Another Author Had A Solution, Phillip...

Camilla, the Queen Consort, has urged authors to resist curbs on freedom of expression in an apparent reflection on the backlash against changes to Roald Dahl’s books. Speaking at a Clarence House reception to mark the second anniversary of her online book club, Camilla told authors: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”

Well, well, well... 

Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, suggested Dahl’s work should be allowed to fade away and be replaced by modern children’s writers.

Gosh, I wonder who exactly you had in mind, Phil ol' chum..? 

Pullman said Dahl’s work would not disappear overnight from shelves in homes, school libraries and elsewhere. “What are you going to do about them? All these words are still there, are you going to round up all the books and cross them out with a big black pen?” 

Let's ask Ray!  

Because Ignorance Is Bliss...

...especially when it might upset the Enrichment applecart!

There has been no systematic study or formal data collection exercise.

Well, no. You don't collect evidence when you fear what it'll reveal...

Another community activist, who did not wish to be named, said she was aware of 15-20 recent cases in Croydon alone.

“It’s usually done in the UK, not abroad like female genital mutilation (FGM),” she said, describing a practice whereby mothers, aunties or grandmothers use a hot stone to massage across the breast repeatedly in order to “break the tissue” and slow its growth.

Surely this leaves visible marks?

“I was a nurse in the UK for over 10 years and watched the numbers grow,” said Jennifer Miraj, who worked in hospitals in Essex, Glasgow, Birmingham and London until 2015.

Miraj said she came across confirmed cases of breast-ironing in approximately 15 adults and eight girls.

Confirmed by whom?

“I took care of a young 10-year-old girl who had an infection, which had been going on for a few years from ironing,” she said, describing a case from Broomfield hospital in Essex.

Mary Claire, a church minister in Wolverhampton, said she had spoken to four victims in Leeds, originally from west Africa. “You could see the marks,” she said.

So why no prosecutions?

Police say they have fielded no allegations about breast-ironing in the UK, but suspect it is happening.

It is happening. You've just been told.

“If I knew it was happening, I would do something about it,” said the Insp Allen Davis from the Met police.

Now you do. What are your plans?

Once More, With Feeling…

…’the world’ is not ‘the watercooler discussion at Guardian HQ’. Nor is it the totally self-selecting sample of users of Jezebel or Buzzfeed:

An unknown Australian girl decides to host an "African"-themed 21st birthday party.

Hilarity, as you might expect, doesn’t ensue…

When confronted … she posts an apology for the unintended offence she had caused, rather than addressing the problem with hosting such a party. Coverage on American websites Buzzfeed and Jezebel is met with disgust and outrage.

So? I rarely use them, but from what I've seen, they - like Twitter and Facebook - are outlets for disgust and outrage. And kittens.

Certainly not to be taken seriously, but some seem to take a perverse delight in finding reasons to do their country down...

But other, more thoughtful commentary could prompt some Australian introspection. Hundreds of comments show how we are seen on the world stage – “Listen to white people there talk about Abo’s on welfare, and you’ll quickly realise America doesn’t really have a race problem,” suggests one Jezebel commentator. Over on Buzzfeed things aren’t much better, where the comment “Australians are well-known for their racism” was widely lauded.

 By people on social media. It's hardly representative, is it?

This isn’t the first incident of Australian racism being spotlighted in America, either – John Oliver recently called Australia “the most comfortably racist place” he’d ever been. To his mind, “They’ve really settled into their intolerance like an old resentful slipper.”

Oh, wow, Australia's lost the world-leading 'British comedian working in America' demographic! However will it cope..?

Has anyone who matters actually been consulted? It seems the answer is 'No':

No studies have been completed on international perceptions of Australian racism, but this avalanche of anecdotes demonstrates that there is a definite disconnect between our perceptions of ourselves, and how we appear to others.

What happened to ‘the plural of anecdote is not data’? Or does that not apply when the Left want to use it?

In the age of increasing globalization, this old-world White Australia approach is less and less appealing; more than one Jezebel commentator states they won’t be visiting Australia due to our atrocious treatment of our Indigenous population.

Their loss is definitely Australia’a gain!

… viewing our treatment of racial minorities through the lens of Europe’s treatment of the Roma doesn’t render our home-grown brand any less entrenched or problematic. Nor does it change the global perception that Australia is a racist paradise, a haven for discrimination and bigotry.

What 'global perception'..?

The disconnect between the perspective espoused by the Challenging Racism Report and the observations made by our foreign friends must surely undermine any confidence we have that Australia is a multicultural place where a fair go is offered to all.

Yes. God forbid Australians have any confidence. Self-loathing is much better...

The Next Time The Police Whinge About…

…having to deal with pointless squabbles, I’ll remember this story:

Sarah Webb-Lee, 39, from Stockport, had a car sticker which read: "On the first day God created United then completely [expletive] up and created City."

Funny? Puerile? Offensive? Maybe.

But illegal?

A neighbourhood team officer was sent round to Mrs Webb-Lee's home in Cale Green, Stockport, after a local councillor passed on to police a complaint they had received from a resident.

*sigh*

Police said the swear word used breached public order legislation.

Clearly, there’s absolutely no crime whatsoever in that street. I think I’ll move the…

Wait, what am I saying? It’s Manchester!

"I couldn't believe it when they told me," she said.

She added: "I see sexist stickers and slogans which offend me and which are much worse than swearing but no way would I phone the police."

That must make you increasingly unique, since it seems we are inculcating the attitude in so many people that the thing to do if someone or something ‘offends’ you is to call the police.

Told she would face a fine if she refused to take it down, Mrs Webb-Lee reluctantly agreed to rub out a vowel in the swear word.

Because that makes all the difference…

The police are curiously defensive:

Insp Stephen Gilbertson said: "We received a complaint about the language contained in a car sticker that, by law, is offensive.

"All we did is make the relevant people aware and asked them to either remove the sticker or some letters within the swear word, which they willingly did.

"It is important to stress this had nothing whatsoever to do with any football team and was solely in relation to an offensive word."

Who said it was anything to do with a football team?

And really, you can now expect more pointless waste of time calls from whoever made this one, since their success will only encourage them.

Yeah, Yeah. Let’s See Your Black ‘Mohammed On An Electric Chair’, Then…

Organisers say the exhibition is designed to “integrate areas of human knowledge that exist outside the boundaries of traditional art making” .

Among the more controversial pieces are two from Paul Fryer, whose works include an ape being crucified on a cross and a waxwork of a black Jesus being electrocuted.

In a promotional brochure he admitted the images were “provocative”.

Indeed. Only likely to provoke the people who’ll issue angry letters to the newspapers or denounce you in the ‘church Times’, of course…

The director of All Visual Arts admitted some people would be shocked by the exhibition but rejected suggestions it was designed to purely shock.

The curator, 49, dismissed such claims as “ridiculous” and “shallow”, adding that art should “create curiosity and promote learning”.

By poking fun at safe targets, and ensuring real taboos (the sort likely to get you stabbed to death in the streets or fleeing the country) are safe.