So, Come on you Pinko Lefties justify this

[youngmafbog]

FURIOUS mums told of their "humiliation" today after they were kicked out of a council-funded children's playgroup — because they were BRITISH.

Making Links gets a £1,000 annual grant from St Neots Town Council.

Bizarrely its website says it "seeks to operate in the spirit of the Commission for Racial Equality" and its ambition includes "bringing communities together and facilitating interaction between them" and developing "cross-cultural friendships".

Its administrator Roger Owen said that the group is not a "typical" playgroup and is funded entirely for women from other nationalities.

He said: "We believe there are plenty of other alternatives for British mothers in the town."


So can we have British only Clubs then ? Media URL: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3360154/Playgroup-ban-for-being-British.html
Description:

[sp1814]

If the point of this group is to help foreign born mothers and children to learn English and British customs, and their literature and 'lessons' are geared that way, I could understand them explaining that to prospective British parents, but they absolutely should NOT exclude them. They should allow them to join. If they then find out that it's not really for them, they could leave - but to ban them seems entirely wrong.

By the way - can anyone provide a link to the full story? I've read the Sun story and have a niggling feeling there's more to it than has been printed.

[youngmafbog]

Dave and Steve, would I expect any less from you other than character assisnation.

Grow up lads, its a valid question even if you dont like it.

[pa___ul3]

I wasn't trying to shut anyone up I was saying it's hard to judge without a full set of facts, we don't know the actual aim of the school. It's confusing that it says it's for women from other nationalities, you don't get play groups for women so that makes me thing there's another aim for the group. I hope they're teaching them to say "AN English only speaking group" as opposed to "a English only speaking group"!

[naomi24]

Surely it would benefit the non-English speaking to mix on a regular basis with British mothers and children. I can't see how that's bringing communities together. It's just creating resentment. Seems potty to me.

[pa___ul3]

sp, that was what I was getting at, it's too one sided the story in print. As you say, if it is a language / social intergration class with limited numbers they should explain to the family, but we don't know what's actually been said. If they were actually banned for being British then it's 100% wrong but I don't understand why a group set up with a view of bringing communities together would do this.
Agree definitely too that the best way to pick up a language is to hang around people who speak it, but you need a start to begin to understand.

[TheTruthHere]

Sqad hit the nail on the head

* Making Links gets a £1,000 annual grant from St Neots Town Council.

"seeks to operate in the spirit of the Commission for Racial Equality"

"bringing communities together and facilitating interaction between them" and developing "cross-cultural friendships".

So there idea of racial equality and facilitating interaction is to ban British kids from the group.

Think i would want my grant back if i was the council.

[Davethedog]

youngmafbog the topic is an entirely valid one however I don't think any one who starts a question "So, Come on you Pinko Lefties justify this" can

A) Tell anyone to grow up.
B) Accuse anyone who criticises them of character assaination
C) Warrents engagement in any sort of serious discussion as you have already made up your mind exactly how anyone who attempts to put up an explanation is classified.

[anotheoldgit]

/// If you can identify these pinko`s commies or lefties ?///

That is the easiest thing in the world to do, just pick out those answers that include personal jibes and slurs against others.

They are forever nasty to anyone who disagrees with them, they can never post unless they show aggression.

Take me for instance, they will even have to have a go at me when I haven't yet joined in the debate, they just can't help themselves, that is the kind of people they are.

Left Wing individuals always revert to insults when one refuses to follow their flock, yet accuse others of demanding that they should be agreed with.

That's why they are called the "NASTY LEFT".

[ummmm]

There was an advert on a few years back where they were saying about customs in other countries. For instance...the Okay sign was considered an insult in Mexico.

Maybe it's basic things like that...

[pa___ul3]

http://www.opendoorch...cts/Making_Links.aspx - this is it's website, kind of states the point of it is to 'be a friendly face to people who may otehrwise be outsiders', although it doesn't suggest why a British mum and child should be turned away. Having seen this now I'd say it was wrong for the group to turn them away.

[andy-hughes]

OK, on the understanding that I am not a PL - I will weigh in with my opinion -

I would suggest that the original premise of the group is for Asian mothers to meet together in a friendly environment - you have to remember that these ladies are undergoing a considerable culture shock, and are not used to the ways of mixing that wetern mums take for granted - they are very aware of being in a foreign country and of being excluded by virtue of language issues.

That said - I think the handling of the British mums was utterly crass and insenstive, given the mission statement of the group from the council.

I think it would have been far better for the British mums to have been invited in, and introduced, and encouraged to mix with their foregin neighbours with the benefit of interpereters to break down the language barriers.

Motherhood, and the urge for children to mix is common across the world - this group lost an ideal opportunity to commence some cross-cultural bridge-building and they man in question shoild be disciplined - and sent on a Diversity Course!!

Justify it? Hands up - I can't.

[anotheoldgit]

I must admit though the headline was bound to attract aggression.

Been much better to just enter the subject for debate, then leave them long enough and their aggression will soon show through.

[jake-the-peg]

Trouble is andy these people are minorities - the idea is doubtlessly also for them to have the opportunity to come together in a group where they are not the minority, where they all have something in common.

If you open it up to all you lose that opportunity

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....group-immigrants.html

/// She said: 'The first thing I was asked about was my nationality and when I said I was British I was told we had to leave. ///

/// 'She said are you not aware this is for foreign people only? ///

Perhaps we should now ban "Foreign" children from "Our" schools?

Then maybe "our" children won't be held back in their education, while the teachers try to teach English to the overwhelming numbers of foreign children in our school classes.

[pa___ul3]

I heard a saying recently that I liked... "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind".

[Ankou]

it seems that as a father i would also be turned away from this playgroup.

however, for me and those british mums, no doubt there would be other alternative groups to attend, and would in all likelihood be preferable anyway.

it is wrong though, that this was only discovered after she registered successfully and then attended.

[Davethedog]

For what its worth I think its positive discrimination. Imagine the outcry if there was an English speakers only play group.

The PC brigade want thier cake, eat it and sell the left overs. If you want a multicultural society, you cannot discriminate against the majority.

[sp1814]

I would like to congratulate everyone for not rising to the obvious bait (three of them) on the is page,

Pats on the backs all round.

[ludwig]

// Trouble is andy these people are minorities - the idea is doubtlessly also for them to have the opportunity to come together in a group where they are not the minority, where they all have something in common. //

So how does that square with the mission statement of.....

// "bringing communities together and facilitating interaction between them" and developing "cross-cultural friendships". //

..seems to be doing completely the opposite to me.

I agree with what sp1814, Naomi and andy-hughes said.

[Backdrifter]

Yay! We have a "PC Brigade" mention! Took a while though. Clunky Cliche statuette to Davethedog. Speech, speech.