A campaign that was started recently in London has caused more stink than a turd in a jacuzzi - the billboards in question being these driven around the area. “In the UK illegally? GO HOME OR FACE ARREST Text HOME to 78070 for free advice, and help with travel documents”
Other than the Oxford comma, would you object if you saw something similar (substitute “USA” or your country of residence where applicable) driving around your neck of the woods?
The Advertising Standards Authority is investigating after 60 complaints, and there are concerns that it will stir up tensions in multicultural areas, is totalitarian and reminiscent of the kind of rhetoric you’d hear from racist knuckle-draggers like the BNP.
On the other hand, the Home Office argues that it’s a cheap way to encourage illegal immigrants to voluntarily leave rather than chasing them up and spending money through the legal system.
If you had your say after you saw these billboards driven through your locale would you object to them or not?
I hate driving billboards regardless of what they’re promoting (I see jewelry sales pitches a lot), so I’d reject it on that basis alone. Adding to traffic with an eyesore intended solely to promote something is an asshole move. Plus I think that legal immigrants and people who are reflexively suspected as being illegal even if they were born here or are otherwise legal citizens (Hispanic people especially, but may vary by locale - Eastern European in Chicago, for instance, or anyone who might be suspected of being Muslim) may see it as an attempt to tell them that they are not welcome.
First of all, “GO HOME” is an incredibly offensive message that even legal immigrants hear all the damn time. That alone is enough to kill the campaign, in my opinion.
Even if the target audience sees these billboards, why would they want to leave? They presumably already know they’re not in the country legally. Why turn themselves in if there’s a chance they can keep under the radar as they have been? And it’s not easy to tell from those billboards exactly who you’re contacting when you text that number. A government agency who will deport your ass, or a shady lawyer who will take a ton of money to “help” you get your documents done, only to wave goodbye to you when you’re deported anyway?
Offensive and useless. I’d vote for killing the campaign.
Billboard encourages compliance with law. Doesn’t seem any differently conceptually from the “Click it or Ticket” and “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaigns in this country.
It’s offensive, but I don’t object to lots of offensive things. They should definitely be able to keep campaigning and whatnot, or whatever it is they think they are doing.
It sounds like something a law firm would post here in the States to draw in business from fearful illegal immigrants. Is it apparent these billboards are state sponsored?
Aside from that possible confusion and a general objection to all billboards, I object strenuously to the comma placement. (Oxford? What makes it an Oxford comma?) Any logical English-speaking immigrant is going to think, “The fuck? You tell me rudely to go home and then expect me to help with travel documents? Go to hell!”
If it was just a random xenophobic group, it would annoy me a little, but an official ad from the Home Office? That seriously pisses me off.
They seem to be making a concerted effort to demonize immigrants at the moment, boasting about arresting ‘suspected’ illegals on twitter, as well as these bloody billboards.
I am never in favor of reduntantly unnecessary signage. It’s simply a waste of time.
“Hey, that thing you’re doing that’s illegal? It’s AGAINST THE LAW!”
Similar signs around town:
Left Turns, Yield to Oncoming Traffic
Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk
Really, is there someplace where I don’t have to yield to oncoming traffic, or it’s okay to just mow pedestrians down? No? Then why do we need a freakin’ sign for it?
And here’s the problem with the billboards. If aNewLeaf is correct, then the target audience doesn’t know they’re breaking the law, so they’ll ignore it. If Antigen is correct, then the target audience does know they’re breaking the law, so they’ll ignore it.
The Tory party say the billboards are not targeted at legitimate immigrants and minorities but only those here illegally. This is a lie. Despite knowing full well that they would cause offence and distress to many people, they are in fact targeted directly at white middle class bigots who have recently decided that the Tories are not xenophobic enough for them and are thus threatening to vote for UKIP in the next election. I therefore object both on the grounds of the vile message and the pandering to the readers of the Daily Mail.
I would object to such billboards, but would not call for the government to remove them, on the grounds that even offensive speech should be protected.
Unless, of course, as is the case here, it’s the government itself putting up the billboards.
I always thought an Oxford comma was one placed after ‘and’ at the end of a list; if not, ignorance fought. In any case it’s the least controversial part of the sign.
Seriously? Undocumented immigrants in my area (South Philly) tend to be Mexican, and their English skills are nothing to sneeze at. I’m sure they know what their legal status is.
I think there’s a significant degree of difference between reminding people of a law that most people agree they should follow and telling people they should turn themselves in for deportation.
Does anyone really think a billboard is going to convince anyone to turn themselves in? This real message here seems to be “We don’t want your kind here.”
