A Tale Of Two Men

[Theland]

The England football manager sat watching the game, wearing a smart suit, waistcoat shirt and tie. Immaculate. A great example and ambassador for the team, the game generally and our country.

In an interview, the new Lord Mayor of Sheffield wore a back to front baseball cap, a scruffy tee shirt, and ill fitting track suit pants, and rounded it all off with the mayoral chain of office.

Even though he is a Muslim and might not know better, wouldn't you think that somebody should have advised him regarding the dignity of the office he holds, and how to present himself and behave?

[Gromit]

naomi24
I see nothing in the Site Rules allowing or disallowing positive discrimination.

In life there are different rules for different situations. In this instance you are on a free site, and the owners want you an Theland to stick to their Site Rules.

[naomi24]

kvalidir, your first interaction with me on this thread was at 07:26. Sensible debate?

[kvalidir]

Naomi, Yes it was- a reply to your earlier post to me. To reiterate for a third time, if you decide to cross swords with me I will obviously hold my corner, as would anyone. Again if you want a sensible debate might I suggest you attempt a slightly less condescending tone, I had not at this point spoke directly to you at all, but rather to Spicerack.

kvalidir, //You genuinely see nothing wrong with that sentence Spicerack?//

Oh dear.
07:14 Mon 04th Jun 2018

[naomi24]

Gromit, thank you, I know where I am - and this isn't about me.

[naomi24]

kvalidir, //might I suggest you attempt a slightly less condescending tone//

You might suggest whatever you like.

[Gromit]

Naomi24,

kvalidir Is guilty of the same patronising tone as Theland.
Saying that you aren’t
// quite sharp enough to understand the problem //
is the same as dismissiveness as saying a muslim doesn’t know how to dress smartly. You can see the offensiveness when it is aimed at you, but not when it is aimed at the Mayor of Sheffield.

[Islay]

What does it matter what he wears? Is this just another chance to have a 'pop' at a Muslim?

[Peter Pedant]

// For me it's actions more than garb.//

agree - it is whether he can run the city - I wouldnt care if he turns up in a skirt or a loincloth

Being a muslim a loincloth is not really on the list - - - unless you feel that wearing 16th century garb is part of the job - he had a chain on - did he realise that the SS links in a mayoral chain stand for "sanctus spiritus" ?

[1ozzy]

/As I said if you start it I'm only too delighted to finish it, alternatively you could try having a sensible debate.//

Don't hold your breath.

Opinions rule!!!

[naomi24]

Gromit, kvalidir’s nonsense doesn’t offend me because I take it for what it is …. nonsense. I do however struggle to comprehend a mindset that takes offence on behalf of someone else, or one that supports that stance. I mean, really, if perceived personal insults against random public figures were the criteria by which trips to the naughty step were determined, in the wake of Donald Trump’s election the majority of the contributors to AnswerBank would be perching there.

[Peter Pedant]

oh stop squabbling girls ....

// The England football manager ... wearing a smart suit, waistcoat shirt and tie. Immaculate. A great example .......//

England lost didnt they ? as usual, a great example of show over substance ....

whereas - the mayor in his working clothes - had to wear the mayoral chain of office to show that it wasnt a spoof. in which case his garb was more thought out than we suppose.

I have to say that the last time I discussed my lack of respect to a superior ( MD my employer actually ) it was in the middle of a 'discussion' about paying me less and getting me to work longer whilst he gave himself a pay-hike ( already on £214k) - I retired soon after - and yeah my main point was that he couldnt run the organisation either.

[Gromit]

Peter Pedant And others,

He is not going to run the city, he was not elected Mayor, and it is a ceremonal position.

[Gromit]

Peter Pedant,

// England lost didnt they ? as usual, a great example of show over substance //

England won, beating Nigeria 1-0.

[dannyk13]

Gromit, actually it was 2-1.

[Gromit]

naomi24

We are allowed to have opinions. We can say the President isn’t good and we don’t like this action or that action.
It is when we start attributing wrong reasons to our opinions that we are on dodgy ground. If we said:
// Trump is a dimwit probably because he is Christian //
then that would clearly be nonsense and offensive.

Theland is entitled to have the opinion (from 1 press photo) that this man is scruffy. But to attribute his scuffiness to being a muslim, is where his opinion becomes offensive.

[Gromit]

Thanks dannyk13,
I didn’t watch it.

[Sqad]

LOL....that was then this is now.......the old cliches keep being trotted out despite changes in attitude of almost everything.e.g you can't judge a book by it's cover. True.....but one often chooses a book because of it's cover.
The attitude of the mayor of Sheffield shows disrespect to his office and his dress, disrespectful to his religion as well as indicating a degree of slovenliness, lack of awareness, etiquette, tradition and personal disciplinary.
Different attitudes and times in which BGT has been won by a "voice synthesiser."

[jackthehat]

If I were to embrace Jesus as my Lord, Theland, would it make me as cheerful as you?

You certainly seem to be deficient in the area of 'the milk of human kindness' and of 'not judging, lest you be judged'......

[naomi24]

Gromit, but Theland didn’t say this man is scruffy because he is a Muslim. He said that perhaps he doesn’t understand the appropriate dress code because he is Muslim - which could be a valid suggestion. Whichever way, that suggestion does not, in my opinion, warrant a heavy-handed reminder that the naughty step looms – but that’s just my opinion, to which I assume I am entitled.