I would like to thank Leanne for her comments on Evolution. Just to add to that growing debate:
Found via: Dean’s World. Also on Dean’s trackbacks is an interesting and disturbing advert on The Sheila Variations. Well worth a look.
When you have watched it you’ll understand why I say:
Apple, we need you to save us from Blair
I thought, mistakenly apparently, that the police were there to serve and protect. Now three recent events have placed doubt in my mind.
And now, someone has approached me after their car was criminally damaged. The car was hit by another when using a theatre in Worthing and the wing-mirror had been broken off. In the way we would hope all would, a witness placed a note under the windscreen wiper with a number saying they had seen who drove into the car and had made a note of the number plate. The damage was assessed by a garage as costing £30 for parts.
When the police were informed they said they would not investigate unless the owner’s insurance company was informed. The victim saw no point in reporting to his insurance company as:
Surely the police should not be working to avoid invesigating criminal damage? Surely the police should be happy to see you pay for the damage in whichever way you see fit?
If the police will not uphold the law, would others less reasonable than the complainant have taken the law into their own hands? What should someone do in a situation where the police will not uphold the law? A complaint has been sent to those in the relevant positions.
I am pleased to provide you with a copy of the Conservative Group’s response to the media reports of pigs being banned from a Council Office.
I have been asked to reply to your e-mail as a spokesman for the controlling Conservative Group on Dudley Council. A number of people have made comments similar to yours with regard to the “Pig Ban”. I would like to set the record straight or at least put the issue in perspective.
A member of staff in one department did, indeed, complain that the presence of rubber stress toys in the shape of a pig were offensive in the run up to Ramadan. The employees departmental manager, in line with the Councils employment and equal opportunities policies (based on legislation from Central Government) was obliged to give due regard to the complaint and asked other staff in the department if they would consider keeping the toys out of sight. Another member of staff obviously thought it would be ‘fun’ to tell the press. In common with most media, the Express and Star decided to inflate the story into a wholesale ban of all pig images. This then got picked up by national newspapers and hey presto a great politicallly correct attack is in progress. Made even better by the fact that it is a Conservative administration.
The AA Milne tissue box is probably the result of office chit-chat. I can hear it now, “Huh, I suppose my box of tissues with a picture of piglet on is offensive as well!”
I have no intention of defending the comments of Councillor Rahman. His use of the word tolerence in this context is almost laughable.
The serious point here is that what started out as an internal issue relating to one employee in a small department of an organisation employing thousands has now, through media exaggeration, given any extreme racist group another flag to pin to the mast and may well have created an impression among sections of the white population that there is some hidden agenda within the establishment to pander to prejudice from one section of our community at their expense. This is not only untrue but dangerous, made worse by the fact that it was totally unnecessary.
I can confirm, as a member of the Cabinet at Dudley MBC, that the elected members were not asked for a policy lead on this issue and I am quite certain that if we had been, it would have been rejected by all sensible members of the Council. This was entirely a day to day management issue and was dealt with as such (I leave it for you to judge how well). I can also confirm that following the original story we were contacted by a Muslim who said he was ashamed that anyone should take such a position and that he worked in a pork processing factory which in no way had any effect on his faiths requirement not to eat pork.
For the record, since taking control of the Council, we have:
I mention these particularly because I beleve that there is no conflict between promoting racial harmony and firmly supporting our national and religious traditions.
Are we happy that this story arose? NO! Could we have avoided it? Possibly, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it!
Cllr. Les Jones
Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration
Dudley MBC
I believe this sets to rest the issue and, in the common tradition, highlights the media’s determination to make stories out of nothing. During research into the European Union last year it became obvious to me that the media does not tell the truth all the time and now we have another example.
It is more shameful still that the media did not report the truth when it became available…
You are currently browsing the Cllr. Gavin Ayling weblog archives for the day Sunday, October 9th, 2005.
Comment