Furore over 'sexist, racist'  DVD cover of Australian movie



The imminent DVD release of The Sapphires in the United States has prompted a social media backlash, with campaigners in Australia and America claiming the cover art is sexist and racist.

Home entertainment distributor Anchor Bay plans to release the homegrown hit in the US next week, but has chosen to downplay the significance of the four Aboriginal women at the heart of the story in favour of Irish actor Chris O'Dowd, who plays the drifter who becomes their manager.

O'Dowd's image is front and centre, in full colour, while the [black] women - played by Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens and Miranda Tapsell - provide a muted blue-toned backdrop.

The post was read by 24-year-old Melbourne climate change activist Lucy Manne, who started a petition on change.org to try to convince Anchor Bay to change the artwork.

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British treasurer accused of 'patronising' stay-at-home mothers

Calling traditional mothering a "lifestyle choice" does seem pretty derogatory.  It is in fact a calling that many women wish they could respond to.  The British government, however, wants all mothers working so it can tax them.  Somebody has got to pay for all those useless bureaucrats!

George Osborne has been accused of "patronising" stay-at-home mothers after saying that they have made a "lifestyle choice" and should not receive childcare vouchers.

The Chancellor today unveiled a scheme to encourage women back into the workplace by handing up to £1,200 of taxpayer-funded childcare for each child to families where both parents have a job.

He said that he had "huge respect" for stay-at-home mothers and said that the government will "help" their families by introducing tax breaks for married couples.

However Laura Perrins, a stay-at-home mother who took on the Deputy Prime Minister during a radio phone earlier this year, said that the reported £120 tax breaks were "pathetic" compared to the value of childcare vouchers.

She said: "Saying stay-at-home mothers have made a lifestyle choice is pejorative and patronising. They are contributing to the economy, to society, to everything. Staying at home is not a luxury, it's not a hobby. Women who chose to stay at home make huge sacrifices.

"The married tax allowance is something we have been calling for but their version is pretty pathetic when compared to the childcare vouchers. We pay disproportionately more tax. They [the government] are socially engineering it, they think that stay at home mothers are not conforming to what they want."

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Veteran fights battle to fly U.S., Marine Corps flags

A combat veteran is in a battle over a patriotic display outside his home.   Former Marine Captain Jim Lowe tells FOX 5 the management at his community is trying to force him to take down either his U.S. flag, or his Marine Corps. colors.

Lowe, a decorated veteran, says he's been flying the U.S. flag along with the Marine Corps. colors for more than two years.  But now, he says his Sun City community's management is asking him to take one of them down.  If he doesn't, he says they've threatened to fine he and his wife $25 per day, as well as other possible legal action.

The community's codes and covenants clearly state that only one flag can be flown per house.  Lowe maintains the Marine Corps colors is not a flag. 

"I don't consider it a flag," he told FOX 5.  "Most people don't.  You talk to any Marine.  Those are the colors.  That is the flag."

Lowe says he has sent a letter to management asking them to retract the violation notice, but he has not received a reply yet.  FOX 5 tried to contact the community's management group, but they have not responded yet.

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You would think the rules could be bent a little for someone who has risked his life fighting for your safety.

Seattle officials call for ban on 'potentially offensive' language

Perhaps we should remember that Seattle is the city that restricts snow removal to protect the sea from too much salt!

Government workers in the city of Seattle have been advised that the terms "citizen" and "brown bag" are potentially offensive and may no longer be used in official documents and discussions.

KOMO-TV reports that the city's Office of Civil Rights instructed city workers in a recent internal memo to avoid using the words because some may find them offensive.

In an interview with Seattle's KIRO Radio, Bronstein said the term "brown bag" has been used historically as a way to judge skin color.  "For a lot of particularly African-American community members, the phrase brown bag does bring up associations with the past when a brown bag was actually used, I understand, to determine if people's skin color was light enough to allow admission to an event or to come into a party that was being held in a private home," Bronstein said.

According to the memo, city employees should use the terms "lunch-and-learn" or "sack lunch" instead of "brown bag."

Bronstein told KIRO Radio the word "citizen" should be avoided because many people who live in Seattle are residents, not citizens. "They are legal residents of the United States and they are residents of Seattle. They pay taxes and if we use a term like citizens in common use, then it doesn't include a lot of folks," Bronstein said.

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Boss of multi-million pound vegetable wholesaler thought it was 'entirely acceptable' for her staff to call black worker 'golliwog Brian'

Banter was once common in the British workplace but it is risky these days

The owner of a multi-million pound firm failed to stop her staff calling another employee 'golliwog Brian' because she did not think there was anything wrong with the nickname.

Amanda Miles, 40, 'tolerated a culture of racism' at her fruit and vegetable wholesaler, an employment tribunal found.

Brian Ennis was given the nickname and also called 'black Brian' to distinguish him from a white worker with the same first name, the wholesaler admitted.

Another black worker, a delivery driver who was so upset by the racist behaviour that he quit, has been awarded £27,000 in compensation after a panel ruled that having to listen to racist nicknames had 'violated his dignity'.

Roy Morgan told Bristol Employment Tribunal that a colleague ordered him to 'stop speaking that jungle talk' as he chatted to another driver in patois.

And bosses at the firm did not discipline a white driver who said that 'black people should be burnt at the stake like Jews', despite a complaint from an employee with Jewish heritage.

The tribunal awarded Mr Morgan £13,427 in 2011 for racial harassment and recently ruled he should receive a further £14,286 for lost earnings from constructive dismissal.

But Mr Morgan is unlikely to see a penny of his award because the firm has recently gone into administration.

The drivers earned about £300 per week and swearing was common in the warehouse, the tribunal heard.

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Racist to dislike black music?

A popular music band called "The Postal Service" offers generally fairly mellow music.  At a recent concert, however, their appearance was preceded by an opening act offering a very different type of music from a black performer.  Many concert goers did not like the opening act, feeling that it was not what they had paid to hear.  Because the opening act was by a black, however, such objections were said to be "racism"

“An actual twerk team is opening for The Postal Service.  I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Why in the hell is Big Freedia opening for Postal Service?  What, are you’re gonna bounce/twerk your ass, then guilty cry about it afterward?”

Well, crying to the Postal Service is for teenagers a decade ago.  But these are just a few of many tweets from fans at a handful of recent Postal Service concerts who told the world they were “so confused,” and in many cases pretty displeased, by the opening act, sissy bounce artist Big Freedia. For some reason, audience members reacted as if they had no advance knowledge of who would be playing, and attendees in Vancouver, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and especially Seattle thought perhaps they’d been “pranked” by the unlikely pairing of hypersexual New Orleans dance-rap with the light-synthy lily-white lullabies of the Postal Service.  The presence of Big Freedia and her dancers was said to be “inexplicable,” “awkward” and the result of a decision made by someone “on crack.”

A fan in L.A. wondered if the main act was “trolling hipsters” — the same question posed by Uproxx, in a post headlined in part, “Exceedingly White Postal Service Fans Are Confused.”  Uproxx picked up the story from the Seattle Times, where blogger Andrew Matson reported,  “In the normally neutral space of KeyArena, audience members were irritated, seemed to be uncomfortable with Freedia’s brand of sexual expression and questioned whether the performance was ‘real music.’”

Most people, including most Postal Service fans, are familiar with bounce sounds from crossover hits like Juvenile’s 1999 No. 1 “Back That Azz Up” or Beyoncé’s 2007 “Get Me Bodied.”  But still reaction to Big Freedia’s set spiraled from baffled to outright racist: The show was said to be “ghetto” and “hoodrat,” while multiple pissed attendees echoed Twitter user @vangrafics: “I thought that I came for The Postal Service, and not a twerk show.”

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Big Freedia, the sullen black that the concert-goers did NOT want to hear

Jewish campaigners call for end to controversial German pulp magazine that 'glorifies Nazi SS butchers'

War comics are  mostly for kids and kids want drama and heroics, not moralizing.  If you want to moralize there is fault on both sides.  Should American war comics agonise about the terror-bombing of Dresden and Hamburg?



Jewish campaigners are demanding a German pulp magazine be shut down for glorifying Nazi soldiers in World War II.  Der Landser - translated literally as The Squaddie - is a small magazine published by the giant Bauer media group whose pages are filled with stories of derring-do, glory and chivalry.

