More madness at the Met
I am not a big fan of the phrase 'political correctness gone mad', as much of the time what is being termed thus is little more than decent manners.
However, the following doesn't just take the biscuit, it takes the packet, the shelf, the supermarket, the factory and the fields the wheat was grown in: using the term 'yob' is 'alienating':
"The document on Safer Neighbourhoods by Chief Superintendent Steve Bloomfield stated that Scotland Yard was "proactively tackling gangs and yobs across London". Objecting to the phrase, Cindy Butts, the police authority's deputy chairman, told Sir Ian that the term was 'alienating'. She added: "I have a problem with the language of 'yobs'. It sort of sets up and defines too much a 'self' and 'other'."
I've sniffed around and 'yob' is reckoned to be back slang for 'boy', with an online definition thus: "a young man who behaves in a very rude, offensive and sometimes violent way". However, I suppose 'thief', 'murderer', 'arsonist', 'fraudster' and 'pickpocket' also "define too much a 'self' and 'other".
Ms Butts has a BA in social anthropology and politics from SOAS (widely known as the School of Anti-Semites in the circles I move in). Naturally, she was not elected to this post, but could have acquired this job in one of a number of ways:
"The Metropolitan Police Authority has twenty-three members, twelve from the London Assembly appointed by the Mayor, four magistrates appointed by the Greater London Magistrates Courts Association and seven independent members, one appointed directly by the Home secretary, with the other vacancies appointed after being advertised openly. Members are appointed for a period of four years. The Chair of the MPA is chosen by the members themselves, all of whom are eligible".
Any further gems from Ms Butts will be very welcome.
However, the following doesn't just take the biscuit, it takes the packet, the shelf, the supermarket, the factory and the fields the wheat was grown in: using the term 'yob' is 'alienating':
"The document on Safer Neighbourhoods by Chief Superintendent Steve Bloomfield stated that Scotland Yard was "proactively tackling gangs and yobs across London". Objecting to the phrase, Cindy Butts, the police authority's deputy chairman, told Sir Ian that the term was 'alienating'. She added: "I have a problem with the language of 'yobs'. It sort of sets up and defines too much a 'self' and 'other'."
I've sniffed around and 'yob' is reckoned to be back slang for 'boy', with an online definition thus: "a young man who behaves in a very rude, offensive and sometimes violent way". However, I suppose 'thief', 'murderer', 'arsonist', 'fraudster' and 'pickpocket' also "define too much a 'self' and 'other".
Ms Butts has a BA in social anthropology and politics from SOAS (widely known as the School of Anti-Semites in the circles I move in). Naturally, she was not elected to this post, but could have acquired this job in one of a number of ways:
"The Metropolitan Police Authority has twenty-three members, twelve from the London Assembly appointed by the Mayor, four magistrates appointed by the Greater London Magistrates Courts Association and seven independent members, one appointed directly by the Home secretary, with the other vacancies appointed after being advertised openly. Members are appointed for a period of four years. The Chair of the MPA is chosen by the members themselves, all of whom are eligible".
Any further gems from Ms Butts will be very welcome.
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 02, 2006 at 8:36 am.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
Just love the word appointee, it just smacks of patronage and is positively mediaeval.
Agreed, guthrum.
Every quango in Britain needs to be shut down with the greatest urgency. This country only masquerades as a democracy.
» Post a Comment