Just who is causing offence?
Friday 24th August 2007, 7:00PM BST.
Politically correct or barking mad? Dogs would probably claim the latter, having become the latest victim of the PC brigade in Shropshire.
It turns out that volunteers from the county branch of the RSPCA have been told they can no longer rattle their collection tins when out doing vital frontline charity work – for fear of offending people.
The news emerged in the run up to a recent RSPCA Week, during which an army of volunteers hit the streets to raise vital funds.
RSPCA spokesperson Judith Haw said: “You cannot shake the tin or ask people for money. It’s a PC world and somebody might get offended.”
Diane Ralphs, a county branch member and regular frontline collector, added: “Some of the older ones still shake the can; it’s natural.”
Some might argue that every time we wake up the world has gone slightly madder, that red tape dressed up as political correctness and health and safety is threatening to undermine many British traditions.
For example, did we seriously consider the title of the children’s nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep so offensive that one school last year opted to change the words to Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep?
Remember Punch-and-Judy shows being banned because the sausage-wielding Punch was branded a wife-beater who went out of his way to demean the police service and was cruel to wildlife – and in particular to crocodiles.
The move affected veteran Punch-and-Judy showman Ronnie Alden from Priorslee, who had put on his sideshow for 60 years but who in 2004 was banned from performing at Woodside Primary School in Oswestry.
At the time, councils around seaside regions claimed that Punch and Judy promoted domestic violence and the Shropshire school deemed it too violent for five- and six-year-old children. But Mr Alden said he was stunned to be banned from performing for the first time in his 60-year career.
Mr Alden was defiant, saying: “It teaches children good from bad.”
He received the backing of the Campaign Against Political Correctness after his story emerged.
Laura Midgley, from the organisation, said: “This politically correct epidemic sweeping over our country threatens to engulf our traditions, our history and our British way of life.”
Earlier this year the Shropshire Star reported an incredible story of an empty car park at the front of Shrewsbury railway station. The reason? The spaces had all been painted into disabled bays.
Politically correct, maybe. A good use of space in a town where parking is at a premium? Debatable.
How many electricians does it take to change a lightbulb? Under new health-and-safety legislation, about 20 – one to change the lightbulb and a class full of apprentices to tell him he’s put the up the stepladders incorrectly.
With the introduction of the new rules, electrician Kevin Smith, who runs training courses for apprentice sparkies at the Severn College in Donnington, reveals that he recently ran a two-hour course – on how to put up a set of ladders.
And it’s not just ladders that are wrapped up in red tape. Kevin says that under new regulations – “Part P of the Building Regs” apparently – electricians aren’t allowed to carry out work they are qualified to do unless they are registered with a particular government-approved scheme.
Says Kevin: “He cannot go home and work on his own house – he could if he registered himself as a member of a scheme.
“It’s really annoying electricians at the moment. I teach electricians and I cannot go home and do work on my own home unless it’s classed as insignificant work such as changing a lightbulb, or unless I am registered with a government body.”
Traditional greetings cards verses have been getting politically correct campaigners hot under the collar.
Two years ago the Shropshire Star reported how the days of making traditional Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards in classrooms were under threat from PC campaigners who said pupils should instead be encouraged to make “special person’s day” cards, to avoid upsetting the growing number of more unconventional family set-ups in Britain.
Finally, some unseasonably good news. There is delight in Wem as the politically correct term for its Christmas festival is dropped this year. Due to public demand, Wem is bucking the trend for political correctness by dropping the word “Winter” from its seasonal festival and replacing it with the word “Christmas”.
This December the Wem Winter Festival will revert to the name Wem Christmas Festival.
The decision comes at a time when many communities are adopting more culturally inclusive titles for their seasonal
But earlier this summer Wem councillor Peggy Carson said: “There was a great strength of feeling about changing the name of the festival in the town for some time.
“It is not going to stir up any controversy in Wem because it is what the people want and I am pleased to see it being changed.”
At the risk of appearing a bit premature – not to mention potentially politically incorrect – but might now be an apt time to wish everyone a very merry Christmas?
By Ben Bentley
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I just can’t believe what’s happening in our once so beautiful country.No wonder so many people are leaving.
Let’s all have a really happy Christmas this year,because it may be the last.
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I have just finished translating Ben Bentley’s amazing story to my Cypriot friends at our village Taverna.
After the laughter had died down (approximately 10 minutes) one old man (Socrates to you) asked me ‘Christo, a jumper made from a rainbow sheep would be interesting to see’.
Bens story is surely proof, if it were needed that the UK (headed it would seem by Shropshire) has finally lost the plot.