But those it praises are foot soldiers in either the Wehrmacht - the Germany army during the Second World War which facilitated in numerous massacres of civilians - or the soldiers of the Waffen S.S.  The Waffen S.S were seen as one of the main perpetrators of the Holocaust.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Los Angeles, named after the death camp survivor who devoted his life after the war to bringing Nazi killers to justice, said it is time to call time on Der Landser.  It called on the German government to shut the publication down.

Distributors for the magazine in Germany said they have no plans to halt production but the country's interior ministry, mindful of the harm done to Germany's image abroad through such works, has promised a full probe which will seek ways to possibly shut it down.

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German forces in fact had many great victories in WWII, victories of a magnitude that any nation would celebrate and remember.  The campaigns by von Manstein, in particular,  are still treated with awe in military staff colleges worldwide. Germany was crushed by weight of numbers, not by superior military skill.


Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein

Must not mention that basketballers are mostly black

The term "kushim" refers to the biblical land of Kush, which is today's Sudan and southern Egypt.  So it is a reasonably accurate reference to blacks.  So whether it is derogatory or not depends on what you think of blacks.  There are quite a lot of East Africans in Israel, either as illegal immigrants or as fake-Jews, and it is fair to say that most Israelis don't think much of them  -- for the usual reasons:  welfare dependency, criminality etc.

Israel's newly elected chief rabbi has provoked fury after he was accused of making racist remarks about professional basketball players.

David Lau, who is one of two men who serve as spiritual authorities for Israelis - made the apparent racist remark while addressing a group of ultra-orthodox yeshiva students.

During a speech, Lau made reference to young people watching basketball on television in public rather than spending time studying the Torah.

As reported by the Huffington Post, he said: 'Why do you care whether these [k]ushim  who are paid in Tel Aviv beat the kushim who are paid in Greece?"

The word kushim is a derogatory Hebrew term for black people.

The comment angered members of the Israeli parliament with some calling for Lau to apologise.

Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, Labor party representative Nachman Shai said the comment stands in contrast to the remarks made earlier this week by Pope Francis in reference to not judging gay people.

Basketball is extremely popular in Israel and is a strong source of national pride.  Amare Stoudemire of the New York Nicks was recently invited by President Shimon Peres to play for Israel's national team.

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Must not imitate Stevie Wonder

A Greek female pop star has courted controversy by appearing on a popular TV show as Stevie Wonder - blacked up and pretending to be blind.

The bizarre performance came on Your Face Sounds Familiar, a talent show which is similar to the British programme Stars In Their Eyes.

Singer Mando performed a rendition of Part-Time Lover, and dressed up as the blind African-American star to do so.

Your Face Sounds Familiar is an international franchise which originated in Spain and is currently showing in Britain on ITV.

The Greek version was broadcast on channel ANT1 earlier this year, with all the contestants being national celebrities.

Each week, every celebrity was assigned a star to impersonate, with the audience and judges voting on a winner.

One week Mando, a 47-year-old singer who has had five gold records, was assigned Wonder's Part-Time Lover.

When she emerged from backstage, she had blacked up her face and hands and was wearing a false moustache.

She was obviously pretending to be blind, as a production assistant rushed out and helped her down the stairs, then led her to her piano.

Although the audience continued to cheer and applaud during Mando's entrance, the judges looked taken aback by her surreal get-up.

Viewers apparently did not object to Mando's offensive outfit, as she was voted the winner of that week's contest.

But web users have since spoken out against the bizarre episode, taking to Twitter to voice their shock.

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San Antonio Considers Prohibiting City Workers from Expressing Bias Against Bisexuals

Unconstitutional but the pro-homosexual religion is compelling.  Being pro-queer is the Leftist version of righteousness

The San Antonio City Council is considering an ordinance that would ban anyone who speaks out against homosexuality based on their moral beliefs from being hired as a city employee or government contractor, including businesses owned by Christians.

The draft ordinance seeks to amend San Antonio’s Non-Discrimination Policy, which is based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Voting Act of 1964. (See SA-Ordinance.pdf)

According to the proposed ordinance: “No person shall be appointed to a position if the City Council finds that such a person has, prior to such proposed appointment, engaged in discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any persons, group or organization on the basis of race, color, religion,, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age or disability."

“Violation of this standard shall be considered malfeasance in office, and the City Council shall be authorized to take action as provided by law to remove the offending person from office,” the ordinance states.

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Arrested for a tattoo



A man who allegedly revealed his tattoo of a mosque being blown up at an English Defence League rally in Birmingham has been arrested.  Sean Reah, of South Shields, South Tyneside, has been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

The 39-year-old was reportedly recently pictured lifting up his T-shirt to reveal an image of a Muslim place of worship with 'BOOM!' displayed across it.

The picture was taken during a demonstration organised by the English Defense League in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, July 20.

A spokesman for West Midlands police said: 'A 39-year-old man has been arrested in South Tyneside on behalf of West Midlands Police on suspicion of using words or behavior, or displaying written material with intent to stir up racial hatred.'

The image sparked outrage after it was posted online.  It was taken at a demonstration in Birmingham, according to The Sun, where police made 20 arrests after officers came under attack on Saturday.

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Much of the violence at the event came from Leftist counter-demonstrators

Must not praise a woman's bottom

The Government has again attacked the BBC for sexist sports coverage after presenter Colin Murray said Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill had the ultimate bottom.

A capacity crowd at the Olympic Stadium were left shocked by Murray's comments just weeks after John Inverdale said Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli 'was never going to be a looker'.

Colin Murray had been given the job of geeing up the crowd at the Anniversary Games in the Olympic Stadium.

The 36-year-old told the 80,000 people there that the ultimate athlete would have: 'The stamina of Mo (Farah), the speed of (Usain) Bolt, the leap of (Greg) Rutherford and the bottom of Jess Ennis'.

Although his comments were not broadcast it led to a row on Twitter where the Northern Irish presenter was accused of sexism and living in the 1950s.

Ian Jackson wrote: 'Sexism in sport alive & well. Apparently Jess Ennis just has good bum. Shame on Colin Murray.'

Julie Haigh tweeted: 'Boys get their skills mentioned, but @J_Ennis has her bum mentioned. In the 50s are we?'

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When men stop liking the way women look, that will be the end of the human race.  But I suppose some Leftist haters would like that.

British soccer club issues staff with list of 'unacceptable' words banned by club as it cracks down on discrimination



Liverpool have issued their staff with a list of "unacceptable" words and phrases as the club begins a comprehensive crackdown on discrimination in the workplace.

The list, leaked on Twitter, was handed to all full-time and casual members of staff with public-facing jobs at the football club on match days and during the week.

Liverpool's players have not been given the list, however, as they are provided with their own guidelines by the Premier League.

Included in the list, along with highly-offensive racial and sexual slurs, are phrases such as "man up" and "play like a girl".

The club's social inclusion officer, Rishi Jain, said: "As part of the club's continued commitment to tackle all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting its approach to equality and diversity, Liverpool FC has been actively engaged in a full club-wide education and awareness programme.

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A useful guide to contemptuous language. I can think of some choice ones they have left out though ...

Facebook does not consider the 'Lee Rigby deserved it' page 'hate speech'

Twitter is abuzz today over an offensive Facebook page titled, "Lee Rigby deserved it." Lee Rigby, who had served in the British Army for seven years, was brutally killed on May 22 in south-east London by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who ran the soldier down on the street and butchered him with a meat cleaver, attempted to decapitate him, while screaming "Allahu Akbar."

Rigby left behind a wife and young son. Many on the extreme left, such as the group, Unite Against Fascism (UAF), have sickeningly justified the attack, or at least diminished it. Last month, UAF members threw flowers which had been placed at a memorial for the slain soldier.

The Facebook page certainly falls into this category. The author declares: "He [Rigby] killed many people as a soldier directly or indirectly by supporting the Royal British Army, he deserved it. Great Britain is racist."

In a post today, the author of the page says in part: "Go away with your backward ideology, the troops of Great Britain are nothing but scum, they are the TOOL of your racist fascist government, which are used to massacre innocent babies, women, and men, every day, for the past 10 years..."

After numerous members of Twitter reported the page as offensive hate speech, Facebook responded with a message saying in part,

"We reviewed the page you reported for containing hate speech or symbols and found it doesn't violate our community standards on hate speech."

