Turkish MP to be prosecuted for calling death of 1.5million Armenians 'a lie'

Muslims are big on denial

Amal Clooney is to appear in a high-profile case against a Turkish politician who denies the killing of 1.5million Armenians in 1915 amounted to genocide.

Mrs Clooney will advise the Eurasian country as they challenge the appeal of Doğu Perinçek, who was found guilty by a Swiss court in 2008.

His appeal is now being challenged by Armenia, which argues that denying the 1915 genocide is a crime on par with Holocaust denial.

Doğu Perinçek the leader of the Turkish Workers Party was fined by a Swiss court in 2008 after calling the 1915 genocide an ‘international lie’, during a visit to Switzerland.

Mr Perinçek later appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Switzerland had violated his right to free expression in December 2013.

Armenia also says that the European Court of Human Rights’s ruling on Mr Perinçek’s 2013 appeal contains legal and factual errors.

This April marks the 100th anniversary of the massacre of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

Turkey rejects the term ‘genocide,’ says the death figure is inflated and that people died on both sides as the Ottoman Empire collapsed amid World War I.

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Google Translate under fire for offering offensive and homophobic words including 'poof' and 'queen' when people use service for word 'gay'

It must use an impartial dictionary.  There is no room for impartiality these days

Google is under pressure to change its translation tool after it emerged it automatically replaces the word 'gay' with homophobic slurs like 'f****t', 'poof', 'queen' and 'fairy'.

More than 50,000 people have have signed a petition demanding the U.S. web giant re-programmes its translate system, which is used by 500million people every month.

When translating 'gay' from English into Spanish, French or Portuguese Google Translate comes back with 'f****t,' 'poof,' 'fairy' and 'dyke' as synonyms.

Google has apologised and said it is working to fix the problem, but MailOnline can reveal the translate system is still bringing up hateful words.

Campaigners from equality group All Out made the shocking discovery that Google was using hateful insults instead of neutral language for 'gay'.

When the Russian word for 'gay' is translated into English, some of the results thrown up include 'pansy boy', 'fairy' and 'sodomite.'

Gay rights group Stonewall have said the translation tool has revealed how much of a problem homophobic language is.

A spokesman said: ‘This demonstrates how commonly offensive slur words are used online to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.

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The translations from Russian are probably accurate.  Russians don't mince words when talking about homosexuality.  It is greatly despised in Russia

CUNY: Don’t Call Students ‘Mr., Mrs. or Ms.’ Because That’s Maybe Disrespectful

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York issued a memo advising staff not to address any students as “Mr., Mrs. or Ms.” beginning this spring because some could find it disrespectful.

The policy is intended to “ensure a respectful, welcoming and gender-inclusive learning environment . . . and to accommodate properly the diverse population of current and prospective students,” according to the memo, signed by interim provost Louise Lennihan.

School spokeswoman (wait – can I call her that?) Tanya Domi said the initiative was also part of the school’s “working within a regulatory framework to comply with Title IX legal principles,” which forbid discrimination based on sex at any institution receiving federal funding.

(Yes, the viewpoint that calling someone “Mr.” could ever be considered a violation of federal policy is terrifying.)

But attorney and Title IX consultant Saundra Schuster insisted to the Wall Street Journal that CUNY’s new policy isn’t necessary for complying with the law. ”They are not mandated to do this,” she said.

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Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar: Free Speech is Worth Full Protection

While we may not agree with all speech we come across, it is important for liberty-minded individuals to defend all constitutionally protected speech. If we do not protect speech that we may not agree with, or that is of limited importance to us, there will be fewer people willing to defend speech that we care deeply about. Also, once the Supreme Court rules some speech can be restricted and still withstand constitutional scrutiny, it becomes easier for the Court to rule other speech can be restricted as well.

On January 20 the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar. This case is important because the petitioner (Williams-Yulee) is appealing to the Supreme Court to protect her free speech right to personally ask for campaign funds when running for judicial office. This case is especially important because around half of the states currently ban personal solicitations by judicial candidates and there is a split within the state and circuit courts over whether the First Amendment allows such bans.

The origin of this case was Hillsborough County (Tampa) Florida in 2009, when Lanell Williams-Yulee decided to run for a judicial position in the county. As part of her campaign, she approved and signed a mass mailing that asked for funds to help her run her campaign. The Florida Bar deemed that by doing so she violated a rule against “personally soliciting campaign contributions.” The Referee handling the case decided that she should be publicly reprimanded and pay around $1,800 to cover the costs of bringing the case against her.

The case was then appealed to the Florida Supreme Court where Ms. Williams-Yulee argued the ban on personally soliciting campaign funds improperly limited her right to free speech. The Florida Supreme Court agreed that the ban clearly did restrict free speech but ruled against Ms. Williams-Yulee because the ban passed their strict scrutiny test.

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The vast incorrectness of "colored"

Someone should tell the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has apologized after describing black people as 'colored' on US television, saying he is 'an idiot' and is 'devastated to have caused offense'.

The 38-year-old Sherlock star was widely condemned after using the racial term during a debate on the lack of diversity on British screens on the PBS talk show Tavis Smiley last Wednesday.

But on Monday night, he issued an apology for his 'incorrect' and 'offensive' use of the phrase, saying: 'I'm devastated to have caused offense by using this outmoded terminology.

'I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done.'

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A term that was routine up until a few years ago is now the deepest depths of wickedness, apparently.  Where will it end?

Charlie Hebdo killers should NOT be called 'terrorists', claims BBC executive Tarik Kafala

Tarik is no doubt a Muslim

The Parisian extremists who murdered 17 people in a series of attacks including the Charlie Hebdo massacre should not be called 'terrorists', a senior BBC executive has said.

Tarik Kafala, who runs BBC Arabic, said the term 'terrorist' was too 'loaded' and 'value-laden' to describe Said and Cherif Kouachi and their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly.

The Kouachi brothers shot dead 12 at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris and Coulibaly killed four at a Kosher deli after shooting dead a policewoman.

All three were eventually shot dead by French special forces after the Islamists all burst out of their hideouts two weeks ago.

Mr Kafalam runs the BBC's largest non-English language TV, radio and online news services, which have a weekly audience of 36million people.

He told The Independent: 'We try to avoid describing anyone as a terrorist or an act as being terrorist. What we try to do is to say that 'two men killed 12 people in an attack on the office of a satirical magazine'. That's enough.

SOURCE

Another attempt to cover up what poison Islam is

Named after SS Nazi war criminal: World's largest ship sparks outrage as it arrives in Europe

The arrival of the world's largest ship in Europe has provoked outrage after it was revealed it was named after a SS Nazi war criminal.

The Pieter Schelte, which is so big it can lift oil rigs out of the water, is docked in Rotterdam after being constructed at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering shipyard in South Korea.

But as Holocaust Memorial Day nears, anger has erupted after it was revealed Pieter Schelte Heerema was a Dutch officer in the Waffen SS.

The vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jonathan Arkush told the Observer: 'Naming such a ship after an SS officer who was convicted of war crimes is an insult to the millions who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis.  'We urge the ship's owners to reconsider and rename the ship after someone more appropriate.'

Schelte was the father of Dutchman Edward Heerema, the owner of company Allseas, who commissioned the building of the ship.

He was an officer in the Waffen SS during the Second World War, when he acted as a director for the Dutch East Company.

It is thought he was responsible for recruiting Dutch men to be put into forced labour in Nazi-occupied territories in Eastern Europe.

However, he is reported to have left the SS in 1944 as he lost sympathy with the Nazis and joined a resistance party, fleeing to Switzerland.

He was tried and sentenced to three years in prison for war crimes after the war but was released early and went to Venezuela  where he set up a engineering company.

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It seems to me that the man is entitled to honor a father who  joined the resistance to the Nazis.  It seems that his father was in any case an office worker rather than an armed combatant

Criticizing Islam, Questioning Immigration Policy is Hate Speech according to Toronto Star & Canadian Press

The recent terror attacks in Paris have led to a barrage of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant comments on the Facebook pages of federal politicians and their parties in Canada — much of it plainly visible to the public.

Managing racist, sexist, homophobic and harassing material is just one of the new challenges facing parties who want to have an active social media presence, grounded in the concept of free speech and open dialogue.

