BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works

19 Dec 07 - 06:09 AM (#2218796)
Subject: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: GUEST,PMB

This is a follow up to the recent thread in which a council was falsely accused of banning a carol concert for fear of offending minorities.

The UK satirical magazine Private Eye today reports a recent case from Rochdale, near Manchester (UK). A school requested that, instead of bringing to school individual Christmas cards for each of their friends, just one card, to the whole class, was enough. The school is in a poor area, and many children would have felt pressured into emulating more affluent classmates, or humiliated if they could not do so. In addition, individual cards highlighted the problems brought about by popularity, and conversely isolation, of children.

A parent went to the local paper, complaining about this policy, and the paper published an article on the predictable lines of "PC gone mad". They did however print the school's reply.

But when the Daily Express (extreme right- wing national) picked up the story, they blazed it as "school bans Christmas cards", and the Daily Star (as its name suggests, not even on this planet) claimed that the school banned Christmas to avoid offending Muslim pupils. Note the progression here- from a totally reasonable policy to a PC plot to appease Muslims, created from the whole cloth.

People may occasionally over- react (certainly not in this case); but the way certain of the national papers deal with this suggests that they want to create strife even where none exists. They irresponsibly play on the perceived prejudices of their readership - just to sell papers if I'm being charitable, or uncharitably because they want to provoke racial and inter- community conflict. This is not to be discounted- look what happened in the technologically-advanced, western oreinted, liberal- Communist society of Yugoslavia.

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19 Dec 07 - 07:16 AM (#2218822)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Emma B

'Anti-racist laws 'have failed to remove the roots of everyday racism....
because they fail to address underlying everyday attitudes and behaviours, which frequently go unchallenged. These subtle and overt behaviours quickly become an expected part of everyday life. They are not publicly acknowledged, and constantly reappear.'

quote from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This season has seen a rash of '"THEY" are trying to take away "OUR" Christmas' banner headlines.

On closer inspection, like this story, the origins have been quite different.

The school mentioned above had to cope with requests from some parents for names of pupils in their children's class - a request they had to refuse, as it is against data protection laws!

The school has added that, 'The cost of so many cards is prohibitive for some families and we feel that children are often pressurised to act in the same way as their peers.'


However the speed with which these stories are taken up and presented by the more virulent far right-wing press is more than a little scary.
It appears that many of their readership are unwilling or incapable of reading below the trendy PC bashing headlines.

btw for those folks from outside the area, Rochdale is a town that has an Asian population of approximately 10% and in the last few years has been repeatedly targeted by the BNP.

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19 Dec 07 - 07:53 AM (#2218835)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Jean(eanjay)

It seems sensible to me to just write one card for the whole class - cards could even be made in school. If anybody has a special friend they can always take a card to their home.

Workplaces are increasingly suggesting that instead of giving everyone a Christmas card people donate to a chosen charity. It's time consuming, expensive and hard work sending cards to everybody in the class or everybody at work.

One of the schools I worked in suggested that staff give money to the school charity which was then used for good causes both at home and abroad. A big display was put on the wall in the staffroom and people could use that to wish everybody Happy Christmas. My life at this very busy time of year improved considerably after that.

There isn't anything sinister in any of this; it makes sense to me.

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19 Dec 07 - 08:05 AM (#2218841)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: GUEST,number 6

I thought this thread was something to do with a conspiracy theory on inner workings of the militant MAC users groups.

biLL

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19 Dec 07 - 08:06 AM (#2218842)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: The Fooles Troupe

It may make sense, but it wont; sell papers!

Trust me, I did a special AJA accredited 'journalist class' run by ex-editors of famous papers. All the 'mature age' students were shocked by the arrogant and inflamatory attitude demanded, nay, insisted on by the organisers.

A sample case of a plane having engine trouble and a frightened passenger getting a bit out of control with the plane returning, was not deemed 'fit to print' until it bordered on the 'terrorist gang rapist mass murdere runs amok, subdued handcuffed after frantic life and death struggle by stewards and passengers' mould...