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By contrast,  blocking  a Christian movie is rapid.  And don't dare use words like "chigger" and "niggardly".

British man faces jail for calling Hove MP Mike Weatherley 'coward'

A university lecturer could be sent to prison for calling a city MP a “coward”.  Alex Cline faces a two-day trial after a court heard Hove MP Mike Weatherley complained to police about the name-calling in November.

The incident took place during a protest at the University of Sussex.  At the time, Mr Weatherley complained he and his staff had been pelted with rocks by “anarchists” before a planned debate on anti-squatting laws.

But during yesterday's hearing, Brighton Magistrates Court heard the only person charged with any offence was Mr Cline, for calling the MP a “coward”.

The 25-year-old faces one count of 'using threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress'.  He could be handed a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment, a fine of £5,000 or both.

Mr Cline denies harassing the MP or causing him alarm and distress.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Cline's solicitor Lydia Dagostino said: “Mr Weatherley has probably been called worse in the Houses of Parliament.  “We'll be vigorously defending this case and the defendant's right to free speech.

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Democracy versus the ACLU

A Tennessee courthouse this week unveiled the first of four “In God We Trust” signs, and one local pastor isn’t worried about what atheists think because Christians “have a right to the democratic process and majority rule.”

Earlier this year, the Anderson County Commission voted to put the county’s motto, “In God We Trust,” on the outside of the county courthouse, even though the move have been criticized by the Tennessee chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

“People of all faiths, as well as non-believers, should feel welcome in their government buildings,” ACLU-Tennessee Executive Director Hedy Weinberg said in a statement at the time. “The County Commission should focus on doing real work that represents the interests of all residents, not sowing the seeds of religious divisiveness in the community by challenging the fundamental founding principle that government must remain neutral when it comes to matters of faith.”

But during a February commissioners meeting, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank’s husband, Lee Frank, echoed the views of many who dismissed concerns about the signs, saying, “We don’t need to deal with that ACLU crap here.”

And on Tuesday, the first of four signs was unveiled on the exterior of the courthouse. Each granite plaque weighs 170 pounds and has the words “In God We Trust” in gold leaf lettering.

About 175 people were on hand to celebrate the unveiling.

“Whether you agree with this or disagree with this, the democratic process took place,” Clinton Baptist Association Director of Missions Tom Byrge told Oak Ridge Today in a report published on Wednesday. “The majority of the U.S. citizens will continue to believe, and will not be ashamed to say, ‘In God We Trust.’”

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Must not tell illegals to go home?

British Liberals heart illegal immigrants. Vince Cable is a prominent British Liberal



Vince Cable today attacked Tory colleagues for launching a 'stupid and offensive' crackdown on illegal immigrants and accused them of being obsessed with migration figures.

The Business Secretary said Immigration Minister Mark Harper's decision to send vans bearing the message 'go home, or you'll be picked up and deported' round London was designed to create fear among the public.

He rubbished 'misleading' targets to reduce net migration and insisted Britain did not have a 'vast problem' with illegal immigrants.

Mr Cable told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show the Liberal Democrats had not been consulted about the van campaign.  'It was stupid and offensive. I think it is very unlikely it will continue,' he said.

He questioned whether illegal immigrants would have enough of a 'sophisticated grasp of English' to be able to read the posters on the vans at a distance.

'I think it is offensive. It is designed, apparently, to sort of create a sense of fear (in the) British population that we have a vast problem with illegal immigration.

'We have a problem but it's not a vast one. It's got to be dealt with in a measured way dealing with the underlying causes.'

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Must not abbreviate "Pakistani" in Britain

STEVE Elkington became the latest Australian sports figure to be at the centre of a racism row when the golfer insisted Saturday he'd no idea 'Pakki' was an abusive term as he apologised for offensive Twitter messages.

The 1995 US PGA champion is competing at the Senior British Open at the Royal Birkdale course in Southport, a coastal town near Liverpool in north-west England.

But Southport, often considered 'posh' in relation to Liverpool, many of its inhabitants and indeed the local cuisine all failed to meet with the 50-year-old Elkington's approval.

"Couple caddies got rolled by some Pakkis (Pakistanis), bad night for them'', Elkington posted Saturday.

This followed a Twitter post on Friday in which Elkington said: "Things about Southport -- fat tattooed guy, fat tattooed girl, trash, Pakistani robber guy, shit food.''

A statement in Elkington's name was issued 20 minutes after he teed off in a third round where he shot a one-over par 71 on Saturday in which the golfer explained he had no idea 'Pakki', more commonly spelt as 'Paki' and long regarded in Britain as a highly offensive term, was an objectionable word.

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Sexism storm as Lord Coe says women teachers can't do PE lessons because they lack confidence

Lord Coe is Sebastian Coe, a former British Olympic runner

Lord Coe was plunged into a sexism row last night after saying that most women teachers lack the confidence to take PE lessons in primary schools.

The former London 2012 chairman blamed their failings on training colleges that offer only six to ten hours of sports tuition over two years.

Although he was simply highlighting research carried out by a sports charity, his comments drew an angry backlash.

‘It is entirely unacceptable to be peddling such sexist nonsense,’ said Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers.

‘I’m sure Jessica Ennis and all those other female Olympians would be outraged by such views. To imply that female primary school teachers don’t have as much ability as men to teach sport isn’t right.’

But Lord Coe, the Government’s Olympic legacy ambassador, insisted it was not a question of ability, but one of training.  ‘I was shocked by how little they get,’ he said.

‘Eight out of ten teachers in primary schools are women. And this is not remotely pejorative but I think that something like 80 per cent of them said they just did not feel confident taking physical education.

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Expecting feminists to listen to what he actually said was  obviously too much

Feds tell Web firms to turn over user account passwords

The U.S. government has demanded that major Internet companies divulge users' stored passwords, according to two industry sources familiar with these orders, which represent an escalation in surveillance techniques that has not previously been disclosed.

If the government is able to determine a person's password, which is typically stored in encrypted form, the credential could be used to log in to an account to peruse confidential correspondence or even impersonate the user. Obtaining it also would aid in deciphering encrypted devices in situations where passwords are reused.

"I've certainly seen them ask for passwords," said one Internet industry source who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We push back."

A second person who has worked at a large Silicon Valley company confirmed that it received legal requests from the federal government for stored passwords. Companies "really heavily scrutinize" these requests, the person said. "There's a lot of 'over my dead body.'"

A Microsoft spokesperson would not say whether the company has received such requests from the government. But when asked whether Microsoft would divulge passwords, salts, or algorithms, the spokesperson replied: "No, we don't, and we can't see a circumstance in which we would provide it."

Apple, Facebook, AOL, Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast did not respond to queries about whether they have received requests for users' passwords and how they would respond to them.

Some details remain unclear, including when the requests began and whether the government demands are always targeted at individuals or seek entire password database dumps. The Patriot Act has been used to demand entire database dumps of phone call logs, and critics have suggested its use is broader. "The authority of the government is essentially limitless" under that law, Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who serves on the Senate Intelligence committee, said at a Washington event this week.

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If the government can read what you say even in a private email, that would have an immensely chilling effect on speech.  Orwellian.

Military Chaplain in Trouble for Offending Atheists

A chaplain at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska was ordered to remove a religious column he had written titled, “No Atheists in Foxholes: Chaplains Gave all in World War II,” because it allegedly offended atheists serving on the Air Force base.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes confirmed to Fox News that he wrote the original essay that appeared in his “Chaplain’s Corner” column on the base website.

Reyes recounted the origin of the phrase “There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.” Father William Cummings has largely been credited with uttering the phrase in Bataan during World War II.

President Eisenhower referenced the phrase during a speech to the American Legion in 1954, noting “I am delighted that our veterans are sponsoring a movement to increase our awareness of God in our daily lives. In battle, they learned a great truth that there are no atheists in the foxholes.”

Reyes ended his essay with a reflection on faith.

“Everyone expresses some form of faith every day, whether it is religious or secular,” he wrote. “Some express faith by believing when they get up in the morning they will arrive at work in one piece, thankful they have been given another opportunity to enjoy the majesty of the day, or express relief the doctor’s results were negative.”

Reyes did not attack or insult atheists or non-believers in his column.

However, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation accused Reyes of going on an “anti-secular diatribe” and publicly denigrating “those without religion.”

The Air Force agreed and approximately five hours after the MRFF complained, they removed the chaplain’s essay.

Duffy did not respond to an email requesting information on the specific Air Force policies that the chaplain's essay violated. Ironically, the Air Force left six complaints about the essay on their website.

Crews said the incident is yet another example of chaplains facing attacks for expressing their religious beliefs.

“Chaplains have religious liberty as well to speak to issues,” he told Fox News. “Mr. Weinstein appears to want to silence any speech of faith in the military. It is a sad day for the Air Force and for our country when officers obey every command from Weinstein to silence even chaplains from talking about their faith.”

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Is it a "shit-pile" to mention the high rate of crime among young black males?

"Gawker" is a Leftist gossip site but they run a variety of media commentary and seem to make a profit doing so.  Leftist capitalism! 

They got their knickers in a knot over a recent column by V.D. Hanson in which Hanson referred to the danger of being victimized by black crime.  They excerpt what Hanson said and then give their sophisticated, intellectual evaluation of it [/sarcasm]:

Hanson writes that his Democrat father warned him to be cautious of "a group of black youths" in San Francisco because that demographic was more dangerous:

The advice was not about race per se, but instead about the tendency of males of one particular age and race to commit an inordinate amount of violent crime.

It was after some first-hand episodes with young African-American males that I offered a similar lecture to my own son. The advice was born out of experience rather than subjective stereotyping. When I was a graduate student living in East Palo Alto, two adult black males once tried to break through the door of my apartment — while I was in it. On a second occasion, four black males attempted to steal my bicycle — while I was on it. I could cite three more examples that more or less conform to the same apprehensions once expressed by a younger Jesse Jackson. Regrettably, I expect that my son already has his own warnings prepared to pass on to his own future children.

That may not even be the worst part of the column, though we won't spoil the patently offensive kicker.

All together, it's quite a shit-pile. 

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It would appear, however, that even Gawker were eventually embarrassed by their inability to rise above mere abuse. The last sentence above has now been deleted!

Australia: Woman charged over anti-Islam stickers

"One Nation" is an anti-immgrant political party

A 26-year-old Kingston woman will appear in court on Friday charged over an anti-Islam sticker scandal that has embroiled One Nation's Fairfax candidate and lead to scathing criticism from the state government.

Earlier this month, a jar of coffee with its seal broken was allegedly found at a Woolworths supermarket at Underwood, south of Brisbane, featuring a sticker stating "Beware! Halal food funds terrorists".

The stickers can be purchased from Restore Australia, whose chief executive officer is One Nation candidate Mike Holt.

The Queensland One Nation candidate remains unapologetic for selling the stickers.

But Queensland Multicultural Affairs Minister Glen Elmes on Thursday condemned the merchandise as “offensive, grotesque and designed to inflame hatred”.

Mr Elmes said the candidate ran a racist website through which people were encouraged to purchase the stickers carrying the slogan and put them on food products in supermarkets.  Doing so wasn’t “just racial discrimination”, Mr Elmes said, it was also vandalism.

“The full force of the law should be brought down on anyone found to be vandalising supermarket property and promoting racial discrimination through using the stickers,” he said.

Mr Holt has been selling an array of merchandise through his website, Restore Australia, for two months.  But the Sunshine Coast politician denies he is inflaming racist sentiments.

"I am not perpetuating anything, anti-Muslim sentiment is real," he said.

"I wanted to raise awareness that people buy all this food in good faith and they are not being told almost everything has a Halal tax which goes to Muslim organisations."

It emerged Mr Holt was selling the merchandise when a 26-year-old woman was charged on Wednesday.

Mr Holt said he knew of the woman, a follower of Restore Australia, but did not condone her alleged actions.

The One Nation candidate, who is married to a Thai woman, denied he was racist.

"Of course I’m not racist, how can you be racist against a religion," he said.

SOURCE

Putting the stickers on supermarket goods is clearly a step too far but other usages are just another form of speech

Adult student censured for being 'Hot for teacher'

A university student suspended for writing an essay called "Hot for Teacher" has no First Amendment right to express his sexual attraction to his instructor, a judge said.

Joseph Corlett's lawsuit was dismissed by US District Judge Patrick Duggan, who ruled in favour of Oakland University in suburban Detroit.

When Corlett referred to his teacher as "'stacked' and graphically compared her to a sitcom character he fetishised in a writing assignment, he brought a pig into the parlor," Judge Duggan said.

"Such expressions, while possibly appropriate in some settings, need not be tolerated by university officials," the Judge said.

Corlett, 57, was suspended in 2012 after writing about his writing instructor. He compared her to the sexy starlet Ginger from the 1960s TV series, Gilligan's Island and described her as "tall, blonde, stacked," among other things.

"Kee-Rist, I'll never learn a thing. … I'll search for something unattractive about her. No luck yet," Corlett wrote.

He titled his essay Hot for Teacher, the name of a Van Halen song. Corlett said students in the English 380 class were told to write honestly and that no topic was off limits.

Source

I think the judge in the matter pulled his verdict out of his ass. Where in the 1st amendment did he find that the student had "no  right to express his sexual attraction"?

Are Facebook just thick?

It started yesterday, when SF author Michael Z Williamson was blocked by Facebook for 12 hours for using the word “chigger” in a post.  When his twelve hours were up — following massive derision against Facebook by all his friends — his block expired. He was promptly blocked again.

I wrote the FB press address asking the following:

[Press contact], it appears Williamson has been blocked *again* for using the word “chigger”. I continue to be interested in this and expect to go to press with it tomorrow. I’d very much like to have Facebook’s response. I’d also like to ask

1. Is saying “chigger” really more offensive than the “Kill Zimmerman” page that Facebook refuses to remove?  See this facebook search: https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Kill%20Zimmerman/pages-named

2. Is “chigger” really more offensive than the multiple uses of the ”n-word”? https://www.facebook.com/search/str/nigger/pages-named

3. What is Facebook’s procedure for dealing with reports of abuse? Are the people responding to the reports fluent English speakers in the case of reported pages in English?

Facebook responded to me as follows:

Mr. Williamson’s post was removed in error and once we were alerted of the mistake we worked quickly to rectify the situation. As our team processes more than one million reports each week, we occasionally make a mistake. We worked to rectify the error as soon as we were notified. We apologize for the inconvenience caused due to the removal of this content, and we have already taken steps to prevent this from happening in the future. Additionally, we have removed any blocks on associated accounts.

Williamson says:

I’m glad they were able to resolve it on review. They unbanned me two hours early.

But wait, there’s more. Erin Palette was also blocked this morning, after Facebook responded to me, for the following bit of doggerel (reconstructed by Palette from memory, since Facebook of course removed it):

“I was once niggardly with a jigger full of chiggers. Tigger wanted that jigger with a vigor, but I refused. A Tigger with a jigger full of chiggers is a digger with rigor.” Something like that.  Basically, all the silly words I could think of that rhymed with chigger.

Palette comments:

English, Facebook, do you speak it? “Niggardly” is not a racist word, as a brief Googleing would indicate. Kindly grow a sense of humor along with a larger vocabulary.

Source

Chiggers are a tiny mite with an irritating bite.

'Hitler did not kill enough' Gypsies

Mentioning Hitler was egregious but Gypsies are a plague on any community where they are found so the anger is understandable

 France's interior minister has called for a lawmaker to be "severely punished" after a journalist recorded him allegedly saying that Hitler may not have killed enough Roma.

Gilles Bourdouleix, a lawmaker and mayor of the western town of Cholet, reportedly muttered the words on Sunday as he confronted members of the travelling community who had illegally set up camp, according to a recording posted on the site of regional daily Courrier de l'Ouest.

"Maybe Hitler did not kill enough," Mr Bourdouleix is heard saying after the Roma had reportedly given him the Nazi salute.

Confrontations between French authorities and Roma - nomadic people widely known as gypsies who were killed in their hundreds of thousands by the Nazis - erupt frequently.

Source

FBI Counterterror Ads Censored in Seattle

The pro-Islamic Left are so powerful that they can censor even the FBI

The Rolling Stone cover photo of Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been the subject of countless news stories because people across the ideological spectrum have rightly objected to this magazine's glorification of the Islamist killer. But an even bigger scandal is unfolding in Seattle, Washington, as radical Muslims working with members of the Democratic Party and the ACLU have forced the FBI to take down bus ads depicting photos of 16 of the world's Most Wanted Terrorists because some people may perceive the jihadists to be Muslims.