A Jan. 7 post on Stephen Harper’s Facebook account, in which the prime minister said he was “horrified by the barbaric attacks in France,” received approximately 575 comments. Some six dozen — expressing support for blocking immigration from Islamic countries, closing Canada’s borders or just criticizing Islam — were still on the page more than two weeks later.

How shocking! Islam was criticized in light of the of the Charlie Hebdo Massacre! Because naturally it had nothing to do with Islam.

Oh the horror! People actually questioned the wisdom of allowing immigration from Islamic nations! Forgive my hatefulness but I wonder if that has anything to do with the daily litany of horror that Islam visits upon the world?

But the most awful horrid hateful thing was that some people actually discussed closing our borders! Next those citizens will want rights like free-speech!

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Former Miss Turkey, 26, facing trial after being arrested for posting satirical poem that criticised the country's president

A former Miss Turkey is facing trial for posting a satirical poem on social media that criticised her country's president.

The arrest of Merve Buyuksarac, 26, follows a crackdown in the country on critical media in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris.

Although officially Turkey is secular, 99.8 per cent of the population are registered as Muslim and there has been heated debate over freedom of expression in the wake of the Paris massacres.

Now it appears the Turkish crackdown is extending not just to monitoring the media, but also to its readers.

Officials confirmed that the model had been taken before prosecutors and questioned over the social media posting that they said had insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Merve, an educated young professional who works as an industrial designer and writer, ended up in court in the Caglayan neighbourhood of the western city of Istanbul.

Looking nervous and flanked by armed police, she told prosecutors that she 'may have quoted a poem' from the weekly humour magazine Uykusuz.

The judge, however, ruled to release Buyuksarac unconditionally, pending a date for the trial set to take place later in the year.

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UK: Argos accused of racism after selling black and Asian dolls for £10 less than white toy despite them being exactly the same

High street chain Argos has been accused of racism after selling black and Asian dolls for £10 less than the white version of the children's toy.

The store has been branded 'unacceptable' for pricing a white doll, called 'Maria', at £34.99 - £10 more than black doll 'Naima' and Asian doll 'Yang'.

Mother-of-three Lisa O'Reilly, from South Killingholme, Lincolnshire, complained to the retailer after noticing the pricing difference while shopping for her two-year-old daughter Darcy.

The 12-inch dolls, designed for children aged 18 months and above, are made my French firm Corolle Calin.

They are described on the maker's site as having 'cuddly soft beanbag bodies, sleeping eyes and supple vinyl skin that is delicately scented with vanilla'.

Mrs O'Reilly, 32, condemned the pricing difference by Argos and said there's 'enough prejudice in the world already without battling against racist toys'.

She told The Sun's Emer Martin, Rob Pattinson and Sam Christie: 'It's unacceptable for children to think white is better or more desirable.

In a statement, he said: 'As a responsible retailer, Argos strongly refutes any suggestion of discrimination with the pricing of the Corolle Calin dolls.

'A genuine online pricing error led to one of the dolls being advertised at an incorrect price.

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Must not aim merchandise at boys only

A range of dinosaur t-shirts aimed only at boys has landed both Marks and Spencer and the Natural History Museum at the centre of a sexism row.

The store has been accused of 'gender stereotyping' and sending a 'perplexing message' to girls with the clothing line, produced in partnership with the London Museum.

 'It is a real shame that children are being told implicitly what is for them and what is not,' said Ruth Lopardo, co-founder of Let Clothes Be Clothes.

'All kids like dinosaurs. I am sure we can all remember the excitement of going to the Natural History Museum and seeing those great big skeletons and I don't think that is gender dependent.

'It is perplexing message to send to girls at a time when the government are worried about the lack of women going into science and technology professions.'

The campaign group has called for the range, which includes pyjamas, t-shirts and underwear,  to be extended to include items for girls.

The Evening Standard reported that the National History Museum said that they would do their 'best to ensure the range is accessible to all children.'

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Finding short fat girls unattractive is 'prejudice'

I'm prejudiced

A flight passenger who complained an airline was only hiring 'short fat girls' as stewardesses has been shamed by social media users after the company hit back at his 'prejudice' online.

In the post sent directly to Argentina Airlines' Facebook page, the man noted the 'low quality' of airline stewardesses and bemoaned the fact that the company appeared to only be hiring 'short fat girls'.

He originally wrote: 'What gets my attention is the low quality of flight attendants that the company has. Before they were tall, nice. Now they only take short fat girls.'

The airline's social media promptly responded, listing the requirements for the role and noting 'prejudice doesn't fly, we leave it on the ground'.

Its requirements include that they're older than 18 and are between 5'4" and 5'7" tall.  They must also be an Argentinian citizen who has graduated high school, knows how to swim, can speak English and has the necessary training qualification.

The response soon went viral on Facebook and Twitter and was retweeted hundreds of times as people celebrated the airline's riposte.

One user wrote alongside a picture of the exchange: 'Excellent! #AerolineasArgentinas' amazing response to passenger (who) complained about physical appearance of the flight attendants.'

SOURCE

It seems that the airline did not deny that its hostesses tend to be short and fat

Must not require tidy appearance in employees

A hotel in Queensland has had their Gumtree job advertisement removed because it asked for full length photographs of applicants.

Ravenswood Imperial Hotel in northern Queensland posted an advert on the classifieds website three weeks ago, prompting moderators to remove the ad.

Pub owner John Schluter stands by the employing process, saying that the need for well-presented employees is the same in every industry.

‘We need to know they’re compatible for the pub. If the girls are 4’2 and they can’t see over the bar that obviously isn’t going to work’ he said.

The ad sparked outcry on social media, where some have claimed it encourages discrimination

‘It’s offbeat to the customers who have just worked 12 hour shifts if the employees are daggy or poorly dressed. We get people here from all over the world.’

While The Fair Work Act does not deny employees the right to ask for a photo, it is considered unlawful to discriminate against employees over their race, colour, sex, age, physical or mental disability or marital status.

But Mr Schluter said this has been the hotels employment policy for some time.  ‘We’ve been doing this for eight years, and I’m not sure why it’s an issue. We run a careful establishment here and I can’t have anyone looking unkempt,’ he said.

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Canada’s law on hate speech is the embodiment of compromise

Freedom of expression in Canada is normally a dry legal concept, sporadically explored by law professors in dense papers, and taken for granted by everyone else. Until now, if freedom of expression got any attention at all, it was fleeting and superficial, like a bumper sticker on a passing car. The terrorist attacks in France and their aftermath changed all that, giving freedom of expression an extended tenure in the limelight and popular consciousness.

But the discussion in Canada so far fails to address the unique Canadian approach to freedom of expression, and thus fails to ask a crucial Canadian question. Does freedom of expression as legally defined in Canada provide the right tools for expression challenges in a fragmented and largely angry 21st century social media world?

Canadian freedom of expression law, like so many things Canadian, embodies compromise. In the United States, even the most hateful, virile and destructive speech is constitutionally protected. In many other countries, expression is suppressed if politically problematic. We walk between those extremes.

Here you can be put in jail for hate speech. But before you condemn the prospect of jail for speaking your mind, consider the built-in limits to the hate speech law. There are seven of them, and together they pour a big pail of cold water on any over-zealous prosecutor intent on duct-taping your mouth. For a prosecution to go ahead, all of these conditions must be met:

1. The hate speech must be the most severe of the genre;

2. The hate speech must be targeted to an identifiable group;

3. It must be public;

4. It must be deliberate, not careless;

5. Excluded from hate speech are good faith interpretations of religious doctrine, discussion of issues of public interest, and literary devices like sarcasm and irony;

6. The statements must be hateful when considered in their social and historical context;

7. No prosecution can proceed without approval of the attorney-general, which introduces political accountability because the attorney-general is a cabinet minister.

Even with these limits, the Canadian hate law still clearly curtails free expression.

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A thought

The federal government, which has " Tomahawk" cruise missiles and "Apache," "Blackhawk," "Kiowa" and "Lakota" helicopters - and used the code name "Geronimo" in the attack that killed Osama bin Laden, officially objects to the name of the "Washington Redskins."

Really?

UNB defends prof's academic freedom in wake of racism complaint

A University of New Brunswick vice-president is defending a professor's academic freedom in the wake of a recent complaint of racism.