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if honest charity workers cant even rattle their tins who is going to stop the really agressive clipboard wheilding catalogue people and charity workes who put you off even attemptong pride hill or wellington high street.
When is this pc-ness going to end? its gone TOO FAR!!!
you arnt allowed to call those biscuits gingerbread men now as thats sexist. so in that case the male toilet sign is sexist as women can wear trousers too so how do we get round that one?its gone too far…..
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There are basically two forms of political-correctness.
The ‘softer’ type of political correctness e.g -banning games of conkers in the playground- although plain silly and irritating, doesn’t result in lives being ruined.
On the other hand,the ‘harder’ type of political correctness -e.g banning free expression- destroys our lives and freedoms.
This kind of political-correctness (a.k.a cultural marxism) has it’s roots in Stalinist Russia.
Whether hard or soft, political-correctness is something British society would be well rid of.
If we allow it to continue, we could condemn our children to a future resembling an Owellian nightmare.
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Scraping the bottom of the barrel again, Bentley?
You can’t have been paying attention if you think the regulations on street collections are new. They date back 25 years or more, and they’re in place to allow people like you to go about your business without being harassed or annoyed by charity collectors.
It takes a truly desperate man, presumably facing a looming deadline with an empty screen, to try to bolt that non-story onto the old canard about `Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep’. Do kids sing that in schools because the word `black’ is offensive? No, they don’t. It’s a tabloid fiction. Children enjoy and learn through repetition. Hence, they sing `baa baa black sheep’, then `baa baa white sheep’, then `baa baa red sheep’, then `baa baa blue sheep’ … you get the idea? And they end with `baa baa rainbow sheep’. It’s much less likely to get the blood of the average Star reader pulsing with indignation, but unfortunately for you, that’s how it is.
Have you tried getting to and from the car park at Shrewsbury railway station with – or as – a disabled person? Guess not. But it’s easy to sit at a desk in Ketley, pick on a disadvantaged minority and say they’re getting unfair preferential treatment, isn’t it? Who’s next on your list? Gypsies?
Taking a pop at so-called `political correctness’ is the last refuge of the lazy and ill-informed columnist. Why not find something worthwhile to write about?
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Allie rears his/her head again to attack the Shropshire Star for reporting on the scourge of political correctness, it is you that is desperate.
It is the age old tactic of those who wish to avoid discussing an issue to attack those who ‘dare’ raise it.
The story about rainbow sheep is not “tabloid fiction” it is a national disgrace, and another example of our traditions being trampled on to appease the sensibilities of loony minorities.
Ben Bentley wasn’t suggesting that the disabled shouldn’t have parking spaces, merely that the number of spaces is disproportionate.
I suppose Allie also agrees that the word Christmas should have been changed to Winter Festival in Wem last year?
It is a fact that Wem Council chose to re-name it, I think it is a topic well worthy of discussion, as are the others mentioned and hardly “scraping the barrel”.
Political correctness is a scourge that needs to be shown the door, fortunately the majority see it for what it is and are beginning to stand upto the noisy minorites who try to change our traditions.
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The days of political-correctness are well and truely numbered.People have had just about enough of it.
Just like the ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ tale, the game is up for political-correctness too.
Folk have sussed it for what it really is and no longer fear it.
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Political Correctness makes alot of money for alot of (mainly Government related) people.
Think Tanks and Training Corporations spend millions of pounds of taxpayers money to come up with utter tripe which only benefits those who are paid to make it all up.
Then those who disagree with said tripe are acused of inventing the notion of a P.C society.
The sooner we kick this rubbish into touch and have a free debate on all topics, with some actual results at the end of it all, the better.
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I agree Phil, Political-Correctness makes hell of alot of money for certain people.
I’d bet that a fair percentage of all those who defend political-correctness, do so for their own personal reasons- and quite often, financial ones!
It’s high time we derailed the ‘P.C’ gravey train once and for all.
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Those of us who are paying attention will have observed that kid singing `baa baa rainbow sheep’ is nothing to do with appeasing minorities. And how unsurprised are we that James Whittall refers to minorities as `loony’
Christmas? Winter Festival? They can call it what they like, but stunts to encourage people to spend more money have precious little to do with Christmas.
Most examples of so-called `political correctness’ are nothing more than an attempt to takes other people’s feelings and needs into account, to treat them as we’d like to be treated ourselves. But it seems some Star readers have a problem with the idea of being considerate to other people.