These ads could save lives by leading to the capture of deadly and dangerous terrorists with ties to foreign terrorist organizations.
The FBI had pointed out that Seattle, the first city in the United States targeted for the campaign, had a population "that travels and has connections internationally, which makes it an effective area for the pilot program," according to a local story about the decision to drop the ads.

The dropping of the ads can only reduce the possibility of some of these global terrorists being brought to justice.

Never one to avoid a fight with the global jihad and its lackeys, Pamela Geller of the American Freedom Defense Initiative is calling attention to the FBI's decision to cancel the bus ads after radical Muslim groups and "the politicians in their pockets" objected. "Please help us stand against this politically correct madness," Geller said. Her American Freedom Defense Initiative is raising money to put the ads back up on the buses.

Source

In God We Trust, just don’t tell Holder’s Justice Department

A Young Marines program run by the Bossier Parish Sheriff in Louisiana was notified that they would be denied future federal support of their program due to the Sheriff’s refusal to sign a pledge to the federal government that he would bar prayer or mentions of God in the program.

The program which has been a local tool for helping at risk youth become successful, productive members of society will now have to replace the $30,000 grant through private donations.

One section of the program’s oath that offended the Holder Justice Department states, “From this day forward, I sincerely promise, I will set an example for all other youth to follow and I shall never do anything that would bring disgrace or dishonor upon God, my Country and its flag, my parents, myself or the Young Marines. These I will honor and respect in a manner that will reflect credit upon them and myself. Semper Fidelis.”

One can only imagine the reaction if the Bossier Parish Sheriff had shown the audacity of having Young Marines sing “God Bless America” or for that matter the fourth verse of the National Anthem which includes the following “offensive” words, “Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!  Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, And this be our motto: In God is our trust.”

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal argues that the Obama Administration attack on programs that mention God by withholding money that has our nation’s devotion to God emblazoned on it, is a wrongheaded view of our Constitution’s First Amendment.

Speaking about the issue at a Bossier Parish rally, Jindal explained, “The First Amendment guarantees us freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. It was written to protect people of faith from government officials, and we are going to hold on to that freedom.”

Incredibly, the DOJ made a choice based upon what was clearly a new interpretation of what was an appropriate theistic expression to punish at risk kids in Louisiana by taking away program funding.

Perhaps Congress which opens every session with a prayer, and uses taxpayer funds to pay a Chaplain for both the House and Senate will weigh into the debate on whether DOJ should deny at risk youth money or not.

In a town full of double speak, the debate from those supporting the DOJ position just might reach new heights in Capitol Hill hypocrisy.

Source

Femen Icon Sparks Twitter Outrage



Only two days after Femen movement leader Inna Shevchenko was chosen as one of the inspirations for France's new official stamp, the controversial Ukrainian activist, known for her topless protests has sparked an outcry on Twitter for a July 9 tweet where she slams the holy month of Ramadan and Islam.

On July 9, Shevchenko tweeted: "What can be more stupid than Ramadan? What can be more uglier than this religion?"

On July 16, as Shevchenko was being subjected to an onslaught of criticism from the Twitter community, the inflammatory tweet was deleted -- "by Mohamed or by mistake, that is the same," she joked on her Twitter account.

Pascal Boniface, director of the Institute of International Relations and Strategies, a French Think Tank, called the Femen's tweet racist and hypocritical.

Source

Islam is not a race.  French Think Tanks apparently not good at thinking.

Indonesian café owner sparks outrage after opening Nazi-themed restaurant complete with waiters dressed as SS officers

Indonesia is a Muslim country and "Mein Kampf" (Hitler's book) is a big seller in Muslim countries so this should not be a surprise

A restaurant owner in Indonesia whose Nazi-themed cafe is covered with Hitler memorabilia and staffed by waiters in Waffen-SS military uniforms is to be questioned by authorities.

Soldatenkaffee in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung has sparked outrage amongst tourists and locals for its red wall of Nazi-related memorabilia, including a large flag with swastika and a giant picture of Adolf Hitler.

Despite being open since April 2011, a recent article about its German fascist theme in a local English-language newspaper has prompted angry criticisms on social networking sites.

Now the deputy mayor of the popular tourist town has written to cafe owner Henry Mulyana summoning him to discuss his motives for opening the cafe and whether his objective was to incite racial hatred.

Mr Mulyana says he simply intended to attract business to his restaurant, and denies wanting to breed hatred.

He said: 'I'm just a businessman, not a politician.  'I have a right to design my restaurant with anything that attracts people to come. I'm sure that I'm not violating any laws.'

Source

If he were American, SCOTUS would probably judge the restaurateur as being within his rights

   
Why Did Facebook Block Christian Movie?

Attempts to block conservative and Christian messages are getting really chronic

It's something of a social networking mystery. Why did Facebook block Kirk Cameron's upcoming faith-based movie, "Unstoppable"?

Cameron announced on his fan page Thursday that Facebook had blocked fans from posting any links to the website promoting his film because the content was labeled "abusive and unsafe."

"We have been officially shut down by Facebook and unable to get any response from them," Cameron wrote on his personal Facebook fan page.

After Cameron alerted more than 500,000 Facebook fans of his predicament, the social networking site removed the block - without any explanation.

"Unstoppable," which is expected in theaters in the fall, aims to answer questions about suffering and recounts the personal experience of a Cameron friend whose son battled cancer.

The film's website does not contain any graphic photographs, video or profanity.  However, Cameron said he received a message from Facebook telling him the website's content was labeled as "abuse" and "unsafe."

Cameron told Fox News he learned of the block several days ago when he tried to post a link to his website and Facebook denied the request. Thinking it was a mistake, he tried it again.

"My web technician along with Sony Provident Films were trying as well on their Facebook pages but nobody could post the website address for my film," he said.

Cameron said they tried calling Facebook to find out why their content had been banned - but no one returned their calls. As a measure of last resort, he alerted more than 500,000 fans on his personal Facebook page.

Source

My guess is that to some people Cameron is known for only one thing:  He once criticized homosexuality.  That is now the unforgiveable sin and the sinner is automatically cast out from polite society.  Cameron's movie was judged by who he is, not what it is.

Must not use "Ethiopian" to mean "fast running"

Even though Ethiopians have a history of winning foot races.  Haile Gebrselassie, Abebe Bikila, Meskerem Legesse and Lelisa Desisa are some famed Ethiopian runners

The BBC was last night facing another sports commentary controversy after veteran golf commentator Ken Brown was accused of making a racist comment on the British Open.

As Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood prepared to start the 12th hole, Mr Brown – who represented Europe in the Ryder Cup five times during the 1970s and 1980s – said: ‘This fairway runs like an Ethiopian chicken... it just runs.’

Last night dozens of people took to Twitter to voice their disgust at the outburst.

The 56-year-old has worked for the BBC for 20 years since retiring from golf in his 30s. The BBC did not respond to  a request for comment.  A BBC spokesman said: 'Ken apologises for his comments and any offence caused.'

Source

Must not use Star of David as a symbol of Jewry

What else?

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist-activist non-profit, is known for going after perceived violations of the separation of church and state. This in mind, the organization has a new target: a Holocaust memorial.

The group is combating the inclusion of a Star of David in a proposed statehouse monument that is being planned in Ohio. Its leaders’ opposition to the religious symbol is rooted in the belief that it would violate the separation of church and state.

A press release published on the organization’s website notes that architect Daniel Libeskind purposefully included the star, while other designs that almost made the cut did not have any religious sentiment included; the group noted that it was possible to select an entirely non-religious option.

The organization contends that non-Jewish groups, including homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the disabled and others are left out by the inclusion of the star. In the end, though, the board approved the design on Thursday, despite the FFRF’s intense opposition.

Source

   
   

New Zealand cartoon accused of racism before Human Rights Commission



Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has questioned the high threshold for a finding of racism after newspaper cartoons about the Government's breakfast in schools programme created a storm of controversy.

The cartoons, by award-winning cartoonist Al Nisbet, were printed in The Marlborough Express yesterday and The Press today.