Kerry Jang, a Vancouver city councillor, had asked the university to investigate the allegedly racist views of Prof. Ricardo Duchesne, who argues that the influx of Asian immigrants is threatening Canada's European character. Jang contends the sociology professor’s comments constitute hate speech.

But in an emailed statement to CBC News on Wednesday, MacKinnon said Jang's concerns were "carefully reviewed and addressed last summer."

"Academic freedom is a foundational principle of university life," he said.  "The university statement of mission and values very clearly supports the freedom of thought and expression while maintaining the highest ethical standards and a respectful environment."

​Duchesne, a professor in the department of social science at UNB Saint John, said he challenges students to rethink the values of multiculturalism.  "Why are people so afraid that they don't want people like me to talk?" he said.

Duchesne's published academic work exalts Western culture, which, he says, is threatened by overwhelming numbers of immigrants.

He said immigrants don't respect white liberals, who don't take pride in their own nation and hand over everything.

"Sweden had practically no rape. Suddenly, they open their borders, they have one of the highest rape statistics in the world," he said.  "In Norway, it's happening, the same thing."

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Art Spiegelman Criticizes US Press Over Charlie Hebdo Political Correctness

Pulitzer Prize-winning comic artist Art Spiegelman has recently spoken out against the decision of many US media outlets to not republish the cartoons that were featured in Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical publication that was attacked on January 7 (see 12 Killed at Magazine Previously Attacked for Satirical Cartoons).

"I think it's so hypocritical to drape yourself in freedom of speech and then self-censor yourself to the point where you are not making your readers understand the issues," Spiegelman told the AFP. "That cartoon was not making fun of the prophet, it was excoriating the believers who would kill."

Media outlets such as the New York Times, the Associated Press, CNN, and NBC News have refused to show images of the cover from the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo. (see "Are Cartoons More Powerful Than Art?") News outlets have resorted to blurring and cropping photographs of the now famous image of Muhammad holding a sign that reads "Je Suis Charlie" to hide potentially offensive material, leading Spiegelman to argue that journalists  are choosing political correctness over freedom of speech.

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Must not even HINT that fat is bad

Only the government can do that

A super-fit mum has come under fire for 'fat-shaming' women - after she posted a picture of her six-pack on Instagram.

Fitness fanatic, Abby Pell, 33, from East Grinstead, East Sussex, thought she was helping encourage others to lose post-pregnancy weight when she shared the picture of her posing with her daughter.  She included the message 'I have a kid, a six pack and no excuse.'

But instead of support, the mum-of-one was branded 'shameless' by scores of people and met with abuse from her followers.

Dedicated mum Abby manages to juggle motherhood and running her own nutrition business while still hitting the gym up to six days a week.

Abby turned to intense weight training taking just a year to sculpt her impressive abs, after she ballooned to 13 stone when she was pregnant with daughter Bella, now six, and struggled to lose shed the extra 50lb. 

'I decided to have just one last push, so I started lifting weights, and I was astonished at the results that came so quickly.  'My bum was firmer, arms more defined and my abs were showing. 'Now going to the gym is where I have my 'me-time,' which all mums know they need.'

Abby, who now weighs 9st and is a size eight, says she feels better now than before she was pregnant.

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Homosexuality must be celebrated, not rejected

A controversial new show on TLC is sparking wave after wave of protests —  as thousands of people ask for the cancellation of the TV special featuring a group of Mormon men who say they're attracted to other men but chose to marry women because of their faith.

John Sanders —  who launched a Change.org petition asking for 'My Husband's Not Gay' to be axed — says 'the false and dangerous idea that gay people can and should choose to be straight in order to be part of their faith communities.'

'I started this petition because these men deserve compassion and acceptance,'  says Sanders, who has himself been a devout Christian who went through 'ex-gay' therapy and was told to 'pray the gay away' in the past.

In the show, a group of happily married Mormon men have admitted that they are attracted to their own sex - yet they refuse to identify as gay because of their devout faith.

These unconventional marriages are the focus of a new TLC special called My Husband's Not Gay, set in Salt Lake City, which follows three such couples and their single friend, Tom, who is seeking a wife despite his own sexual attraction to men.

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AGAIN: Indian head-dress must not be worn

Hysteria about "genocide".  Indians were certainly oppressed but they are still around: So no genocide.  I would have thought that adopting Indian garb expressed solidarity with them

Pixie Lott has been slammed after she wore a feathered headdress to celebrate her 24th birthday with a cowboys and Indians themed party in London, on Saturday night.

She chose a Tiger Lily costume, inspired by the Native American princess from Peter Pan but it soon landed her in hot water after she posted a picture and wrote: 'Tigerlily is out to play tonight for final BDAY celebrations #cowboys #indians'.

Previous stars who have donned Indian headdresses - including Pharrell Williams, Khloe Kardashian and Ellie Goulding - have found themselves being blasted for being 'insensitive' and Pixie was no different.

Within minutes of sharing a snap on Instagram, people were quick to lash out, with one horrified person fuming: 'I don't see how the genocide of many many many people is a "party theme".'

Another sarcastically added: 'Wowww cuz dressing up as people who have been wipped out is soooo cool. Why dont you dress up as the slaves next! Let's have a slave themed party!'

And one person blasted: 'Pixie Lott, cultural Appropriation isn't cute. Not even on your birthday. Terrible party "theme".'

SOURCE

Canadian media mention the race of an assailant -- I wonder why?

Two Canadian police officers have been shot near Edmonton, Alberta and the suspect is still at large, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Saturday.

The two officers were being treated in hospital.  One of the officers was in "very grave condition" and the other was in serious but stable condition, Assistant Commissioner Marlin Degrand said during a news conference.  He said the manhunt was a "dynamic and unfolding event."

The shooting happened around 3am local time in St Albert, Alberta, a community northwest of the provincial capital of Edmonton.

Degrand said the officers were shot inside the Apex Casino in St. Albert, which was open at the time of the incident, while investigating a stolen car parked at the location.

The hunt for the unidentified gunman was continuing. He was considered "armed and dangerous."  The shooter was described as a white male between the ages of 25 and 35, wearing a two-toned blue striped jacket and jeans.

SOURCE.  Update here.

Weight loss expert under fire for launching Tell A Friend They're Fat Day

A weight loss expert has been slammed by plus-size campaigners for his new project: Warn A Friend They're Fat Day.

TV star Steve Miller, presenter of the TV show Fat Families, had designated today as the day for Britons to tell close friends or family members that they are overweight.

But the move has been widely criticised, with members of the plus-size community saying the scheme amounts to fat-shaming and bullying.

Steve floated the idea of Warn A Friend They're Fat Day late last year and even wrote a letter to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt about the issue.   The idea is for people to bring up the issue of obesity with a close friend or family member who is overweight.

The person would then offer to become an exercise buddy if their friend does decide to try and shift some pounds as a result of the conversation. 

Steve claims that the initiative could save thousands of lives.  He told FEMAIL: 'This day is about saving lives, it is absolutely not about humiliating people.

'I know that the word fat sounds harsh but when you use that word, people take notice - if you wrap the issue up in cotton wool, it doesn't work.'

SOURCE

The Ched Evans witch-hunt goes on

No good may be spoken of him

The head of the Professional Footballers' Association is facing calls to resign after comparing the plight of convicted rapist Ched Evans to the Hillsborough disaster.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the PFA, sparked outrage after making the 'insensitive parallel' in a Radio 5 Live interview following the announcement that Evans' move to Oldham had collapsed.

The disgraced striker, 26, apologised to the woman he raped for the first time today, but maintained he is 'innocent' of attacking her in a Rhyl hotel room in 2011 and said he will appeal the conviction.

Mr Taylor, 70, told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'He would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right.

'If we are talking about things in football we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough and it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time. Indeed by the police at the time.'

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UK: Must not mention that someone is 'Foreign'

A goalkeeper was given an eight-match ban and told to attend an anti-racism course by the FA after allegedly calling a Polish referee foreign.

Rob Dennis was sent off while playing for Sandiacre Town in Derby for a tackle which left his opponent with a broken leg.

When his team urged the referee, a Polish national, to reconsider, the 27-year-old said he was overheard commenting that it was unlikely the referee would change his mind and that he was foreign.

His comments were reported to the FA and deemed an aggravated breach of rules.

As a result Mr Dennis, a father-of-two, was given a three-month ban and told to attend an anti-racism course.