I'm now qualified to join the AJA ...

and I'm NOT making this up, you know....

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19 Dec 07 - 11:08 AM (#2218960)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine

See here for a rational look at the facts behind some of the stories routinely trotted out at this time of year. Useful ammunition if your ear is bent by some right-wing bore banging on about Christmas being renamed "Winterval".

Just don't mention you read it in the Guardian, as you'll simply confirm that you are part of the loony-lefty terrorist-apologising PC conspiracy.

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19 Dec 07 - 11:22 AM (#2218971)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Emma B

Thanks for that link Jonny, but this article was saying the same thing back in 2003 too! It seems nothing has changed.

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19 Dec 07 - 11:46 AM (#2218990)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: gnomad

An extract from Robert Graves' "Goodbye to all that", which first appeared 1929, but mostly relating to WW1. It seems appropriate.


'Recently I saw the following contemporary newspaper cuttings put in chronological sequence:

When the fall of Antwerp became known, the church bells were rung [i.e. at Cologne and elsewhere]. - Kölnische Zeitung.

According to the Kölnische Zeitung, the clergy of Antwerp were compelled to ring the church bells when the fortress was taken. - Le Monde

According to what The Times has heard from Cologne, via Paris, the unfortunate Belgian priests who refused to ring the church bells when Antwerp was taken, have been sentenced to hard labour. - Corriere della Sera.

According to information which hes reached the Corrierre della Sera from Cologne, via London, it is confirmed that the barbaric conquerors of Antwerp punished the unfortunate Belgian priests for their heroic refusal to ring the church bells by hanging them as living clappers to the bells with their heads down. - Le Matin.'


One couldn't trust the press not to make stuff up ninety years ago. These were the papers of record at the time too. Nothing changes, well maybe it just gets a bit worse.

I note Foolestroupe says "I am now qualified to join the AJA", I hope you used the line about not joining any club that would have you as a member :-)

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19 Dec 07 - 12:28 PM (#2219017)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Emma B

Here's another seasonal PC scare from the Daily Mail too!

Hyndburn Council, whose head office is in Accrington, Lancashire, sent out an emailed 'memo' to all staff, listing behaviour that could be seen as offensive at the Christmas 'do'.

The email,according to The Daily Mail, sent out by the human resources department, tells workers they should not send offensive presents for Secret Santa.
It also states that staff by the mistletoe should avoid UNWANTED jokes about an individual's private life, unnecessary bodily contact, and suggestive remarks.
It then signs off with a festive greeting.

The Mail continues.....

'But the seasonal guidance has been labelled political correctness gone mad' by Clayton-le-Moors Independent councillor Nick Collingridge.'

This is the same Nick Cillingridge who was given a police caution after breaking into a racist song about Irish and black people while attending a Christmas party funded by the Eavesbrook Housing Association in front of the shocked Mayor and Mayoress.

And what is the headline to this article?

'Council workers banned from kissing under mistletoe'

I can only quote Foolestroupe....'and I'm NOT making this up, you know.... '

But someone at The Daily Mail is!

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19 Dec 07 - 12:49 PM (#2219030)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Amos

FLASH!! Forum Regulars Banned from Touching Each Other On-Line!!

Participants in the wildly popular cyber-forum Mudcat Cafe were surprised and shocked to learn they were not allowed to touch each other physically while exchanging posts through the forum.

The flap started with a post from the site's Founder, Max, who remarked, "Even though we cannot reach out and touch each other physically, the mutual support of members on this forum is touching...".

The insidious implications of this covert policy statement would have gone unnoticed, leaving members entirely in the dark as to why they could not caress each other through their keyboards, had it not been for the courageous whistle-blowing of one of the most frequent posters, who goes only by the name of Guest.

"Under the guise of benevolent paternal guidance," Guest wrote, "our site manager has published an interdiction. Now, because of Max, I cannot reach through my monitor from Minnesota and caress the cheek of BeeDubya in Florida while typing my lonely posts at three A.M. What kind of PC nmadness is this?"

