political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Iain, what's your take on this? Mine is that it can't be a coincidence that on 2 BB shows we have had 'racial abuse'. Coupled with the BBC programme on 'race relations' in Bradford. Why don't you go out and do a 'race relations' piece for 10 Doughty Street getting the views of each ethnic group? A hot potato STILL 40 years after Enoch Powell's brave outspoken speech.
Iain, I agree with you for censoring foul language.
Abusive language on the other hand is another matter, as who defines what is abusive? In fact, it is the reader not the writer.
Somebody might call me a nigga and whether I laugh, answer in the same tone or plot to burn that person while he sleeps at home IS ENTIRELY MY DECISION and not that of the person who used the banned word.
It is illogical therefore to try to punish the name caller as he has no control over my response. This is the fundamental flaw with many of New Labour's well meaning race-hate laws etc.
In fact, we should return to the status quo ante, which is summarised by the English saying: sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me.
Obsenity should be censored. Apart from that, we should be allowed to say what we like to each other and all the race relation laws, which have outlived their usefulness and now make things worse, should be repealled.
The problem arises from the Tory love of ‘common sense’, which is a kind of mirror to ‘political correctness’. It consists of ‘things Conservatives instinctively know to be true’ but aren’t written down.
The problem is non-Tories do write them down for you, caricaturing them as racist, misogynistic and homophobic. The Conservative response is always to complain of political correctness and to feel outrage.
But I’ve yet to hear a rebuttal to the accusation that these are the three central tenets of Conservative common sense.
(BTW Naïve Emily proudly labelled herself a Tory.)
Naive Emily not only proudly labelled herself a Tory and a Cameroonie she was also so labelled by Dizzy and other proud bloggers. And btw Stephen the coverage in Friday's red tops suggests that it was not quite as naive and friendly as I gave her the benefit of the doubt for as she has a history of more hateful uses of racial labels. They say.
courtesy of Hoby
7 comments:
Iain, what's your take on this? Mine is that it can't be a coincidence that on 2 BB shows we have had 'racial abuse'. Coupled with the BBC programme on 'race relations' in Bradford. Why don't you go out and do a 'race relations' piece for 10 Doughty Street getting the views of each ethnic group? A hot potato STILL 40 years after Enoch Powell's brave outspoken speech.
Iain, I agree with you for censoring foul language.
Abusive language on the other hand is another matter, as who defines what is abusive? In fact, it is the reader not the writer.
Somebody might call me a nigga and whether I laugh, answer in the same tone or plot to burn that person while he sleeps at home IS ENTIRELY MY DECISION and not that of the person who used the banned word.
It is illogical therefore to try to punish the name caller as he has no control over my response.
This is the fundamental flaw with many of New Labour's well meaning race-hate laws etc.
In fact, we should return to the status quo ante, which is summarised by the English saying: sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never hurt me.
Obsenity should be censored. Apart from that, we should be allowed to say what we like to each other and all the race relation laws, which have outlived their usefulness and now make things worse, should be repealled.
Off the subject, the character at the front of the queue in that Hoby cartoon looks strangely familiar! ;-)
There should be no banned words.
Oh for god's sake. The government hasn't banned any words.
The problem arises from the Tory love of ‘common sense’, which is a kind of mirror to ‘political correctness’. It consists of ‘things Conservatives instinctively know to be true’ but aren’t written down.
The problem is non-Tories do write them down for you, caricaturing them as racist, misogynistic and homophobic. The Conservative response is always to complain of political correctness and to feel outrage.
But I’ve yet to hear a rebuttal to the accusation that these are the three central tenets of Conservative common sense.
(BTW Naïve Emily proudly labelled herself a Tory.)
Naive Emily not only proudly labelled herself a Tory and a Cameroonie she was also so labelled by Dizzy and other proud bloggers. And btw Stephen the coverage in Friday's red tops suggests that it was not quite as naive and friendly as I gave her the benefit of the doubt for as she has a history of more hateful uses of racial labels. They say.
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