can I just say... this is MY THREAD and the current prevailing behaviour is making MammaTamara unhappy! Do not engage in name calling and personal attacks. Does nothing but devalue the point you are trying to make. That goes for everyone.

Ake - How do we define "racism"? I have been called "racist" for proposing that all immigrants from Sub Saharan Africa should be tested for Hiv/Aids before being allowed in.

There is no compulsory HIV test for people already in the UK, so to single out a group immigrating from a specific part of the world is definitely discriminatory. As these people are of a specific race then your proposal can easily be viewed as racist.

Now can we get back to discussing why teachers are considered different than the police and prison officers.

Why should one group be banned from BNP membership and not another when both are in position of authority over others who cannot defend themselves against potentially harmful behaviour/comment?

I don't think the few numbers of BNP teachers should have any bearing on the argument. Nor does the supposition that these teachers are probably teaching in predominantly white schools. One child exposed to any kind of racist or homophobic behaviour from a teacher is one too many. This includes white British children.

Another thing to consider is, what must the public think if the government does not believe children should be afforded the same protection from potential harm from BNP members as the average citizen being dealt with by police or a prisoner?