SOURCE

Can a cartoon be politically correct?

Former Ukip candidate and ex-Marine faces jail for emailing racist slurs and picture of pig's head to mosque

A PICTURE of a pig is offensive?  Muslims must hate Peppa pig

A former UK Independence Party candidate faced jail today for emailing racist slurs to a mosque and posting a photograph of a pig’s head on Facebook.

Ex-Marine Ian Couch, 54, sent the offensive messages in a drunken rage after becoming angry at TV reports of the beheading of journalist James Foley by ISIS militants.

Couch, a former counter terrorism operative, also posted racial slurs on Facebook alongside a picture of a pig’s head he kept in his fridge.  Police seized the head when they raided his home in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, and Couch claimed he had bought it for his dogs.

The court heard Couch made anti-Muslim comments such as ‘your religion is a disgrace’, ‘how many heads do you have as a trophy’ and ‘the sooner we destroy Islam the better’.

And among his posts on Facebook was one that said: ‘Isn't it funny that they can cut off women and children’s heads but can't touch a pig's?’

Couch denied two counts of sending offensive messages and claimed he had a right to freedom of expression.

But magistrates rejected this in Cambridge last Thursday and told Couch he faced jail. Presiding magistrate Marisa Johnson said his actions were ‘indefensible’.

SOURCE

Must not mention hygeine differences

GLEE star Naya Rivera has caused outrage among multiple races after saying that showering daily is “such a white people thing”.

Rivera shocked hosts and viewers of panel talk show The View yesterday when she said that “ethnics” do not feel the need to clean themselves as regularly as “white people”.

“I think that white people shower a lot more than ethnics,” the 28-year-old said, adding, “I feel like showering more than once a day or every day is such a white people thing.”

After her comments, co-host Rosie O’Donnell proceeded to call upon a stunned African-American woman in the audience, who insisted she is a “frequent showerer” before Rivera defended her remarks.

“My mom is half black, half Puerto Rican. She showers every day so I can say this,” the Glee actress said.

“But I’m now married to a white man. And he showers a lot, like two, three times a day,” she said of husband Ryan Dorsey.

SOURCE

Australia: Must not criticize cyclists

FAMILY Feud has enraged cyclists by asking competitors this question. "On the popular game show, host Grant Denyer asked competitors to name “something annoying that a cyclist might do?”.

This of course has enraged the cycling community who took to Twitter to voice their thoughts including comedian and cycling enthusiast Charlie Pickering.

The aim of the game is to select the most common response to each question, as voted on by an audience of 100.

Among the winning answers on the board was ‘Taking driving lane’, ‘cut you off’, ‘everything’ and ‘wear lycra’.

Australian Cycle Alliance president Edward Hore says he is shocked by the question.

“Seriously, the hatred against cyclists has to stop. We are all someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter,” reported veooz.

SOURCE

Cyclists can be very annoying -- and while they are, they will be disliked. If they stuck to cycle paths, there would be less hostility

UK: Disturbing video shows children as young as five singing racist song to the tune of 'if you're happy and you know it clap your hands'

It is HUGELY incorrect in Britain to abbreviate "Pakistani"

A disturbing racist video has emerged of three girls aged between five and seven singing 'if you all hate p**** clap your hands' to the tune of a popular children's song.

The three blonde children are shown sitting in a circle clapping their hands while singing the hate chant for the amusement of an adult filming them.

During the racist song a toddler boy wanders around the room while the little girls sing the offensive phrase to the tune of 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands'.

The video, believed to have been produced in the Greater Manchester area since the New Year, has sparked outrage online and among anti-racism charities.

It has been slammed by anti-racism educational charity Show Racism the Red Card, who use football to stamp out intolerance in the wider society.

A spokesman for the charity said: 'The fact these young people are using such an offensive term so freely openly shows a lack of understanding about the nature of the term from their guardians.

'The fact young people are using this word doesn't come as a surprise given a study from Show Racism the Red Card Wales found a quarter of people believe calling a Pakistani person a paki was acceptable.'

SOURCE

Man booted off  British TV show  after repeatedly using the word n**** and making a string of 'disgusting' remarks about women

American Leftist hysteria about the n-word seems to have migrated across the pond.  And if men cease to like how women look, the human race will die out

Former Coronation Street star Ken Morley has been kicked out of the Celebrity Big Brother house after repeatedly using the word n**** and making a string of 'disgusting' remarks about women.

The 71-year-old, who played Reg Holdsworth in Coronation Street for a decade, had already received a final warning after he branded US singer Alexander O'Neal a 'nice big fat n****'.

He was called to the diary house immediately and told to leave after describing a row he had with Frank Bruno, where he used a racist term.

In a discussion with Keith Chegwin, he recalled the conversation he had with Frank, where he told the boxing legend: 'Hello, Lord Fauntleroy here - turn down your n***** rhythms.'

The actor also sparked outrage in the house after saying 'what's wrong with looking at some of the best arses in world' when questioned about his behaviour by co-star Nadia Sawalha.

He said: 'They've got the best looking bodies. they've got the best looking a**s - what is wrong with a man looking?'

Nadia responded by saying: 'I think the police need to be called.'

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Atlanta fire chief terminated following book controversy

Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran — the subject of recent controversy over remarks made in a self-published religious book — has been terminated from the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, Mayor Kasim Reed announced today.

Cochran returned to work today following a month-long suspension for comments in his 2013 book “Who Told You That You Are Naked?” Many criticized the book as promoting discriminatory and anti-gay views, while Cochran’s suspension — and now termination — has since become the focus of a fight over “religious liberty.”

Reed stressed that his decision is not because of Cochran’s faith: “His religious (beliefs) are not the basis of the problem. His judgment is the basis of the problem.”

The mayor said though Cochran consulted the city’s ethics officer before publishing the book, Nina Hickson did not grant approval.

Cochran has a differing account. He said he received verbal clearance from Hickson to publish the book, and therefore didn’t believe he needed permission from Reed as city law allowed it.

What’s more, Cochran said he gave a copy of the book to Reed’s executive assistant in January 2014, and that the mayor later confirmed receiving it. Cochran also said he was told not to speak to the media, specifically, about his suspension. Cochran has spoken publicly about the matter to religious groups.

Cochran said it was not his intent to be “hurtful to anyone” when expressing his religious views in his book, which he acknowledged passing out to some members of the fire department.

“LGBT citizens deserve the right to express their beliefs regarding sexual orientation, and deserve to be respected for their positions without hate and discrimination,” he said. “But Christians also have the right to express their beliefs regarding sexual orientation and be respected for their position without hate and without discrimination. In the United States, no one should be vilified hated or discriminated against for expressing their beliefs.”

Among what city leaders said were troubling remarks in the fire chief’s book was a description of homosexuality as a “perversion” akin to bestiality and pederasty.

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Australia: Sunday Style magazine forced to apologise over sexist ad for interns



This does seem a bit gross.  Porno interns.  Is it a brothel?

Interns: always having to fetch coffees and brownies for their bosses without getting paid, and while uncomfortably dressed in skimpy lingerie too. Uh, according to Murdoch's News Corp anyway.

Sunday Style, the company's weekly fashion and beauty insert, was forced to apologise on Friday after posting a bizarre job ad for intern positions.  

"We are on the hunt for fashion interns," went the magazine's advert, accompanied by a picture of a woman in lingerie posing on a bed. (Nope, not even a photocopier in sight).

The image was quickly deleted after criticism from Twitter and Instagram users, who called the ad "sexist" and "offensive".

The magazine - a liftout in The Sunday Telegraph and Herald Sun with a circulation of almost 900,000 - later replaced the post with an apology for their "error in judgement".

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British Censors Don't Like a  Thigh Gap



"The UK Just Took a Bold Stand Against Unfair Beauty Standards the US Never Would," reports millennial news site Mic. As you might imagine, Mic author Maureen Shaw and I disagree on whether the latter is a good or bad thing. The "bold stand" taken by British officials was ordering retailer Urban Outfitters to remove a photo from its website because of too much space between the model's thighs.

Colloquially, this is known as "thigh gap", something (or its absence, really) that has been the envy of Tumblr anorexics, scourge of body-image crusaders, and subject of ample beauty-blogger think pieces over the past few years. The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) apparently felt this Urban Outfitter model's thigh gap was too large.

