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A Tory candidate (Philip Lardner) has been suspended from his party today for making a 'homophobic' remark on a website. Yesterday a Labour candidate (John Cowan) was suspended from his party for making an 'Islamophobic' remark on a website.
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Someone who didn't report the John Cowan story yesterday was our old friend Michael Crick. He made no mention of it on Newsnight. He did blog about it though. However, I note that he only posted about Mr Cowan at 16.08 today &, of course, he coupled the old news about Mr Cowan with the breaking news about Mr Lardner. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2010/04/latest_candidate_suspensions.html *
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So, Michael Crick didn't think Labour's Mr Cowan worth mentioning yesterday, or this morning, or early this afternoon. Yet within minutes (possibly seconds) of news breaking of a Tory candidate being suspended he rushes panting to his laptop, doubtless sending cats and kids flying in all directions, and his fingers become a blur of activity. Suddenly, he remembers Mr Cowan. Well, he could hardly not mention him if he were about to mention the errant Tory Mr Lardner!
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Another prediction: Michael Crick might mention the 'racist' John Cowan on tonight's Newsnight (a day late), but only because he will almost certainly feel the overwhelming urge to mention - and doubtless dwell on - the 'homophobic' Philip Lardner.
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UPDATE The BBC website covers both stories:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8647206.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8644018.stm
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Note how the Labour one features only the comments of people from the Labour Party, and highlights a Labour Party spokesman's 'anger'. The Conservative one, however, features the violently hostile views of a political opponent, Labour's Chris Bryant, and chooses to highlight them too!
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This pattern has been observed before.
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The BBC article on Mr Lardner begins: Tory election candidate Philip Lardner has been suspended for describing gay people on his website as "not normal", the party has confirmed.
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The article goes on to quote the 'offending' words (which don't describe gay people as "not normal", as the BBC alleges, only their behaviour. Can they not see the difference?)
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"As your MP I will support the rights of parents and teachers to refuse to have their children taught that homosexuality is 'normal' behaviour or an equal lifestyle choice to traditional marriage.
"I will always support the rights of homosexuals to be treated within concepts of (common sense) equality and respect, and defend their rights to choose to live the way they want in private, but I will not accept that their behaviour is 'normal' or encourage children to indulge in it.
"Toleration and understanding is one thing, but the state promotion of homosexuality is quite another."
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As I understand it Craig, Philip Lardner is attributed as saying "homosexuality is not normal".
ReplyDeleteI've always been at odds with the Stonewall invented word "homophobic" and I'll state here and now that I think the practice of a male inserting his penis into the anus and rectum of another male is not normal, much as as a male inserting his penis into the anus and rectum of a female is not normal.
Over here the ACLU is supporting the notion that NAMBLA is somehow acceptable.
http://www.search.com/reference/North_American_Man/Boy_Love_Association
It's only a matter of time before those who object to that are branded "homophobic".
Call me old-fashioned if you will, but this is one area where I will disagree with you.
Apart from that, stirling work as usual.
As regards the conservatives giving you polite and non-committal acknowledgements, I really do think they're keeping their powder dry with regard to the BBC.
Andy C
Andy, I'm with you wholeheartedly on the label 'homophobic', and on 'Islamophobic' for that matter.
ReplyDeleteSlapping a damning label on anyone who holds 'unfashionable' views is always an easy option for those who want to limit free speech, or just to score an easy point.
I should have put them in inverted commas.
In fact, I'll put them in inverted commas now (where they always belong).
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. Oh Brave New Conservative Party. A Conservative candidate can get sacked for making comments like that, can he? Like I've been saying, even if Cameron gets an outright majority, he'll be dancing to the BBC's tune as much in power as when he was in Opposition. This is outrageous.
ReplyDeleteVOTE UKIP 6th MAY!!!
The chances of David Cameron and his team taking any firm action against the BBC's institutional anti-Conservaive bias is as close to zero as you can get without actually being zero. I fear that a David Cameron lead Conservative government will let the BBC attack them from every angle (just as they did to John Major's government) whilst trying to placate them by not being tough enough on anyone who complains. This country is seriously screwed but the BBC and left-wing establishment will prevent tough action being taken.
ReplyDelete