. I hope that the people of Jersey (to use Mr. Walker’s much-worn-out phrase) will not only read my posts, but also voice your own opinions by posting your comments.

I also hope The State of Jersey will act as an honest insight into Jersey life for global readers who may be considering a short trip here (or even considering living here). I have seen the Jersey Tourism advertisements; the television commercials on national television channels and the billboards whilst on my travels, and they are very misleading. Therefore, I am also aiming to encourage possible global readers to post their comments.

About your author
My name is Benjamin Langlois. I have lived in Jersey since birth and, although quite young, I have a very scientific outlook on life. By that I mean that I analyse things; people, events, situations etc. and attempt to offer realistic solutions when my ‘social analysis’ reveals potential conflicts (a perfect attribute for an effective politician perhaps?)

I am a firm believer that if something is broken you should fix it (as opposed to sitting back and waiting for somebody else to fix it for you), and I live by the motto: Never think of anything for more than ten seconds; just do it!

You can never convey a whole personality in a couple of paragraphs, but I hope this gives you at least a vague idea of who I am. Now no more about me in this post, I promise.

Why now?
I have been planning this website for many months, but the thought had never before developed into an action. However former health minister Senator Stuart Syvret’s uncovering of the historic child abuse in Jersey (with the former children’s home Haut de la Garenne featuring heavily) encouraged me to voice my opinion. I subscribed to his blog and started posting my comments in response to his almost-daily posts.

Eventually the inevitable happened – the States of Jersey I.T. Department blocked access to Mr. Syvret’s comments section to all computers using the Health and Social Services’ internet connection, meaning Health and Social Services employees are now unable to voice their opinions about their employers. Their freedom of expression, the most basic human right, has been removed.

I could not believe this had happened in Jersey; surely this type of dictatorship attitude could only happen somewhere like China! I slowly realised that, although I had my opinions about certain aspects of Jersey beforehand, this little island has two personalities, and unfortunately one of them has an attitude problem. It may even be dangerous.

Therefore, I finally decided to start this blog.

Why 'The State of Jersey'?
I decided on this name as I believe it accurately describes this blog's purpose – a personal commentary of the current state of the island, and of course it closely resembles The States of Jersey (The State of Jersey is written in red for easy discrimination between the two).

End note
Thank you for taking the time to read this first post; I promise not all future posts will not be so long. I would also like to thank Senator Stuart Syvret for not only his positive actions in recent months, but also for providing me with the encouragement I needed to start this blog.

So that’s it; my first post. The State of Jersey is officially open!

- Benjamin Langlois