In a December 31 ruling, the agency decreed that "the ad must not appear again in its current form" and Urban Outfitters must "ensure that the images in their ads were responsibly prepared." The agency was responding to a complainant "who believed that the model in the picture was unhealthily thin" and the ad "irresponsible and harmful." In upholding this complaint,

The ASA considered that the model was very thin, and noted, in particular, that there was a significant gap between the model's thighs, and that her thighs and knees were a similar width. We considered that the model looked underweight in the picture.

In a response, Urban Outfitters suggested that the model was "naturally tall and slim", not unhealthy, noting that she had appeared in many other ads and had a 23.5-inch waist. Mic's Shaw—who applauds the ASA's decision and writes that "the U.S. needs to follow the U.K.'s lead"—scoffs that "Urban Outfitters may consider a 23.5-inch waist normal," but "the U.K.'s National Health Service cites a healthy waistline as one up to 31.5 inches."

While that may be true, it's also perfectly possible to be healthy with a 23-inch waist; and while weight and waistline are obviously related, waist size is also partially a product of body shape and bone structure. The same is true for thigh gap. Some girls and women are built in such a way that even when very thin, they won't have much thigh gap; others would have to put on an unhealthy amount of weight not to have one.

And for people whose goal is ostensibly making women feel okay about being individuals with all sorts of body types, it seems rather counterintuitive and insulting to say that women naturally prone to thigh gap are freaks who must be banned from our view, no? Like the "real women have curves" campaign, what purports to be a pro-woman message only continues to emphasize which body attributes are more socially acceptable than others.

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Australia:  New controversy brews over 'offensive' ginger beer brand using Hindu imagery



Ganesha is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.  So I don't see what is wrong with promoting that.  I have a large statue of Ganesha in my entrance hall, as a a matter of fact.  Various Indians have seen it but all have been merely amused

A brewery on Sydney's northern beaches is facing renewed criticism from some Hindus that the company reneged on an agreement to remove an insensitive label from its ginger beer.

Brookvale Union, which shares staff with the 4 Pines Brewing Company in Manly, faced calls in late 2013 to redesign the ginger beer packaging and remove an Indian-themed design that appeared to show a figure with the head of Hindu god Ganesh and the body of the goddess Lakshmi.

At the time, the brewery apologised and announced the label would be redesigned. Alterations were made to the design, which still has an Indian style and depicts an elephant's head on the body of a woman.

Yadu Singh, a Sydney-based cardiologist and the president of the Indian Australian Association of NSW, believes the changes didn't go far enough and he is calling on businesses to remove the product from their shelves.

4 Pines Brewing Company co-founder Jaron Mitchell said the labels were redesigned on the advice of Dr Singh and other Australian Hindus who identified aspects of the design that needed to be changed.

Mr Mitchell said the elephant head depicted on the label was redesigned to remove any resemblance to the god Ganesh.  "It's just like an animal, it's not a godlike kind of a face," Mr Mitchell told Fairfax Media.

The revised figure has only two arms, and the image of a cow, which is a sacred animal in the Hindu faith, was replaced with a bowl of fruit.

"We're certainly not in the business of offending people," Mr Mitchell said.  "It's certainly not a unified Hindu opinion [that the image is offensive]. I know that because I've had Hindus say, 'look, don't listen to these guys'."

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UK: Minister rebukes civil service aide for claiming convicted rapist Ched Evans was 'probably not guilty'

Britain imprisons several women every year for false rape  claims so doubts about a convicted rapist's guilt in Britain are entirely  reasonable. There is no doubt that the sex in this case was consensual but the court held that the woman was too drunk to give consent, a very flimsy verdict

Business Secretary Vince Cable has been forced to rebuke one of his top Whitehall aides for claiming Ched Evans was 'probably not guilty' of rape - despite the footballer being tried and convicted for the crime.

Andy Ormerod-Cloke, Private Secretary to the Business Secretary, made the controversial remark on his personal Twitter account while watching BBC One's Question Time last night.

The Oxford University graduate, said he would 'query how many have looked at the details rather than symbolism of rapist-footballer'.  He added: 'If guilty then never a footballer again – role model argument – but on the facts of the case, probably not guilty.'

As a civil servant Mr Ormerod-Cloke is not supposed to post messages online about controversial topics.

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Spain seems to be outdoing Britain for political correctnmess

Exraordinarily harsh treatment for a single sarcastic comment

A man was thrown into jail in Spain for nine months after leaving a sarcastic comment under his ex-girlfriend's Facebook profile picture.

In October 2012 the man, who has not been named, was banned from contacting his former partner by any means after a specialized Domestic Violence court in Palma, Majorca passed a protection order.

But just five days later the hopeless individual posted a mocking comment under her profile picture which read: 'Showing them what you've got I see, babe.'

After reading the comment, 'a la vete a enseñarlo guapa’ in Spanish, the woman alerted the authorities and the ex-boyfriend was once again brought before a court in Palma.

He was charged with breaching the restraining order and sentenced to nine months behind bars.

He appealed his conviction, citing that the court could not prove who sent the Facebook message or that he had actually breached the order.

But the court in Palma said the man was 'completely conscious' of the fact his Facebook message 'was an infringement of the restraining order'.

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Must not say fat women don't look sexy



A private taxi firm's advert featuring a middle aged overweight woman with the caption 'if I start to look sexy, book a taxi' has been slammed as sexist.

West Quay Cars in Southampton said they had put up the controversial poster as part of their festive campaign to stop people drinking and driving and to take a cab instead.

But feminist campaigners said the advert, which features the voluptuous lady in a suggestive pose next to the warning 'don't make bad decisions because you have had one too many' was sexist and are urging a boycott of the company.

One campaigner, who wished to remain unnamed, said: 'I was horrified to see the recent posters by West Quay cars which featured a middle-aged larger woman with a slogan on it. 'It is disgusting that in 2015 sexism is still alive, people shouldn't be making a profit over negative self-body image.'

But bosses at West Quay Cars - who designed the posters themselves - said they were disappointed with the negative feedback and denied the company is sexist.

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Must not disrespect cyclists

A stockbroker has been sacked and forced to apologise after tweeting: 'Think I just hit a cyclist. But Im late for work so had to drive off lol.'

The apparent boast by Rayhan Qadar - which police are investigating - was made on his Twitter account under the name of 'Ray Pew' at 8.30am yesterday.

It prompted a storm from other Twitter users, who reported the 21-year-old Cardiff University graduate to police and called for him to apologise.

Despite saying it was a 'bad joke' and insisting he had not hit a cyclist, he was promptly sacked from his job at Bristol-based Hargreaves Lansdown, which sells shares and investment funds.

A spokesman said: 'One of our employees has failed to conduct themselves to the standards we expect of our staff. 'We find these online comments totally unacceptable.  'Upon becoming aware of this issue we have terminated this person's employment with immediate effect.'

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Jamaican-born trafic warden sacked for calling black colleague 'King Kong' during row over parking meter asks 'how can I be racist?'

A Jamaican-born lollipop man who was sacked for calling a black colleague 'King Kong' during a row over a parking meter has questioned how he can be a racist at an employment tribunal.

The Central London Employment Tribunal heard the incident in July 2013 erupted after Mr Seymour was speaking loudly on his phone in the town hall's reception area ahead of a meeting.

He claimed he had been trying to arrange a refund because a parking meter had swallowed £4 of his change when council worker Johnson Akinmoyede 'interrupted his conversation'.

The court heard that when Mr Akinmoyede asked him to keep his voice down, Mr Seymour replied: 'Who are you, King Kong? I will break you, move away from me,' reports the Evening Standard.

Mr Seymour, from Kentish Town in north London, was escorted from the building by two security officers for the alleged 'racially abusive and threatening behaviour'.

However, he claims the term 'King Kong' was not racist and in a statement by Christopher Nicola, manager of the council's Smarter Travel Team, it was a 'Caribbean thing'.

'He [Mr Seymour] asked how could it be racially abusive if you say something to someone of the same complexion, and that the way they were speaking was a Caribbean thing and they talk like that to each other all the time

Speaking at the time, Mr Seymour said: 'It was not racial. He was getting all angry so it was like he was acting like he was a big strong gorilla, so that's why I called him King Kong.