Mudcat management declined to return PMs demanding clarification of this subtle attack on individual civil rights...".



Etc., etc., etc.....

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19 Dec 07 - 01:08 PM (#2219044)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: greg stephens

So, was the story that the BBC censored the Pogues' song also made up by the Daily Mail? I have a strong feeling some of those stories actually are true, you know.

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19 Dec 07 - 01:56 PM (#2219071)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Emma B

I don't think anyone said that greg, although again the initial reporting focused only on the editing of the word 'faggot' and not on the fact that the term 'slut' was also deleted, thereby making it appear that it was purely something 'so as not to offend the gay community' as stated in the initial post.

Of course these stories have some point of origin - that can clearly be seen in the Rochdale school story that prompted this thread; but, as a Birmingham City Council press officer sighed regarding the "rebranding" of Christmas as "Winterval" (a title desgined to encompass the three month collection of multi-faith and secular events, running from October to January, and including Bonfire Night, Diwali, New Year and other seasonal events as well as Christmas itself.)

"We get this every year. It just depends how many rogue journalists you get in any given year. We tell them it's bollocks, but it doesn't seem to make much difference."

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19 Dec 07 - 03:09 PM (#2219112)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Rapparee

As a cultural Catholic I'm deeply, deeply offended by Guy Fawkes' Day. And by Titus Oates. I ask the UK to please stop celebrating the death of a man who was only trying to restore Catholicism to England.

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19 Dec 07 - 04:44 PM (#2219185)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Bonzo3legs

Deeply offended?? Raving catholics??? No thanks

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20 Dec 07 - 03:41 AM (#2219490)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: GUEST,PMB

Just to give the opposition a shove, here's Peter Tatchell, UK gay issues campaigner, comparing the use of "faggot" to racial abuse.

I think he's wrong.

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20 Dec 07 - 04:19 AM (#2219507)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: The Fooles Troupe

""I am now qualified to join the AJA", I hope you used the line about not joining any club that would have you as a member :-)"


I also did the course that enables me to have my 'low explosive pryotechnics licence' (fireworks) - what makes you think I'm THAT stupid?

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20 Dec 07 - 06:54 PM (#2219980)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: goatfell

I just heard that RADIO ONE has banned the Pouges song ' the farytale of New York' WHY?

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20 Dec 07 - 10:09 PM (#2220077)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: George Papavgeris

And if I hear just once more the expression "worked like a Trojan" I'm heading straight for the European Court.

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21 Dec 07 - 11:18 AM (#2220354)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Peace

George: 'Worked like a Kimono' doesn't have the same ring to it. (Well, maybe a similar ring but I really meant to say sound.)

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21 Dec 07 - 11:40 AM (#2220366)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Amos

I think it has a sort of silky, voluptuous sound to it....



A

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21 Dec 07 - 11:43 AM (#2220369)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Peace

Be still my heating bart.

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21 Dec 07 - 11:54 AM (#2220373)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: McGrath of Harlow

So, was the story that the BBC censored the Pogues' song also made up by the Daily Mail? I have a strong feeling some of those stories actually are true, you know.

Yes, there was a "ban" - which received lots of press coverage. And then the BBC removed it.

I think it is fair to assume that this was because it had achieved its desired effect getting that press coverage. This served to remind people that Radio One existed, and to ensure that there would be extra listeners tuning in, out of curiosity.

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21 Dec 07 - 12:44 PM (#2220409)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: GUEST

re the original post: Either dumb or bogus on both sides of the question! When I was a little nipper we MADE Christmas cards or Valentines or May baskets as part of our art education. Instead of bones of contention we learned to be creative.

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21 Dec 07 - 12:46 PM (#2220410)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: GUEST,Slag

The preceding was by Slag. Sorry!

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22 Dec 07 - 08:19 AM (#2220841)
Subject: RE: BS: How the anti-PC mob REALLY works
From: Bonzo3legs

The Croydon branch of PC World is in Trojan Way! Now, I would ban anything by the Pogues because it's so bloody awful.

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