The Marlborough Express cartoon featured a group of adults dressed in school uniforms heading to school with bowls in hands. Among them were a man and woman who looked to be Maori or Pasifika.

The man says to the woman, who has a cigarette hanging from her mouth: "Psst. If we can get away with this, the more cash left for booze, smokes and pokies."

Devoy told reporters she had seen The Marlborough Express cartoon and found it offensive and appalling.

"It continues to stereotype certain populations, and it continues to stigmatise people who live in poverty, particularly children," she said.  The cartoons were stereotyping Polynesian people as spending their money on cigarettes and gambling, and "that is wrong".

The cartoons did not reach the level of racism within the commission's inquiries and complaints process. The threshold under the law was "very high" and was about inciting racial disharmony.

The Press editor Joanna Norris said the newspaper would not be apologising for a piece of comment that expressed a strong view.

Source

The cartoon was offensive because it was broadly accurate.  Maori do in general have poor delay of gratification and many (31%) depend on welfare payments. And they do have a lot of "parties" (drinking sessions). If the cartoon had portrayed Maori as rich bankers in top hats it would not have been offensive because it would not have been in any way accurate.

The cartoonist was actually using recognizable types in order to  criticize a government program  -- but the types were too recognizable, apparently

Mountain Dew Airs rather silly but allegedly Racist, Insensitive Ad



Mountain Dew has a bit of a publicity disaster on its hands after a highly controversial ad for the soft drink hit the internet this week. Many people are calling the commercial one of the most blatantly racist and insensitive commercials ever.

Mountain Dew, which is a PepsiCo. brand, hired hiphop star Tyler, The Creator to come up with an advertising idea for their campaign. The rapper is known for his off beat, highly provovative style, and it should come as no surprise that his foray into advertising would follow suit.

The commercial portrays a battered woman attempting to identify her assaulter (presumably her boyfriend) out of a lineup of stereotypically thuggish black men. A goat is in the middle of the lineup, and is threatening the woman not to snitch on him.

Some critics have already stepped forward to chastise the company for its blatant disregard for sensitive issues. Among other topics, the ad seems to make light over the serious issues of domestic abuse and racially biased incrimination.

Source

"Sexist"?  British politicians mock colleague's leopard-print outfit behind her back

Boisterous behaviour is traditional in the House of Commons



Senior Tory MPs mocked a former minister’s striking leopard-print outfit behind her back at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday.

Cheryl Gillan, the former  Welsh Secretary, was called to ask David Cameron about plans for the controversial HS2 high-speed rail line, which she bitterly opposes.

As she spoke, Keith Simpson, parliamentary aide to Foreign Secretary William Hague, was heard to make roaring noises while clawing the air like a big cat.

Former education minister Tim Loughton appeared to join in, prompting colleagues seated on adjacent benches to collapse in laughter.

Health Minister Anna Soubry was also seen scratching at the air, and Government whip Anne Milton joined in the merriment but then leant across to pat Mr Simpson on the arm and advise him to stop.

The joke appeared to be directed at Mrs Gillan’s choice of clothes, but also reflected colleagues’ boredom with her focus on the Government’s HS2 project. Since leaving the Cabinet in David Cameron’s last reshuffle, she has asked about little else.

Source

Australia: Man kicked off NT bus because his Victoria's Secret model singlet was too sexy



A YOUNG man has been refused passage on a Darwin bus because the driver deemed his singlet to be too racy.

Twenty-two year old Daniel Willis attempted to board a bus with his girlfriend on Sunday afternoon but the driver told him he would not let him on "because you can't get on with that singlet".

Mr Willis' tank top depicts a Victoria's Secret model posing in her underwear, which he bought from a surf shop in NSW.

"It's not offensive - I'm a real beachy person and it's just a print on the front of a beachy singlet," he said. "No one has ever said anything bad about it before.

"Victoria's Secret models are on television and (billboards) all the time. Maybe (the bus driver) is living a bit in the past. It's the 21st century and times have moved on."

In the end Mr Willis and his girlfriend were forced to walk to their destination.

SOURCE

hiatus

I have a heavy cold at the moment so don't feel up to blogging

Maybe back Friday

JR

Must not call a female stupid

Britain: William Hague was today forced to explain himself in the Commons after calling a Labour MP a ‘stupid woman’.  The Foreign Secretary insisted he had never intended to cause any offence after mouthing the words during Prime Minister’s Questions.

As Labour MP Cathy Jamieson asked David Cameron about donations to the Tory party, Mr Hague was seen on the frontbench muttering 'stupid woman, stupid woman'.

Labour's Fiona O'Donnell later called on Speaker John Bercow to ensure ‘there are lines which [MPs] do not cross’ and urged Mr Hague to ‘apologise to ensure that his reputation, but also the reputation of this place, is not damaged by such behaviour.’

In response Mr Hague said: ‘I mutter many things in this House. Others shout them rather louder than I do but I mutter many things under my breath and I never intend any offence to any other honourable members.’

However, Labour tried to capitalise on the row, accusing Mr Hague of being sexist.

Source

Doctors must use scientific language in talking to blacks

Too bad if blacks don't understand

A sports medicine doctor in Tennessee managed to be racist, sexist and condescending all at once, by giving a patient the diagnosis of 'ghetto booty.'

55-year-old Terry Ragland was experiencing some lower back pain, so she decided to get it checked out at Sports Orthopedics & Spine in Jackson, Tennessee - a clinic she had been to before when she had knee surgery.

After having x-rays taken, Dr. Timothy Sweo came in to tell Ragland his diagnosis.  'He said "I know what the problem is: It's ghetto booty"' Ragland told WREG.

He explained that he 'was trying to take a technical conversation regarding your lower back and make it less technical.'

But that comment only further enraged Ragland who felt that he was dumbing it down for her.  'It says to me that he doubts what type of intellect I have, how intelligent I am to be able to understand what he conveys to me in a medical term.'

He said he was trying to explain her condition - lumbar lordosis - which is the curve of the lower spine which makes the buttocks protrude more.

'In trying to explain that I said that she had ghetto booty and she didn't like that apparently. That was my attempt to explain why she had the back problem.'

Source

British movie attracts first ever complaint after claim classic film encourages viewers to play on train lines

For more than 40 years, families have gathered to watch movie classic The Railway Children, with adults trying to hide their tears at the heart-warming tale.

Now ratings body the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has received its first complaint about the U-rated movie.

But the moment which got the viewer steamed up was not when Jenny Agutter gasps ‘Daddy, my Daddy!’, prompting uncontrolled sobbing – it was the fear that the movie could encourage youngsters to play on railway lines.

But the BBFC, which has classified movies for a century, says the film illustrates the dangers clearly and is set in a very different time.

The 1970 film, which stars Miss Agutter, Bernard Cribbins and Dinah Sheridan, has been a festive favourite for many years and is widely regarded as one of British cinema’s treasures.

Based on the E Nesbit novel, it was filmed on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway – masquerading as the Great Northern and Southern Railway – and chronicles the adventures of three children forced to move from London to Yorkshire when their father is imprisoned after being falsely accused of selling state secrets.

The complaint about the footage is revealed in the BBFC’s annual report, which notes: ‘The correspondent was concerned that children may be encouraged to play on railway tracks as a result of seeing the film.

‘While aware of the real dangers of such behaviour, the BBFC judged that it was very unlikely that The Railway Children would promote such dangerous activity.

Source

Outspoken Italian senator

A senator from Italy's anti-immigration Northern League has come under fire for saying Cecile Kyenge, the country's first black minister, resembles an orangutan.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta said the remark by Senator Roberto Calderoli on Saturday was "unacceptable".

"I love animals... but when I see pictures of Kyenge, I cannot help thinking of similarities with an orangutan," he was quoted as saying at a party meeting in the northern city of Treviglio.

The remark went viral in social media, sparking widespread denunciation.

Khalid Chaouki and Gianni Cuperlo, two lawmakers from the centre-left Democratic Party, demanded the resignation of Mr Calderoni, who is deputy speaker of the Senate.

Mr Calderoli is famous for his provocative comments and actions. In 2006, he was forced to resign from the government of then prime minister Silvio Berlusconi after wearing a T-shirt printed with cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammed.

Source

He doesn't seem to be backing down, either.  Political correctness does not seem to come easily to Italians so incorrectness is tolerated more there than elsewhere.  His perception of Africans as similar to other primates was once common.