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Must not call a fat broad fat



Apprentice boss Lord Sugar has been accused of bullying behaviour after calling a plus-size model 'fatty' on Twitter.

The multi-million pound business tycoon, 67, became embroiled in a Twitter row after sending the 'cruel' message to beauty queen Elena Raouna, 23.

The row unfolded after she sent him a cheeky message on Sunday night, which said: 'Evening sugar ;-) can I call you that? Lol.'

He replied: 'yes no problem as long as I can call you fatty,' which sparked outrage from some her 2,800 followers who branded him 'a bully', 'arrogant' and a 'miserable old goat'.

Miss Raouna, who won Miss British Beauty Curve in 2013, is now demanding an apology from the no-nonsense TV personality, who made his name founding British electronics company Amstrad.

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Must not quote Hitler

I have received from W. Lindsay Wheeler an account of his experiences with a site called Wikinfo which is run by Fred Bauder, who is Jewish. Lindsay is (or was) an assistant editor with the site. 

As you can see here, Lindsay puts up a direct quote from Hitler which claims that democracy leads to authoritarianism. 

That is probably one of the few things that Hitler got right.  The tremendous reach of government into all our lives today is pretty much on a par with what Hitler and Mussolini achieved.  Even the hostility to Jews is steadily growing in the Western world.  And as for failed wars, we have some of those too.  And when the President of the United States ignores the U.S. constitution, as Obama does over immigration etc., where does it stop?

But such thoughts must not be thought.  Lindsay thinks them and claims that "mixed government" (i.e. a mixture of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy) rather than democracy is the best.  But quoting Hitler to support his beliefs was beyond the pale to Fuehrer Bauder.  He sent the following to Wheeler:

"Adolf Hitler as a young man watching the Social Democracy marches in Vienna. (Mein Kampf, pg 78. Manheim translation, Mariner paperback)

is not acceptable on Wikinfo. Wikinfo is not value free. Democracy can only be suppressed in the modern world by mass murder. You are banned permanently. All articles you have published here will be removed, as resources permit." Fred Bauder

Any guesses that Bauder is a Leftist?  Censorship is a knee-jerk reaction to them.  Perhaps Wikinfo should be renamed Wikipropaganda

For those who are unaware of it  Fuehrer  is the German word for "leader"

Head of a racist organization still attacking immigration critic

"La Raza" mean "The race"  -- the supposed Mexican race.  Her treatment of the ADL as an authority on hate speech is a bit like Goebbels quoting Hitler as an authority on the Jews.  The Leftward lean of the ADL is well-known

Janet Murguia, president of the liberal National Council for La Raza, took credit for Lou Dobbs's departure from CNN during a Monday interview on C-SPAN's Q&A program, and repeated a six-year-old charge that the host directed "hate speech" against Hispanics and immigrants. Murguia claimed that Dobbs forwarded a "negative mindset – but more than anything else, a pejorative mindset" about Latinos using "terms that the ADL had said were hate speech terms."

"We had worked with the Anti-Defamation League at the time, who had done series of research to show that certain words that Lou Dobbs was using had been used previously to create a different mindset around people – when they're referred to in terms related to animals – and he had been using the word 'hordes' and other types of – of labels around the Latino community. It creates a negative mindset – but more than anything else, a pejorative mindset – and one that, I think, actually tries to change the views that people have – when, really, we should be talking about the issues. And for us, it's one thing to about the issues, but he was doing it in a way where it really clearly was changing the perceptions that people had of Hispanics – with terms that the ADL had said were hate speech terms."

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Must not criticize Britain's socialized medicine system

This week, the respected Spectator magazine revealed that one of our top cancer surgeons, Professor Joseph Meirion Thomas, had been gagged from writing about the NHS.

The move came after a bid by senior figures within the medical establishment to remove him from his job. His ‘sin’ had been to write four comment pieces for the Daily Mail. The first two, about health tourism, argued calmly that the sheer weight of foreigners using the NHS was making it economically unviable.

The third explained how the preponderance of female doctors in the NHS was becoming a long-term problem because, after an expensive training, many were leaving to have families, often returning only in a part-time capacity.

But it was Mr Thomas’s fourth opinion piece, which questioned whether Britain’s modern GP system — with doctors increasingly unavailable to patients — was fit for purpose, that triggered the most vitriol.

The arrogance, viciousness and biliousness of the attack on Mr Thomas — not to mention his critics’ contempt for free speech — will astonish many readers . . .

The backlash began late on the night of November 18, just a few minutes after the first edition of the Daily Mail rolled off the presses carrying a comment article criticising Britain’s GP system by internationally renowned cancer surgeon Professor Joseph Meirion Thomas.

It was on Twitter, inevitably, where outrage started. A Left-wing medical blogger called Frozen Warning circulated a link to the piece, declaring: ‘GPs, prepare for battle. Prof J. Meirion Thomas, [the] most arrogant surgeon in the UK, is at it again.’

His call to arms was soon joined and over the ensuing days several hundred highly critical tweets, many of them peppered with gratuitous personal insults against the 68-year-old surgeon, were publicly shared by NHS staff.

Typical was the comment of Catherine Beanland, a GP from Ludlow, who branded Thomas’s article ‘unprofessional, ignorant, biased’. Damien Roland, a consultant at the University of Leicester NHS Trust, accused it of ‘demonstrating tribalism and arrogance’.

Rachel Imrie, a trainee GP from Edinburgh, called him a ‘gigantic, out of touch, idiot!’. Dave Jones, a Welsh doctor, meanwhile, said that Thomas ‘comes out with some c**p’.

Soon, these ad hominem attacks took a more sinister turn.

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When Hate Speech Leads to Hate Crimes

America and the West are subjected nonstop to a barrage of hate speech from the intelligentsia. Hate speech leads to hate crimes, here as everywhere. Few people have faced up to the extent of the hate crimes and hate speech against the West. The murder of the two New York City policemen Saturday is only the tip of the iceberg.

Literally thousands of inciters have propagated a dishonest storyline of widespread police violence against blacks. And what we’ve seen in recent months is only the current instance in a long history of incitement against the West.

A view of the West as enemy is cultivated in universities across the country as the cutting edge of moral thinking, with full rein given to a very un-academic manner of speech, replete with the colorful language of vilification. From these heights, the same attitudes inevitably seep into other venues, including textbooks for much younger students.

And so, on issue after issue, year after year, the media speak in a language of blaming the West and identifying with anger against the West.

The unseen iceberg of hate crimes against the West is similarly massive, on a scale that few can imagine. 9/11 was one incident among many around the world. Domestically, unacknowledged hate crimes in the street — violent crimes motivated in part by the hate that is cultivated against mainstream society — number more than half a million a year.

The primary ground and origin of hate lies in the very subculture that criticizes “hate” most often, because it is uses “hate” as a label for smearing those it doesn’t like.

Viewed in full, hate crimes against the West — against Americans, against Westerners, and against groups and religions identified as pro-Western — run into the millions.

If the white victims of interracial violence were shown on nationwide TV every day — with posters that proclaimed White Lives Matter! — the current form of incitement would collapse of its own weight.

The conclusion is inescapable: The incitement depends on the media’s massive deception of the public, deception about the plain facts about who is usually killing whom. This deception also includes, in nearly every specific instance recently highlighted nationwide, deception about the weight of the evidence about who is guilty.

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Must not expect that anti-Hindu terrorists in India will be Muslims

They could be Presbyterians, I guess.  And that attack on the Taj Mahal hotel in Bombay did not happen, of course.  I've stayed at the Taj so the attack was shocking news to me

Outrage has been sparked in India after men playing the roles of terrorists in security drills were dressed as Muslims.

A video of a drill, which was broadcast on Indian media websites, shows five policemen capturing and then pinning down three men in white knitted skullcaps before bundling them into jeeps in the Surat district of Gujarat.

The drills are being carried out across Gujarat following intelligence reports that two high-profile events - Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and the Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit - could be a the target of terror attacks.

Speakers at the summit in January will include U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'Mock drills were carried out in 10 to 15 locations,' Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pradeep Sejul told television network NDTV.

'This should not have happened; it was an avoidable mistake. 'We assure you that if someone deliberately made the mistake, we will take action against them.'

Kamal Faruqui of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board called the mock drill 'atrocious and highly condemnable'.