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A truly wonderful comment James Whittall and EXACTLY I’m sure what we would all like to say to Allie, who sadly has been brainwashed
(and I can say that because Im epileptic) by the morons that make a fat whack out of siiting together over herb tea and dreaming up so called PC terminology that I only wish they could see will have a HUGE backlash one day. You can legislate for many things but NEVER for freedom of speech.
The late great Spike Milligan summed it up by saying “Real conversational quality has been destroyed because by the time you have thought through what you really want to say and changed it so as not to offend those that have allowed themselves to have their tongues twisted out of shape by trendy societys pliers you find that you have lost the thread.”
Christmas is a celebration of our Lords birth, Rattling collection tins is necessary because the UK’s whimpish and pathetic Government would rather give money to assylum seekers than to vitally important charities. A black sheep is a black sheep, and ask any black person that and they will tell you (as my closest friend from the West Indies will) it is without being offended. Punch & Judy never gave me the urge to hit anyone with a string of sausages. And doesn’t it make you sick when a dear old man in Bristol is condememd for calling his kitten Sooty purely because it was black. I’ll say again as I have a few times recently, Thank God I live in Cyprus where we all get on with eachother and do not have politically correct idiots that point out to us things that we would never have thought of as being racist, sexist and all the other ist’s until we were told.
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And finally …………
Allie should think himself/herself lucky that he/she lives in an area that has a quality daily local newspaper that is neither left or right but straight down the middle. Believe me coming from a family of almost entirely jouranlists (except me)I think I’m qualified to say that.
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well Allie may have given in but lot’s of us haven’t.
We have lost free speech,many of our customs and our heritage is slipping away.It has to stop now.
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Like I said: some people seem to have a problem with the idea of being considerate to others.
Christmas is indeed a celebration of the birth of Christ. Not of rampant consumerism. Christ came to this world to save sinners, the Christians tell us, not to make shopkeepers fatter. So how can late-night shopping be called a `Christmas festival’?
No-one’s decrying the necessary work that charities do, including charities who help asylum seekers in need. I merely pointed out that the rules on street collections have been in force for most of the columnist’s adult life, so it seems a trifle surprising that he’d not noticed hitherto.
In Cyprus, you can’t even get the two halves of the island to live in peace together!
… and have you actually READ the Shropshire Star?!
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Having a job in the council i have seen all the ridculous rules. I have had a three hour ladder training course myself, which was a total waste of time. Im sure i was very capable to climb a ladder before hand, and have successfully never fallen off one.
As for the disabled parking spaces in the railway station, i am pleased that they are considering the disabled, but did they consider the fact that the station is at the bottom of a steep hill, thus not many use it.
Health and safety has run riot where i work, which is the swimming pool. We are not allowed to blow up armbands for someone just incase they pop on them. We aren’t able to help a struggling mum with a baby, whose trying to go down the steps into the pool. We aren’t allowed to lend out any old lost property (over 6 months old) as we will get complaints from other customers.
Im afraid that it has gone too far, im unable to do my work properly and help the customers as best as i can because i will be penilised.
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Allie -
“Those of us who are paying attention ….. ”
What an arrogant, patronising tone you have.
You’ve lost the argument and lost the plot, so you attack others who haven’t by accusing us of not paying attention. You even attack the Shropshire Star for publishing our considered opinions because you can’t stand anything that doesn’t fit with the politically correct, counter-intuitive multiculti nonsense you appear to believe we should all swallow without rational debate.
“But it seems some Star readers have a problem with the idea of being considerate to other people.”
What pompous drivel!
Do us all a favour, Allie, and stop trying to look clever and important. It’s all in your mind.
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Allie,
I feel that our culture and identity differs from your own.
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ABSOLUTE proof if it were needed that this PC wimp called Allie is Totally on the wrong path – and all of us that have brought this to his attention I am sure feel very sorry for him.
The division between the North and South of Cyprus is NOT as a result of not being able to “live in peace together” it is as a direct result of the wedges that are almost daily driven between us by the oil hungry likes of Bush whos administration also uses the most dreadful of dirty tricks to keep the Turkish and Greek Cypriots divided.
Can I ask that Allie reads ‘The Cyprus Conspiracy’by Brendan O’Malley & Ian Craig
(ISBN 1 86064 737 5) which gives
an indefensible account of Kissinger and callaghans downright espionage of peace talks and what can only be best described as their secret blessing of the Turkish invasion of 1974. the world (let alone this pathetic little person who hides behind the name Allie) can do without such inflamatory comments as these. Does Allie realise that in his/her attempts to argue the point in favour of rediculous political correctness he/she is by making comments about two halves of a country not being able to live in peace together is being so much more racist than any of the good people such as Arthur, Mary, H, Fred, Phil, Nelson & James Whittall who have commented.