UPDATE here

Must not compliment a woman on her figure

Britain: A grandfather and veteran councillor has been reprimanded by council bosses for making what was claimed to be a ‘sexist’ remark about a colleague’s figure.

Mel Winter, 71, was carrying a cup of coffee in each hand when Labour councillor Hailey Townsend, 29, asked if he wanted her to open the door for him at their council HQ.

Mr Winter replied: ‘With a figure like that, you can hold the door all day.’

Offended, Mrs Townsend  reported the remark to senior council officials.

Mr Winter was summoned by council legal director Andrew Jolley and warned about his behaviour.

Mr Winter, who has been an independent councillor in Bridgend, South Wales, for 30 years, said: ‘It is a sad day when you can’t make a compliment to a lady.

‘I think of myself as a gentleman and I get on with most women, young and old.  ‘I was passing her a compliment in good faith and in a light-hearted manner.

Source

Outspoken British broadcaster not apologizing

She has infuriated the nation by saying that ginger babies are harder to love, that she wouldn’t hire fat people or let her children play with youngsters named Chardonnay or Tyler.

But outspoken Katie Hopkins maintains that she has done nothing wrong and that if she is the most hated woman in Britain, then it's everyone else's fault and that our country has lost perspective.

According to The Mirror the former Apprentice star says that she is acting as a mouthpiece for all women who secretly agree with her but are too afraid to speak out.

She believes that when people hate her, it’s simply because she has hit on something that relates to them and maintains that her approach is 'refreshing' and believes it's important for people to have their own point of view.

Katie found herself at the centre of a storm over her comments on ITV1's This Morning programme that she wouldn't want her children playing with children with names like Tyler and Charmaine as they were likely to be from a certain class.

Asked about popular baby names on ITV’s This Morning show on Wednesday, Miss Hopkins began to criticise ‘lower class’ children with names like Chantelle, Charmaine, Chardonnay and Tyler.

‘I think you can tell a great deal from a name,’ said mother-of-three Miss Hopkins, 38. ‘For me, there’s certain names that I hear and I think “urgh”.  ‘For me, a name is a shortcut of finding out what class a child comes from and makes me ask: “Do I want my children to play with them?”

Katie sticks to her guns and says that you have to be honest with people or they will never do anything about it.

Stirring up even more controversy on Twitter last week, she wrote: 'Ginger babies. Like a baby. Just so much harder to love.'

Then she went even further with her thoughts on ginger-haired people in an interview with OK! magazine.

Asked if her two daughters India, nine, and Poppy, seven, were ginger, she said: 'Oh no, they're definitely brown. We don't have a ginger in the family.

'That was the first question I asked when I gave birth to Max (her son aged four): "Is he ginger?"  'There's nothing worse than a ginger boy especially in the young years.'

She concludes by saying that she doesn't regret any of her comments and will only apologise if she had said something that upset someone in a way that she didn’t intend.

Source

They're cowards



Interestingly, most of the victims of the Leftist abortion mills are black.  I wonder how that squares with Leftist anti-racism?

San Francisco plane crash: TV station apologises for broadcasting fake racially offensive pilot names

A San Francisco Bay Area TV station has apologised after reporting bogus names of the four pilots aboard Asiana Airlines flight 214, names that were crude and racially offensive.

KTVU-TV co-anchor Tori Campbell read the fake names on the air on Friday. The report was accompanied by a graphic with the made up names listed alongside a photo of the burned out plane. The prank names were: Captain Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk and Bang Ding Ow.

After a break, Campbell apologised for the error. She said a National Transportation Safety Board official confirmed the names to the station.

Paul Cheung, president of the Asian American Journalists Association, released a statement saying KTVU's reporting of the names was "not only wrong, but grossly offensive." The phoney names caricatured Asian names, said Cheung, who also is interactive and graphics editor for The Associated Press.

Source

Jokey Asian names have been around for at least a century but all jokes are perilous these days. Nobody was personally insulted in the episode above.

Storm in a teacup (1)

The two reports below concern the Federal leader of Australia's Left (Rudd) and the Federal leader of Australia's conservatives (Abbott).  In both cases, normal words and actions have been blown up as something outrageous.

The  current tendency to seize on trivia as cause for criticism would seem to inhibit all spontaneity.  No wonder politicians get a reputation for not saying what they really think or really intend to do.  Anything but meaningless bromides could well "offend" someone

OPPOSITION leader Tony Abbott has come under fire after telling a female journalist to “calm down” when questioned on claims for travel expenses he was asked to repay following his Battlelines book tour.

Guardian Australia journalist Bridie Jabour was seeking a comment from Mr Abbott at a pie factory press conference this morning when the incident occurred.

Mr Abbott, who was accompanied by Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey, was more than happy to don a cap and white coat in one of his trademark shopfloor photo ops but he was less willing to answer questions on the expenses he was forced to repay that were incurred while promoting his book Battlelines.

Ms Jabour's response on Twitter later was short and sweet. All i have to say is: Calmer than you are. #biglebowski #calmdownbridie

The hashtag created by Ms Jabour in response, #calmdownbridie, was Tweeted almost 2000 times over the course of the day.  The episode culminated in globally renowned ‘God’ account @TheTweetOfGod tweeting Abbott: “Attention @TonyAbbottMHR: this is God. Calm down, sweetie.”

The God user has 833,000 followers on Twitter while Abbott struggles along with 140,000 followers.  Kevin Rudd? He has more followers than God, with almost 1.3 million.

SOURCE




Storm in a teacup (2)

FOOTAGE of Kevin Rudd patting the head of a disabled woman has left a disability advocate "shaking with rage".

Comedian Stella Young, who is also a disability campaigner, said the PM's behaviour showed Australians had a long way to go to change patronising and disrespectful attitudes.

The clip, part of a story on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) on ABC's 7.30 Report on Tuesday night, showed Mr Rudd posing for a photo with a woman in a wheelchair before patting or ruffling her hair.

Ms Young says disabled and short-statured people are considered cute or a novelty and aren't treated with the dignity and respect afforded to others.  "When you face those attitudes on the bus or on the train or at the supermarket, it's pretty awful," Ms Young said.  "But when you're faced with these attitudes by the prime minister of the nation, it's absolutely gobsmacking."

She said Mr Rudd's actions were probably unintentional, but was surprised he hadn't been briefed on how to interact with disabled people.  "If you could show me video evidence of Kevin Rudd patting the head of an adult non-disabled woman, I'll eat my words," Ms Young said.

"(But) can you imagine him patting one of his female parliamentary colleagues on the head? Absolutely not. A woman in his local community? I don't think so."

Changing patronising and condescending attitudes is as important as improving physical access for disabled people, Ms Young says.

SOURCE

Must not mention that blacks are dark or that Asians have slanty eyes
  
Reality is no excuse
   
CBS has folded to resounding public outcry over several Big Brother houseguests’ controversial and racist comments.  Viewers and subscribers of the uncensored 24-hour live feeds on CBS.com pressured the network to address the cast’s comments, which caused two houseguests to be fired from their day jobs.

On the July 7 episode, CBS aired a segment spotlighting the derogatory remarks of the worst offenders, houseguests Aaryn Gries and GinaMarie Zimmerman.

Gries is seen speaking behind houseguest Helen Kim’s back, telling Kaitlin Barnaby that Kim, an Asian-American, should “go make some rice,” to which Barnaby responded, “That is rude.” Other Gries comments included: “I look, probably, like a squinty Asian right now.”

Zimmerman, who lost her job last week because of her offensive statements, was briefly exposed for making a racist comment about Candice Stewart, an African-American. She is shown telling Gries that Stewart is on the dark side ”because she’s already dark.”

Source

Bible message illegal in London

As crowds swelled in the streets of Wimbledon, London, to watch the famed tennis tournament July 1, Tony Miano stood preaching out of his worn Bible to anyone who would listen. A former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff, Miano now spends his time evangelizing outside of abortion centers and on the street while carrying a cross. He worked for Ray Comfort’s street evangelism ministry until last year and writes for the blog Cross Encounters.

Last Monday afternoon, he preached on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, calling on people who have engaged in sexually immoral lifestyles—lust, premarital sex, and homosexuality—to repent.