'It is profiling the Muslim community which is very bad. They should apologise, otherwise they should be taken to the court,' Faruqui told NDTV.

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Charleston newspaper fires columnist Surber over ‘inexcusable’ commentary

Surber has always been an acerbic conservative.  They were probably looking for an excuse to fire him for a long time.  Calling a disgusting person an animal is not uncommon

The Charleston Daily Mail fired longtime editorial writer Don Surber after his personal blog described Michael Brown as an “animal” that police in Ferguson, Mo., had to put down.

Daily Mail publisher Brad McElhinny announced Surber’s dismissal Thursday on the newspaper’s website, criticizing Surber’s commentary as “unfortunate, inflammatory and, in our view, inexcusable.”

In a Saturday blog that immediately attracted criticism for its racist tonality, Surber wrote:

“This summer I had an epiphany as I watched packs of racists riot in Ferguson, Missouri, in support of a gigantic thug who was higher than a kite when he attacked Ferguson Police Department Officer Darren Wilson, who unfortunately had to put this animal down.”

Within 24 hours, Surber appended the post: “I made a factual error. Michael Brown was not an animal but a man. Big. Brutal. High. His death was a justifiable homicide and not a putting down.”

McElhinny contends the newspaper needed to disassociate itself from Surber even though the controversial commentary appeared on the columnist’s personal website:

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Free Speech Review: 22 Significant, Silly, or Otherwise Noteworthy First Amendment Cases From 2014

What do rap lyrics, ultrasounds, giant rats, condoms, campaign donations, and Game of Thrones merchandise have in common? In 2014, all have been the subject of First Amendment controversy. I think it's safe to say that this has been an interesting year for free speech.

That this is the sort of banal statement one could make almost every year doesn't make it any less true for 2014, and perhaps it's been even more true than usual this year. "I have to say, when I go through the years, every year presents incredibly unique aspects of how we chose to communicate, gather and worship,” Gene Policinski, chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and its First Amendment Center, told Watchdog.org recently. But Policinski also admitted that free speech questions raised this year have been a particularly interesting bunch.

Let's look back on a handful of them, shall we? From the significant to the novel to the merely strange, here are 22 First Amendment cases from 2014—some settled, some ongoing—that are worth revisiting:

Money Talks: In McCutcheon v. FEC—one of if not the biggest speech case of the year—the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal limits on the total amounts an individual can contribute to political committees and candidates in one election cycle. "The Government may no more restrict how many candidates or causes a donor may support than it may tell a newspaper how many candi­dates it may endorse," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the court's opinion.

Skim Milk by Any Other Name: Florida resident Mary Lou Wesselhoeft is fighting a state rule barring her business, Ocheesee Creamery, from labeling the skim milk it produces as skim milk. Florida law requires skim milk to be artificially enhanced with vitamin A; because Wesselhoeft doesn't do so, the state says she must label it "Non-Grade 'A' Milk Product, Natural Milk Vitamins Removed". With the help of the Institute for Justice, Ocheesee Creamery is challenging the requirement, which it claims violates the businesses' right to "engage in truthful speech about its lawful skim milk."

No Glove, No Love: Concluding a years-long battle this December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a Los Angeles County statute requiring condom use in porn does not violate filmmakers' freedom of expression. "The condom mandate survived intermediate scrutiny because it was only a de minimis effect on expression, was narrowly tailored to achieve the substantial governmental interest of reducing the rate of sexually transmitted infections, and left open adequate alternative means of expression," the three-judge panel ruled.

Scabby Strikes Back: In November, a New York district court ruled that labor union protesters could display a giant, inflateable rat—affectionately known as "Scabby"—without violating a "no strike" clause in its collective bargaining agreement. "[T]he defendants’ peaceful use of a stationary, inflatable rat to publicize a labor protest is protected by the First Amendment," the court stated. 

So Authentic It's Criminal: Do violent rap lyrics constitute legit threats? The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments for and against this idea in the case of aspiring rapper Anthony Elonis. "Elonis ran afoul of federal law by posting graphic and violent revenge fantasies that centered on him murdering his estranged wife, murdering his employer and co-workers (those posts got him fired), and eventually killing the F.B.I. agent sent to investigate him," Damon Root reported in early December. As a result, Elonis was convicted on four counts of transmitting "communications containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another" and sentenced to 44 months in prison. The Supreme Court has yet to decide whether to uphold the conviction.

Meanwhile, San Diego artist Tiny Doo (aka Brandon Duncan) is fighting charges of promoting gang activity and violence with his rap album "Street Life." Reason TV's Paul Detrick, who has been following these issues closely, notes that "Duncan is just the latest rapper to have his music used against him in a criminal proceeding, a troubling trend that only seems to be increasing across the country."

But in a bit of good news on this front, the New Jersey Supreme Court in August nullified the verdict of a man whose rap lyrics were used to supply "motive and intent" in a murder case against him. The court ordered a new trial on the grounds that "the violent, profane, and disturbing rap lyrics authored by defendant constituted highly prejudicial evidence against him that bore little or no probative value as to any motive or intent behind the attempted murder offense with which he was charged." Unless such material has "a direct connection to the specifics of the offense," prosecutors shouldn't use it as evidence, the court ruled.

See No Handguns: A group of California gun sellers are challenging a state law that bans gun stores from displaying images of handguns if they can be seen from outside the premises. Stores are allowed to post signs featuring rifles, and they're allowed to use handgun imagery in print advertising. Lawyers argue that the seemingly arbitrary prohibition of on-premise signs featuring handguns is a violation of the First Amendment.

Buffer Zones Rebuffed: In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of anti-abortion activist Eleanor McCullen, who argued that a Massachusetts law creating a 35-foot anti-protest buffer zone around abortion clinics was an unconstitutional infringement on freedom of expression. Supreme Court justices unanimously agreed that such buffer zones were not illegal per se but that this particular law wasn't narrowly tailored enough to suffice. "For a problem shown to arise only once a week in one city at one clinic, creating 35-foot buffer zones at every clinic across the Commonwealth is hardly a narrowly tailored solution," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.

Game of Thrones Gaffe: In January, a New Jersey community college professor posted a picture of his daughter on Google+. In the photo, the young girl was wearing a Game of Thrones t-shirt featuring the words "I will take what is mine with fire and blood." Bergen Community College adminstrators took this as the professor making a threat, suspended him without pay, and ordered him to see a psychiatrist. Months later, the college acknowledged that it "may have lacked basis to sanction" him for the shirt and "potentially violated (his) constitutional rights, including under the First Amendment."

Truthiness Win: In September, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ruled in favor of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List in its challenge to a state law banning "false" political speech. In 2010, SBA List was charged with violating the law via billboards opposing the reelection of Democratic state Rep. Steve Driehaus. The district court declared the state law an unconstitutional violation of free speech, noting that "Lies have no place in the political arena and serve no purpose other than to undermine the integrity of the democratic process," but "at times, there is no clear way to determine whether a political statement is a lie or the truth.  What is certain, however, is that we do not want the Government (i.e., the Ohio Elections Commission) deciding what is political truth—for fear that the Government might persecute those who criticize it.  Instead, in a democracy, the voters should decide."

Camera-Shy Cops Lose: This summer, a federal judge allowed a civil suit brought by Texas activist Antonio Buehler, who was arrested seveal times for taking pictures of police officers in action, to go forward. The decision noted "a robust consensus of circuit courts of appeals" that "the First Amendment encompasses a right to record public officials as they perform their official duties." In October, a trial court found Buehler not guilty on criminal charges related to one of the arrests.

Unconstitutional Ultrasounds: In late December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit struck down a North Carolina law requiring physicians to perform an ultrasound, display a sonogram, and describe the fetus to women seeking abortions. Because the intent of these directives is ideological in nature they represent compelled speech, the court ruled, and are thus in violation of the First Amendment.

No Accounting for Arousal: When a Texas appeals court struck down a state ban on taking "upskirt" photos in September, the decision was met by much outrage in the national news media. But the law, which criminalized "improper photography or visual recording" in public places "with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of any person" was unconstitutionally broad, with the potential to ban all sorts of harmless public photography. "Banning otherwise protected expression on the basis that it produces sexual arousal or gratification is the regulation of protected thought," the court noted, "and such a regulation is outside the government’s power."

