Yet One More Thing Labour Got Wrong.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2983851/We-wrong-try-ban-racism-existence-says-former-equality-chief.html

/// Mr Phillips, a Labour party member, says anti-racism began with good intentions but turned into 'thought control'. ///

/// And former home secretary Jack Straw, who is also interviewed, tells Mr Phillips that many MPs are wary of expressing their views for fear of being branded racist. ///

/// But Mr Phillips insists people should be free to use racial stereotypes, such as that many Jews are rich or that black people are more likely to be convicted for robbery, because they are true. ///

So glad he said that.

[jim360]

The statement that "Black people are more likely to be convicted for robbery" is true in the same sense that "People live longer if they own more television sets" is. While people should be allowed to say both, they should also be challenged for betraying an ignorance of how to interpret the statistics, which is where the main problem lies -- people drawing false racial conclusions from correct data without appreciating the underlying cause, and then going on to use this dodgy reasoning as the basis for prejudicial views.

[Svejk]

^Did they teach you that in 'common-purpose', jim?
Poor old, aog, valiantly keeps this site going in the face of unwarranted barbs on an hourly basis.
I would say all opinions in News have to be linked to some newspaper. If you want random thoughts, Maggie, try Chatterbank.

[Gromit]

This isn't really news.

Someone has watched a preview tape of a Channel 4 programme and then cherry picked things to appeal to the Daily Mail's readers.

I expect the quote is out of context, but I shall not bother to watch the show, and I expect not many other people will.

[anotheoldgit]

maggiebee

/// Have you no opinions of your own? ///

Yes some of you get on my nerves.

[jim360]

Not sure what you mean, svejk.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// This isn't really news. ///

Just as much news as all the daily ones about UKIP.

/// Someone has watched a preview tape of a Channel 4 programme and then cherry picked things to appeal to the Daily Mail's readers. ///

Now there's a clever fellow, isn't that what journalism is all about?

/// I expect the quote is out of context, but I shall not bother to watch the show, and I expect not many other people will. ///

Well no surprise there then, seeing that it doesn't fit in with your particular agenda, like to forecast the viewing figures would you, no not forecast just tell us seeing that you already seem to know.

Regarding your expectation that the quote was taken out of context, I am sure if it is Mr Phillips the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, will swiftly be along so as to put his words into the correct context.

[Gromit]

// isn't that what journalism is all about? //

No it isn't. Journalism is about finding your own stories, not stealing someone elses work.

This is like the UKIP first 100 days story, where the Mail just watched a preview of the show, and you posted on their report then not a peep out of you when the show aired (not sure you even bothered to watch it).

[anotheoldgit]

/// Only a willingness to talk more openly about race, and even run the risk of offending people, will help those most in need. ///

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article4375363.ece

It must be news it's also in the Times and Guardian too.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/05/nigel-farage-and-tony-blair-in-c4-race-and-diversity-documentary

/// This film points to ways in which we can say what’s on our minds without being accused of being bigots.” ///

Blimey, some will be speechless unless they can use such words, so as to try and make others speechless.

[sp1814]

AOG

Why are you glad he said that?

[Orderlimit]

Yep, he is right but unfortunately some people have become so obsessed with calling others racist or claiming offense that they can longer think rationally on the subject.

[Brenden]

Trevor Phillips is certainly singing from a different hymn sheet now, he had quite the opposite views when he was editor of The Voice.

[naomi24]

AOG has posted a perfectly valid link to an important and, in our intellectually repressive society, possibly ground-breaking analysis – high time someone said it - so I don’t understand the mentality of those who have jumped on this seemingly perpetually rolling bandwagon of criticising everything he says. He does appear to be a bit of a whipping boy around here at times. Lucky for his critics he’s not from an ethnic minority. Your unfairly disparaging posts would be instantly zapped!

Trevor Phillips is absolutely correct. It is wrong to try to ban racism out of existence. Legislation can be and is used to restrict freedom of speech, but it can never control freedom of thought. We have created a society in which any criticism including rationally valid criticism of ethnic minorities is instantly labelled ‘racist’, implying deliberate victimisation, but people should be free to acknowledge reality and to express genuine concerns without fear of legal reprisal. Anything less is simply biased and discriminatory – exactly that which these ill-considered laws are designed to combat.

Jim, //…which is where the main problem lies -- people drawing false racial conclusions from correct data without appreciating the underlying cause, and then going on to use this dodgy reasoning as the basis for prejudicial views.//

How can people be expected to appreciate the underlying cause when honest discussion is legally suppressed? That doesn’t educate – it creates resentment and hence exacerbates prejudice.

sp, //AOG Why are you glad he said that? //

I’m glad he said it too because it’s true. Pretending it isn’t doesn’t make it less so. No problem was ever resolved by ignoring it.

Gromit, //Journalism is about finding your own stories, not stealing someone elses work.//

You’re mistaken. Journalism is not solely about finding your own stories. It’s about writing and editing news stories for publication or broadcast. AOG’s link is one such example of that.

[Brenden]

So agree with you Naomi, I mentioned Trevor Phillips being editor of the Voice as he found 'racism' where there was none.

[Gromit]

Naomi24,

I stand corrected. Television Programme reviews ( which this example is ) are a form of journalism. But not news journalism, which is the section that the Daily Mail filed it.

Best to watch the programme and then decide if Phillips is right, and whether the Daily Mail report of it was accurate.

[naomi24]

Gromit, The former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission says we were wrong to try to ban racism. That’s news.