There are times when even Nanny exceeds herself in her "knobheadedness", this is one of those times as Anna Farquhar (Chairman of a health watchdog Wiltshire Involvement Network - WIN) found to her cost last August.
Mrs Farquhar was chairing a public meeting and, when referring to gossip about NHS changes, used the phrase:
"You cannot help the jungle drums".
Problem with that anyone?
However, a certain Sonia Carr, member of the Wilstshire Racial Equality Council, had an enormous problem (in her own mind) about it and declared it to be racist.
Mrs Farquhar immediately apologised for any offence.
Fair enough?
Not if you are Mrs Carr, she felt that an apology was not nearly good enough and submitted an official complaint to Wiltshire Council.
Nice to see people have nothing better to do with their lives!
The council, at great cost to the local taxpayers, produced a 10 page report, and barred all members of WIN from council premises and meetings. It also withdrew funding to cover the group's administration costs.
Mrs Carr remains remarkably unrepentant and claims that Mrs Farquhar's apology was inadequate, and that watchdog members needed training on "equality and diversity issues".
The council will meet WIN leaders to explain why it upheld this ludicrous complaint.
BTW, the council is Tory!
To make matters worse, it seems that the council have decreed that it is against the law to "offend" anyone.
John Thomson, deputy leader, is quoted in The Mail:
"The law makes it clear that what matters is not the intention of the person who uses the phrase but whether anybody is offended by it."
Bollocks!
You can offend whoever you like, if you are prepared to get a punch in the face. Comedians do it all the time, and are paid for doing it.
This is a complete waste of time and money, and a very poor reflection of the underlying agenda (increased state control and bigger government) of our coalition government.
Here is John Thomson's email address john.thomson@wiltshire.gov.uk, feel free to tell him what you think.
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This is by far the worst cases of political correctness I've ever read.
ReplyDeleteObviously, the people with the real power within the council; not the elected councillors but the employees that like to be called officers, are still feeling sore that their left wing, pro EUSSR Stalinist Party lost the last election and thus are trying to make the council look silly, and there lies the real problem in our country; we cannot "un-elect" the people with the real power. Common Purpose has a lot to answer for.
Perhaps someone can explain just how the phrase is racist; As I understand my history, drums were used by many societies to spread messages on all the continents, in fact, our military used to use, amongst other things, drums to convey orders to soldiers.
I am sitting here shitting myself, as yesterday I used the phrase "Chinese Whispers," does that make me a racist in need of training? I also use the phrase "I heard it through the grapevine; is this racist too?
Cast Iron Dave really needs to get a grip with this type of story and rid the country of political correctness and all the silly hangers on and non jobs that go with it.
I suspect that the equality and diversity industy must be one of the few industries still booming in this stupid country of ours.
My advice to young people; leave now while you still can.
Good points by Tonk, above; especially that our elected local leaders can do no more than what their paid officials tell them they can or cannot do (Just as Cameron can only do what the EU says).
ReplyDeleteAs for the specific incident, in all regimes built upon bullying be they communist, religious, nazi or 'political correctness' its devotees start by denouncing the real 'enemies' and hound them out (Ray Hunniford and Stalins show trials spring to mind).
When they have all gone they pick on innocent bystanders like a nurse who wears a crucifix or dinner ladies who tell their neighbours about children attacking their daughter in school.
When the entire poplation is cowed into silence and everything that is remotely different or interesting has been banned they have to find new victims in order to prove their own idealogical purity and that is when they turn upon each other as this splendid case illustrates.
They caused this, now let them suffer.
Just send John Thomson a blank email, because any words might cause offence,
ReplyDeleteThis equality grass stinks of "common purpose " trash to me.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that "Call me Dave" is also a Common Purpose "graduate" so there's bugger all chance of any change coming from that quarter.
ReplyDeleteClearly, Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran needs to watch out.
ReplyDeletePeople stare and cross the road from me
And jungle drums they all clear the way for me
- Is There Something I Should Know
With all the savage cuts being made to public services, throughout the land, how the hell can time and money be wasted on this sort of politically correct crap? Instead of closing old peoples homes, libraries, swimming pools, leisure centres and public toilets, councils should startsaving money by abolishing Racial Equality Councils and similar organisations.
ReplyDeleteKen, you said, "...watchdog members needed training on 'equality and diversity issues'.
In other words, brainwashed and intimidated into agreeing with their twisted thinking. Jackboots anyone?
"BTW, the council is Tory!"
Although it was probably a wasted vote, I am SO glad I voted for UKIP, rather than any of the mainstream political parties!
'To make matters worse, it seems that the council have decreed that it is against the law to "offend" anyone. John Thomson, deputy leader, is quoted in The Mail:
"The law makes it clear that what matters is not the intention of the person who uses the phrase but whether anybody is offended by it."'
Apart from anything else, this is impossible! It is impossible to please all the people all of the time! What a load of BS!
@Tonk - //"I heard it through the grapevine//
ReplyDeleteThat's probably not 'racist' (Unless you specify the type of grape) - But, sure as eggs is eggs, someone will find it offensive to teetotallers.
UPDATE!!!
ReplyDelete9 June 2011 Last updated at 09:00
'Jungle drums' probe at Wiltshire Council 'unfair'
A report into how a council dealt with a racism complaint after the phrase "jungle drums" was used at a meeting has found its investigation was unfair.
The complaint was made after the phrase was used to describe gossip during a public meeting at Wiltshire Council.
An equality campaigner present found the comment to be racist and offensive. The authority investigated and found it was a valid complaint.
However, a report has now said that investigation was carried out unfairly.
Council lawyers have said that the original investigation did not adequately take in both sides of the argument.
Their report said the procedure for handling similar complaints in the future should be overhauled and council staff should receive more training in order to correctly deal with such matters.