Prostitution Pre-Crime: In 2013, Arizona resident Monica Jones was arrested for "manifesting prostitution", a crime that doesn't require one to actually have sex for money or even offer to have sex for money but merely look, make gestures, or otherwise behave in a manner that police deem sufficiently suspicious (this includes asking a cop if they are a cop). This year Jones, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, is challenging the state statute, asking the Arizona Supreme Court to strike down the "unconstitutionally vague" rule as a violation of the First Amendment.

Fighting Free-Speech Zones: In January 2014, University of Hawaii at Hilo student Merritt Burch attempted to hand out pocket Constitutions at a student event but was barred from doing so by a campus administrator. The school later told Burch she was only allowed to pass out Constitutions in the university's "free speech zone," a tiny area on the edge of campus. With the help of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Burch and another student challenged the university's policy in Hawaii's U.S. District Court, alleging that it "unconstitutionally restricts access to open areas on campus by requiring students to seek permission to speak at least seven business days in advance and by limiting the areas where students may engage in spontaneous expressive activities to only 0.26 percent of UH Hilo's 115-acre campus." In early December, the University settled with the students, agreeing to revise its speech policies system-wide to allow for free expression and the distribution of literature in "all areas generally available to students and the community."

Keep Parody Legal: This summer, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of 29-year-old Jon Daniel, the creator of a Twitter account that parodied the mayor in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois. Upon learning about the account, the real Peoria Mayor ordered local law enforcement to raid Daneil's home and tried to have Daniel charged with falsely impersonating a public official.

License to Editorialize: In May, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that the state's Department of Motor Vehicles erred in prohibiting a resident from getting a vanity license plate that said "COPSLIE."

Frack Attack: In 2011, environmental activist Steve Lipsky was sued for defamation by fracking company Range Resources after Lipsky posted YouTube videos and made statements to local news criticizing fracking. This December, the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments to decide whether Lipsky's comments are protected by the First Amendment. "Range has a right to protect its reputation, but the speech they’re complaining about is protected speech," Lipsky’s lawyer Joe Sibley said. "If we’re going to allow companies to sue people for defamation every time they don’t like what’s being said, then that basically allows corporations to silence public participation."

Boobies Bans: In March, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a case from a Pennsylvania school district seeking to ban students from wearing "I ♥ boobies" bracelets as part of a breast-cancer awareness campaign. The denial let stand a 2013 appellate court finding in favor of the students on First Amendment grounds.

In August, however, a federal judge in Indiana sided with a Fort Wayne school district that banned the bracelets. The ACLU of Indiana had challenged the school's decision, arguing that students had a free speech right to wear the bracelets. U.S. District Judge Joseph VanBokkelen disagreed, ruling that high school students were not mature enough to handle the bracelets' message.

Over-protecting Privacy: In March, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a state law making it a felony to record public officials without their permission, even as they're performing public duties. The ban "criminalizes a wide range of innocent conduct," including "the recording of conversations that cannot be deemed private: a loud argument on the street, a political debate on a college quad, yelling fans at an athletic event, or any conversation loud enough that the speakers should expect to be heard by others," noted the justices in a unanimous decision. The court concluded that the eavesdropping ban "burdens substantially more speech than is necessary to serve a legitimate state interest in protecting conversational privacy."

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Sugar Puffs rapped by advertising watchdog for suggesting that its 'honey goodness' was healthy for children

The Honey Monster has been slapped down by advertising watchdogs for suggesting honey is good for children.

The cereal that the character promotes, Sugar Puffs, has been banned from claiming it contains 'honey goodness' – as honey is just as bad for the body as sugar.

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the boast amounts to a bogus health claim.

Sales of honey are soaring, apparently because of the belief that as a natural product it is better for you. But health experts point out that once honey is consumed it behaves the same way in the body as sugar.

The advert on the cereal's website carried the claims: 'Yummy Honey Goodness For A Monsterfied Breakfast... 20% More Honey'.

This idea that the cereal – which contains 8.6 grams of sugar per 30g serving – was full of goodness was backed up by claims that it was low in fat and salt and a good source of fibre, vitamins and iron.

The ruling came after a complaint by the Children's Food Campaign, which said there was no specific authorised health claim to back up the honey goodness line.

Halo Foods, which owns the Honey Monster brand, said it had increased the amount of honey in the cereal while reducing the amount of sugar as part of a re-launch.

It said the website and the cereal's packaging provided detailed information about the ingredients and the company was 'transparent' about the sugar content of the product.

Halo Foods said it did not intend to make any specific health claims in association with honey and had therefore amended its website to remove any reference to the word goodness.

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As recently as two years ago, the official advice was that fat is bad for you and carbohydrates (such as sugar) are good for you.  The advice now is the exact reverse of that.  It must set heads spinning for anybody who tries to do the right thing  -- including the firm above.

Must not refer to African Americans in woodpiles

Older people must learn that the normal expressions of their youth are now WRONG!

A deputy mayor is at the centre of a 'racism' storm after comparing flood prevention action to a 'n***** in a woodpile' at a council meeting.

Conservative councillor Michael Thierry used the term during a discussion at Ringwood Town Council in Hampshire, about clearing ditches to help alleviate problems with flooding.

But after making the remark, he caused fellow councillors to gasp and mutter before adding: 'My apologies to everybody concerned. It was not intentional.

Following the meeting, Ringwood mayor Councillor Barbara Woodifield said she and her fellow councillors were 'appalled' by the comment and admitted she had spoken to Councillor Thierry about the incident.

She said: 'It is extremely regrettable that Councillor Thierry made such a comment and it in no way reflects any of the opinions and views of Ringwood Town Council, its councillors or its staff.

'That said, Councillor Thierry is most contrite and has apologised unreservedly for any upset caused to those present and those people who will now read this article - it was an uncharacteristic ill-thought-out comment rather than any malicious intent.'

The phrase is a dated figure of speech or metaphor used to describe a hidden fact or problem.  It originated in the American deep south in the mid-19th century and was used to describe fugitive slaves who hid in piles of firewood as they fled north to Canada.

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Must not joke about Scottish independence

There was such an outpouring of hate for England in the run-up to the recent referendum on Scottish independence that it is no wonder some English people are inclined to give a bit of it back

Television personality Katie Hopkins has been branded 'vile' and a racist after she posted a joke about Scotland sending a patient with Ebola to an English hospital for treatment.

A female nurse who had been treating patients for the deadly disease in Sierra Leone, was transferred from her home town of Glasgow to London for treatment after she tested positive for the disease.

But after news of her condition spread, the former Apprentice contestant took to Twitter to make jibes about Scottish independence because the woman is being treated in London.

Hopkins wrote: 'Glaswegian ebola patient moved to London's Royal Free Hospital. Not so independent when it matters most are we jocksville?'

She added: 'Little sweaty jocks, sending us Ebola bombs in the form of sweaty Glaswegians just isn't cricket.'

Her remarks caused outrage on Twitter, with one user asking 'just how long can you stoop?' Others accused her of political point scoring.

Piers Morgan branded her a 'repulsive creature.'

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Must not say fatties are unhealthy


The disgruntled fatty. Fat is clearly not her only problem

Katie Hopkins has been shopped to the police for hate crimes against overweight people. The controversial TV star was reported by a woman belonging to a 'fat activist' group during filming for her new programme on TLC, in which she gains and loses three stone in six months.

Katie was accused of the crime when she met up with the group of five women in London who all work independently as plus-size activists or diet bloggers, so that she could hear opposing views on her claims that 'fat people are lazy'.

Ms Szrodecki began to get upset after Katie questioned how she could be healthy because of the weight she was carrying.

The former Apprentice contestant told her: 'I’m looking at you and I’m making an assessment that it is not healthy to carry that much weight on your knees.'

Katie then turns her attention to another member of the group and asks her: 'Can I ask you something? And you, and you can answer it honestly, or not answer it at all, is why are you big?'

The woman replies: 'Because I eat too much.'

Ms Szrodecki then interjects and says to Katie: 'Do you not realise where you’re going with this? This is actually to do with a hate crime.'

Katie then laughs and replies: 'You’re a victim of hate crime?'

Ms Szrodecki says: 'Absolutely. And can we call the police?'

Katie then tells her: 'Do call the police, there’s a telephone right there, feel free.

'Would you like it brought to you? Because it’s probably going to be hard to walk there.'

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