[WillowTheWhisp]

If we go back to the opening topic and the question which was:

What other countries are flouting the PC rules??

We'll probably find that most countries try to flout the PC rules and that some succeed more than others because there are fewer peple there who support the "PC Brigade" - ie who actually agree with political correctness. (It's a common enough turn of phrase because we are at a loss to know who actually comes up with all this nonsense.)

It's unfortunate that there isn't PC Quango or Committee where we can take our grumbles and try to point out the blatantly obvious facts that calling a blackboard a blackboard isn't racism and ask who on earth decides that a nursery rhyme has to be reworded as "baa baa rainbow sheep" which is complete and utter nonsense. There just seems to be a faceless numberless "group" (for want of a better word) of people who see offences where non are intended. Even remarking on the fact that someone is a member of a particular ethnic group osn't in itself racist. We ought to be able to be who we are without being afraid of upsetting someone else who is of different ethnic origin. It made me smile to see that my daughter has on her MSN group of friends someone who calls herself something which I am not allowed to say.

Down the ages Jews have told Jewish jokes, Irishmen have told Irish jokes etc. The fact that they are a member of the group being joked about makes the joke acceptable where it wouldn't be accepatable if someone outside of that group told it. I've seen Asians telling "pa*i" jokes and other Asians laughing at them. Yet we still have shops being afraid to put "Merry Christmas" in the window for fear of upsetting someone who isn't even in the particular ethnic group it is deemed to offend.

When we laughed at "Till Death Us Do Part" and "Love Thy Neighbour" we weren't laughing at the people Jack Smethurst and Warren Mitchell's characters were ridiculing we were laughing atthe bigotted attitude of the mockers. Sadly the PC Brigade seem unable to see that.

Is it really as insane in other countries as it is here or do they take is all with more of the proverbial pinch of salt and carry on regardless?