Driving home very late last night I finally gave up on the CD and switched on the radio and tuned in to Radio Five Live - which turned out to be a big mistake.
The radio show playing at the time was a "debate" about whether is is right to ban BNP members from being teachers. I put debate in quotes because it was nothing of the sort - anyone who dared to oppose the idea of banning BNP members from teaching was shouted down by various participants while anyone supporting the ban was given ample opportunity to rant and rave no matter how ridiculous their proposition.
For example, one idiot kept ranting about whether we'd allow paedophiles to teach. Well, judging by the frequent and numerous incidents of teachers having sexual relations with their underage pupils I'd say it is pretty apparent that we already do - but what the hell is this equating being a member of a legitimate political party with kiddy fiddling?
The moderator - or whatever he was - allowed this on the basis that the BNP is "openly racist". Racism, apparently, is actually a crime according to the people on the show. I actually thought the crime was racial discrimination, racial harassment or incitement to racial hatred rather than just expressing or thinking racist views or thoughts - but what do I know. After all Ron Atkinson was sacked for casting aspersions on a black footballers commitment, but he wasn't actually convicted of any crime - I guess things have moved on from those days.
Anyway, the assertion was that anyone who is a member of the BNP must be racist - a sweeping generalisation which wouldn't be allowed in any other situation. For that reason, the panel decided that it was right to ban BNP members from being teachers as they would treat non-white children as inferior.
But hang on a second - if that is the assumption then we should also ban members of the Labour Party from being teachers as you could equally claim that they are just as likely to treat children of bankers, accountants, company directors etc as inferior. And you should ban Conservatives from teaching as they would be inclined to treat children of miners (if we had any), factory workers (ditto) and union activists as inferior.
Likewise you should ban Green Party members from teaching as they would treat meat eating children, those that arrive at school in 4x4s and just about any kid who isn't a tree hugging nut nibbler as inferior. Actually, we ought to just ban Green Party members. And what about Moslems - particularly those who go for the full Moslem garb? There you have a radical Moslem teacher who may be treating non-Moslem children as inferior - and may even be putting pressure on moderate Moslem children and their families to adopt the full regalia! Why don't we ban Moslems from teaching, then?
And as someone pointed out - to universal silence - we should ban feminists and gays from teaching as they may be inclined to treat boys or straight children (huh?) as inferior. If you take the proposition to its natural conclusion - nobody should be allowed to teach.
But of course that is ridiculous. The fact is that teachers have to obey stringent rules in the way they treat children - both national laws and local school rules - no matter what their political affiliation or particular world view is. If any teacher breaks those rules they can be disciplined and even sacked - whether they are BNP members or members of the NUT (and the vast majority who have been disciplined or sacked have been members of the latter rather than the former).
What is being suggested here is that different rules should be made for BNP members purely on the basis that those who make the rules don't like them. That is bigotry, discrimination and intolerance on a grand scale.
5 comments:
Neat points well put, Stan.
The only thing Nanny is intolerant of these days is anybody who doesn't line up with her ideas of tolerance.
Shouting at a fire does not stop it burning. Depriving it of oxygen does. And that requires an understanding that the oxygen fuels it.
Instead of shouting the BNP down in rabid rantings, we should have a close look at why people are supporting them.
IMO, Labour are substantially responsible for the rise of the BNP.
Their 'progressive' politically correct stalinist policies have left this country morally and literally bankrupt.
Ordinary people feel they can't express their concerns and if they dare, they are instantly labelled.
Concerned about immigration or how some minority groups conduct themselves? You must be a racist.
Concerned about the invasive surveillance and control being implemented by the state? You must have something to hide. In fact, you're probably a paedo.
Make any remark that doesn't affirm the homosexual or feminist lobbies and you're either homophobe / anti-woman or both.
Drive a 4x4? You're a satanic tree hater who is responsible for all the bad things that will happen to the earth.
Etc, etc, etc - the list is endless.
All the BNP do is tap into the resentment that people feel due to 'political correctness' and the feeling that they are second class beside these 'elevated' groups.
Add the fact that the so called opposition doesn't offer any alternative and you have a fertile breeding ground for them.
Better, i think to invite the BNP up for telly debates, let them have their rallies and don't curb free speech right to them.
They'll quickly be exposed for what they are....
I tend to agree, anon - and it is for that reason (that many people are joining the BNP not because they are racist, but because they feel unrepresented by mainstream parties) why I disagree entirely with the idea that BNP members should be banned from being teachers (or nurses, doctors, police officers, council workers, social workers - whatever).
The reality is that you are just as likely to find racists, sexists, homophobes, pervs, paedophiles, criminals, thugs etc in other parties as you are in the BNP. In fact I'd say it is probably more likely as those sort of people join those parties for the veneer of respectability it gives them - something nobody gets by joining the BNP!
Hmm as with anything BNP I think this will only boost their numbers further. Every criticism of the BNP today is only produced by the BBC and Guardianistas but the majority of the country (I think) believe the real tyrants are the left.
If you ban the BNP you will ban sizable share of the electorate if the recent European elections are anything to go by.
No matter really, people should read the BNP policies for themselves before they make up their mind - as they should with any party. Thankfully paper media is dying down and fast.
In my time I have visited MANY "working mens social clubs" ("Labour voters" every one of them, CON servative party meetings, Union meetings, Liberal party, "Greens", EVEN S.W.P meetings. ALSO I have visited both, those days N.F, and B.N.P meetings.
And, after the official bussiness is over, and we are all down in the bar, for "racist" comments and jokes, there is not a space for a half weight rizzla paper to fit between ANY of them.
But they do NOT want you to know that, do they?
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