And Allie I read the Shropshire Star EVERY day via the web.
Go to your dreamy bed early tonight Allie and in the morning wake up and smell the coffee of reality.
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How have I been racist? I was merely responding to your comment. Those of us who actually live here and read the printed Star every day might not agree with your interpretation, by the way.
Mary C: how have we `lost’ free speech’? Which of our customs have been lost? How is our heritage slipping away? And as far as culture and identity are concerned: I’m a middle-aged white Briton. What about you?
Arthur: if you prefer to believe tabloid fiction and swivel-eyed hysteria rather than documented fact, then I don’t think you are paying attention.
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… and to get back to the original point: no-one’s complained about the rules on street collections for 25 years. What makes Ben Bentley suddenly think they’re worthy of comment?
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Tsk, what a load of conspiracy nuts we have here. Let’s evaluate this article a little.
Shaking cans in people’s faces and begging them for money while they are trying to go about their business? I find that offensive, not to mention downright irritating – though as Allie has rightly pointed out, this is nothing new. It’s not PC, it’s a common courtesy. And if begging strangers for money is a great British tradition, we’ve got bigger problems.
Baa baa black sheep? A great British tradition? A part of our way of life? You need some hobbies, my friends. As Allie has pointed out, it’s little to do with fear of offending people and more to do with being an educational tool.
Punch and Judy? To be honest I think that old tradition is dying a well-earned death on its own steam, and needs no help from the PC crowd. When I was a kid I never paid any attention to the things, neither did any of my cousins, siblings, friends, etc. They’re pretty outdated. Besides – one can’t complain about television promoting violence and then let P&J get off the hook, now, can you? That would be hypocritical!
Disabled spaces have never been of much concern to me, but then A) I’m not disabled and B) nowhere in my locale has replaced all of their spaces with them. Something tells me exaggeration is a key word here. I’m sure I’m mistaken, though; a tabloid such as this would *never* exaggerate. If it is true, I’d wager it has more to do with forcing people out of their cars (another popular governmental pastime) than anything.
How does safely putting up a ladder have anything to do with political correctness? And more importantly, when did it become another of these great British traditions you’re all so worked up about? It seems to me that making sure your ladder is properly setup so that it doesn’t fall over and kill you and those around you is common sense, not political correctness. As does ensuring that people working with lethally dangerous electrical systems are properly qualified, and not ‘cowboys’.
And assuming that this story is accurate (it’s in the Shropshire Star though, so assume nothing), if the people of Wem *want* to call their Christmas celebrations a winter festival, who are we to stand in their way? Frankly you could call it Happy Pink Hippo Day and I couldn’t care less – whatever it’s called, it’s nothing more than a commercial venture these days anyway.
And Chris, the only stories that are unbiased in the Star are those which they have purchased from other news agencies. Here’s a tip for you – compare their national/international stories to places like Reuters and see if you can spot any differences. Their in-house drivel is about as right-winged as you can get. But then, if you ARE right-winged then I suppose that would be unbiased in your eyes anyway. Eye of the beholder and all that.
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I see the lefties are spewing their bile again.
What a load of nasty, vindictive liars and losers they are.
I hope the Shropshire Star is going to respond to their disgusting attacks and hatred of truth.
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Allie,
What have we lost? I could write a book.Every time we open our mouths to speak, we have to think first in case we say someting offensive.I used to use my christian name but now I have to use my first name because using my christian name may cause offence.Old books have been taken off the shelves because they may cause offence and it goes on and on.Pot pigs removed from windows because they cause offence…but you know all this.
It doesn’t matter what colour I am because it’s your p.c.brigade that I find offensive and not the colour of someone’s skin.It seems that you have been well and truely brainwashed.
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`Hatred of truth’? Take the beam out of your own eye before offering to take the mote from your brother’s.
(That’s from the Bible, by the way; you might not recognise it.)
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Allie said:
`Hatred of truth’? Take the beam out of your own eye before offering to take the mote from your brother’s.
(That’s from the Bible, by the way; you might not recognise it.)
To which I say -
I recognise more than you think, and you presume too much.
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Political Correct?? This is becoming a joke. We are losing British Traditions for goodness sake. I went to my nephews school, joined in with nursery rhyms, attempted to sing three blind mice and was told i could not say farmers wife, its now farmers partner?! How far is this going to go? I am in a same sex relationship, i didnt find this rhyme offensive, neither do any of my male gay friends, infact none of us had even thought about the fact it said wife. Now what? Is the Great British traditional fried breakfast going to be without black pudding for fear of offending? This country needs to get a serious grip, its almost childish!
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