Compare & Contrast

It is reported that Frank Carson counted Bernard Manning as a friend and defended him against charges of racism. “How could anyone call Bernard a racist?” he wondered. “He even had black horses at his funeral”.


In the same newspaper we read of a man who, having placed his belongings including a scarf on the belt to pass through a scanner, noticed a woman in a hijab pass through without showing her face. Querying what would happen were he to cover his face with his scarf resulted in a lengthy questioning session in which he was accused of making a racist remark. After considerable time, during which the police were called and management from BAA, a compromise was reached in which this man agreed that his remark could be considered offensive to a Muslim. So it is possible for racism to be an offence if a remark could have caused distress?


How have we allowed ourselves to be conditioned to the extent that free speech and even our private thoughts can be held to be verboten? As with the health & safety brigade, so have the politically correct brigade built an industry, ones that the taxpayers fund.


Frank Carson was renowned for suffering from what might be called verbal excess, yet this man - because of the pc brigade - was prevented from talking the hindi leg of a donkey. Is it not better that we allow a thousandfold abuses of free speech than to deny free speech? Likewise, does not free speech carry with it the another freedom; to listen?


To underline my point that we do indeed live under a system of democratised dictatorship, I am reminded of a quote by Herbert Hoover:

"It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own."

 On that note - and to borrow a legal phrase - I believe I am entitled to say that I rest my case!

".....there were hundreds of empty seats at the back of the hall for Cameron's speech"

So posts the self-opionated, self-publicist of the Conservative Party.

Methinks young Tim needs to remember that if the star comedian is not that highly thought of.........

The cost is neither here nor there - remember the likes of Les Dawson, Bernard Manning, Max Miller, Tim? People travelled miles, at great personal cost, to hear them and they played to packed houses.

Just saying........... (as always!)

Afterthought: On the subject of Max Miller, a short monologue:

"I like the girls who do,
I like the girls who don't:
I like the girls who say they will,
And then decide they won't.
But the girls I like the most of all,
And I know you'll think I'm right,
Are the girls that say they never will,
But look as though they might!"