After 25 minutes, local police cut Miano off and took him into custody. An offended woman had called to complain about the preaching and while street preaching is not illegal—Miano had been preaching for a week already—his offensive message was.

According to London law, anyone who engages in homophobic speech that offends others can be arrested. After questioning the woman, police arrested Miano for breaking Public Order Act Section 5, which prohibits anyone who “uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior … within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.”

The police finished by asking Miano if he thought he had done anything wrong—he said no—and whether he would continue preaching if released, to which Miano answered yes. The police then decided to press charges, telling Miano he likely would spend the night at the station, face a magistrate, and would need to plea for his case.

But an hour later, the inspector changed the decision and opted to release him without any further action. After seven hours, Miano walked free. He documented the experience later in a video: “By God’s grace, I was released with no further action”

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News outlets reject pro-life ad for being “too controversial”

What’s so controversial about a baby?  When Heroic Media wanted to place an ad in major newspapers like USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune to argue for a ban on late-term abortions, they didn’t include any graphic photos of aborted babies, or what abortion mills like Planned Parenthood call “products of conception” or “POCs.” Instead, it just shows a child at roughly 20 weeks gestation resting in the hand of an adult, which gives readers some badly-needed context about late-term abortions.



No problem, right? After all, our media has no trouble selling ad space for lots of pictures of babies, asleep and awake, for products from diapers to car tires to on-line investment firms.  Suddenly, though, a baby to sell the concept of protecting human life is too controversial

    “I am disturbed that these papers would run article after article promoting the notion that abortion is a victimless act without consequences,” Young said. “The fact remains, children who are unique individuals – never again to be duplicated – are being killed in the most violent way imaginable and they feel the excruciating pain of that death.”

    “It seems as though it is okay to talk about the issue in general, but when you actually put a face to the discussion, then it becomes controversial,” Young said.

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Democrat old bull wants to dilute freedom of the Press



Sen. Dick Durbin thinks it’s time for Congress to decide who’s a real reporter. In The Chicago Sun-Times last week, he wrote: “Everyone, regardless of the mode of expression, has a constitutionally protected right to free speech. But when it comes to freedom of the press, I believe we must define a journalist and the constitutional and statutory protections those journalists should receive.”

How do you decide who is a journalist? Essentially, he says, it’s someone who gets a paycheck from a media organization: “A journalist gathers information for a media outlet that disseminates the information through a broadly defined ‘medium’ — including newspaper, nonfiction book, wire service, magazine, news Web site, television, radio or motion picture — for public use. This broad definition covers every form of legitimate journalism.”

Does it really? Everyform?  Because, as I write this, most of the information I’m getting from Egypt is being tweeted and blogged by Egyptians and American expats in Egypt. The media organizations are usually hours behind.

Personally, I think a journalist is someone who’s doing journalism, whether they get paid for it or not.

I wouldn’t trust Durbin (or most of his Senate colleagues) to baby-sit my kid. I certainly don’t trust them to decide who counts as a “real” journalist — and, more importantly, who doesn’t.

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Crash Headline Called “Racist” and “In Bad Taste”

This weekend, tragedy struck. Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed in San Francisco. Over 180 people are injured, and two are dead. Nineteen passengers are still hospitalized, with six still in critical condition. Two thirds of the passengers were Asian, which is why the Chicago Sun-Times's headline is angering some online.



There is, of course, a long tradition of mocking Asians—especially Chinese as well as Japanese—by not differentiating between "L" and "R" sounds in English. Case in point: the "fried rice" scene in Lethal Weapon 4.  For many, the headline appeared to perpetuate the stereotypical Asian accent.

"First, its pretty sick to use a play on words in a headline for a tragedy," wrote AsAmNews. "Secondly, this one’s pretty racist."

Some commenters on AsAmNews agreed that it was racist, with one even calling it a "sick joke". Others seemed to think it was simply in poor taste and unintentionally showed bad judgment while covering the crash. It felt oddly reminiscent of ESPN's "Chink in the Armor" headline.

Sun-Times Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Jim Kirk told the Asian American Journalist Association that his staff didn't even think about how the headline could be perceived as insensitive.

"There was nothing intentional on our part to play off any stereotypes. ...If anybody was offended by that, we are sorry," Kirk told AAJA. "We were trying to convey the obviously frightening situation of that landing."

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All jokes are risky these days

French mayor facing five years in prison for saying he would rather 'go to the gallows' than marry two gay men

A French mayor could face five years in prison after saying today that he would rather 'go to the gallows' than marry two gay men.   Jean-Michel Colo, who officiates near the south-western city of Bayonne has refused to wed Jean-Michel Martin and Guy Martineau-Espel.

The couple are now suing the mayor for discrimination, claiming that Mr Colo is breaching the same-sex marriage law which came into force across France last month.

The dispute is now set to provide a test case for the new marriage law which has proven divisive in France and has already seen thousands take to the streets to protest.

Mr Colo, 60, has been mayor of the small village of Arcangues, in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department, for the past three decades.  He now risks five years in prison and a fine of around £64,000 for his refusal to officiate at the wedding of Mr Martin and Mr Martineau-Espel, who are both in their 50s.

'For me, marriage is for a woman and man to have children,' said Mr Colo. 'I am not discriminating as a same-sex couple is sterile. It's a parody of equality, it's a big lie.'

Mr Colo added that he would rather 'go to the gallows' than back down on the vexed issue. He has argued there is a 'conscience clause' in the new legislation which allows public officials not to take part in gay marriages.

But Isabelle Duguet, the couple's lawyer, said she had filed a case against Mr Colo for discrimination and for refusing to carry out his official duties.

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BBC's grovelling apology over slur: Wimbledon commentator mocks champion's looks

The sportswoman concerned is rather plain-looking so the broadcaster was probably echoing what many thought.  Why is that wrong?  Wouldn't it be better for everybody to accept reality?



BBC presenter John Inverdale provoked fury yesterday after making a disparaging remark about the physical appearance of Women’s singles champion Marion Bartoli.

Speaking on Radio 5 Live, he posed the question: ‘Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little, “You’re never going to be a looker?”’

Bartoli’s father immediately rushed to her defence and the BBC was forced to apologise.

Inverdale later tried to backtrack during the broadcast by saying: ‘We poked fun, in a nice way, about how she looks, but Marion Bartoli is an incredible role model.’

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We accept that this remark was insensitive and for that we apologise.’

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British government minister declares war on the use of the word 'gay' as an insult

So "gay" is now a term of abuse?  I thought that "gay" was how homosexuals usually describe themselves!  But Mr Gove is clearly doing a Canute.  If people dislike the thing concerned, any word you use for it can become a term of contempt.  You could start calling homosexuals sirophents and sirophent would soon become a term of contempt

Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday declared war on the ‘utterly outrageous and medieval’ use of the word ‘gay’ as an insult.

He will study current laws to ensure they are ‘properly policed’ and could even ‘sharpen’ them in a bid to stamp out offensive homophobic language.

Mr Gove told a conference held by pressure group Stonewall that the Coalition was determined to protect gay pupils from being subjected to homophobic bullying at school.

He said that it was unacceptable to use the word ‘gay’ as abuse and named and shamed former Radio One Breakfast Show DJ Chris Moyles.

Mr Moyles was branded Stonewall’s ‘Bully of the Year’ at their annual awards ceremony in 2006 after he dismissed a ringtone, saying: ‘I don’t want that one, it’s gay.’

Hate speech laws in the UK are found in several statutes. Expressions of hatred towards someone on account of that person’s colour, race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation is forbidden.

Mr Gove said that the Coalition agreement had referred to the vital importance of tackling bullying , especially homophobic bullying, in schools.

He said this was a recognition that even as ‘prejudice in our society was in many ways receding there were some prejudices that remain remarkably and irrationally stubborn’.

One of these was the prejudice sometimes shown to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and to the young in particular.

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Australia: "Sexist" advertisement in trouble

The Sydney Morning Herald ran an ad in today's racing section "The Form" promoting the radio station's sports program with the headline, "Another reason to let her go shopping this weekend".

 You know, inferring that if the little woman goes shopping, her bloke'll be free to listen in peace, preferably in his shed, with a bottle of KB".

2UE's General Manager Chris Parker has apologised for the ad, saying, "we appreciate the advertisement has caused concern, and this was certainly not our intention".

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