Category Archives: Political Correctness

This week’s “Tales from the ‘Freedom’ Files”

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This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1 From Spain  Animal Rights Groups Condemn Bullfighting in Film. Animal right’s activists are urging cinema goers to boycott the new film Manolete accusing the picture of glamorizing the role of the matador. Alliance Anticorrida, a French anti-bullfighting group, has sent a message to it’s 20,000 members urging them to avoid the film stating, “it is inadmissible to release a film in which the hero is a matador”. The joint British-Spanish production follows the life and death of Manolete, the legendary bullfighter. The film’s producers have tried to reassure activists that the story is about love, not killing, but their claim has fallen on deaf ears. It is worth mentioning that no real bulls were used during production.

#2 From England  Council Set to Ban Word ‘Obesity’. Liverpool City Council believes the word ‘obese’ could stigmatize youngsters and wants to replace the word with ‘unhealthy weight’. In a bid to avoid offending overweight children, the words obese and obesity would be dropped from all schemes and strategies aimed at improving children’s diets and health. But the plan is opposed by anti-obesity campaigners who feel that although the word carries a negative connotation, it could prove useful in addressing the seriousness of the problem. Tam Fry, chair of the obesity prevention charity Child Growth Foundation, maintains that school children must be taught the realities of life, stating, ” if your obese, you’re obese”.

#3 From Canada  Noise Violations May Prompt Fines. Ottawa City Council’s Community and Protective Services Committee has approved a proposal by councilor George Bedard which would see charges and fines levied against the hosts of loud parties. Councilor Bedard said that the city’s current way of handling noise complaints is ‘ineffective’, stressing ” we need to address this in a more efficient manner”. As it stands, staff who receive a complaint are directed to phone the residence and ask that the noise stop, usually ending the problem. Despite this, legal officials and police will be consulted and staff will report on their recommendations including possible noise bylaw amendments which would see hosts or their landlords who partake in or allow ‘noisy’ parties charged and/or fined. (Good thing Bluesfest has moved out of Bedard’s neighbourhood).

#4 From The U.K. Butcher Banned From Using Knives. A Sainsbury’s customer was stunned to learn that his butcher has been banned from de-boning a joint of lamb in case he cuts himself using a knife. Despite the fact that the butcher has been successfully chopping meat for 30 years and teaches young colleagues the art of meat dressing, he is forbidden from cutting lamb joints for his ‘own safety’. The embarrassed butcher said he simply couldn’t do it as he was not insured. A spokesman for Sainsbury’s market said ” Our colleagues who work on the meat counters are trained to use knives, but some have not received all the training to safely de-bone a lamb joint”.

#5 From The U.K. Great Grandmother Banned From Eating Cookie in Shop. An 86 year old great grandmother was threatened with security and banned by Marks and Spencer staff from eating a cookie inside their shop. Thelma Williams was confronted by security guards after she was caught eating a chocolate chip biscuit which she had purchased earlier from the store’s food section. Staff informed Mrs. Williams that she was not allowed to eat food bought outside the cafe, even if it was bought from the store with one employee telling her ” you’ve got to put that cookie away now or you might expect a heavy fine”.

Mrs Williams wanted to enjoy one of her biscuits with her tea after having lunch in the M&S cafe Chocolate chip cookies: Mrs Williams wanted to enjoy one of her biscuits with her tea after having lunch in the M&S cafe.

*** and the story we almost forgot….****

From Northern Ireland.  Green Party Plans to Ban Fox Hunting. The Green Party of Northern Ireland is poised to introduce a bill that would put an end to fox and stag hunting along with hare coursing. A key principle of the Green Party Northern Ireland states that ” the impact of society on the environment should not be ecologically disruptive”.  GPNI assembly member Brian Wilson said ” Legislation banning the hunt of wild mammals with dogs already exists in England, Wales and Scotland, so this bill will bring Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the U.K.”. A group known as Rural Ireland Says Enough (RISE) opposes the plan and led a 5,000 person strong protest through Waterford, fronted by six riders on horseback. A constitutional challenge to the controversial Hunting Act (2004) has already been dismissed by the courts. Similar legislation deeply polarized rural and urban Britain, prompting impassioned demonstrations on both sides of the debate with both continuing to be at odds.

Mulsim shoe tossing sanctioned as cultural ‘symbolic’ gesture

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3427824987_e0c07ae8ef.jpg

From The Telegraph U.K.

Muslim protesters ‘will be allowed to throw their shoes’

The Metropolitan Police has quietly sanctioned the throwing of shoes by Muslim protesters on the grounds that it is “a symbolic” political gesture rather than a criminal act of violence.

Published: 7:30AM BST 12 Apr 2010

The ruling emerged after a judge in the case of Aquib Salim, 21, a student who threw a shoe during last year’s Gaza protests in London dismissed a charge of violent disorder for the act.

His comments, at Isleworth Crown Court, mean that many of the 70 mainly Muslim protesters charged with violent disorder following the protests outside the Israeli embassy could also escape prosecution if they threw shoes rather than other missiles.

It has since been confirmed by the Crown Prosecution Service that the judge’s decision was based partly on guidance issued by police in 2008 shortly after an Iraqi journalist threw a shoe at George Bush during a press conference in Baghdad.

It has led to an increase in the practice, with protesters hurling shoes at Downing Street and at the US consulate in Edinburgh during the Gaza protests.

Chris Holt, Salim’s solicitor, said his client was likely to escape with a suspended sentence for another offence of throwing a stick at police – an offence to which he pleaded guilty.

“The court accepted that the earlier shoe-throwing incident was simply a ritual form of protest and therefore not a criminal act of violence,” he said.

The form of protest is based on the Muslim belief that shoes and particularly their soles are unclean.

Lindsey German, of the Stop the War coalition which has led a series of protests against the Iraq and Afghan wars, said the group sought advice from police on shoe-throwing for a protest outside Downing Street after the Baghdad protest.

“They said that was OK and there was a facility allowed for people to bring old pairs of shoes. Afterwards, they joked that they didn’t realise we were going to throw the shoes so hard,” she told The Sunday Times.


NHS sharia compliant; Muslims exempt from hygeine rules in hospitals

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From The Telegraph U.K.

Muslim staff escape NHS hygiene rule

Muslim doctors and nurses are to be allowed to opt out of strict hygiene rules introduced by the NHS to restrict the spread of hospital superbugs.

Published: 12:30AM BST 11 Apr 2010

Muslim doctors and nurses are to be allowed to opt out of strict hygiene rules introduced by the NHS to restrict teh spread of hospital superbugs.

Photo: MARTIN POPE

Female staff who follow the Islamic faith will be allowed to cover their arms to preserve their modesty despite earlier guidance that all staff should be “bare below the elbow”.

The Department of Health has also relaxed rules prohibiting jewellery so that Sikh members of staff can wear bangles linked with their faith, providing they are pushed up the arm while the medic treats a patient.

The Mail on Sunday reported the change had been made after female Muslims objected to being required to expose their arm below the elbow under guidance introduced by Alan Johnson when he was health secretary in 2007. Continue Reading →

This week’s “Tales from the ‘Freedom’ files”

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This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1 From Finland. (Telegraph)  Finnish Postal Service to Open Mail, Send Scanned e-Mail Copies. In a bid to both reduce CO2 emissions and the present number of postmen, Finland will begin opening household mail. Intimate love letters, payslips, overdue bills and personal messages will not be spared under the new voluntary, controversial scheme. Itella, the state owned company which runs the Nordic country’s postal system insists the highly automated process of converting letters to electronic documents will be conducted under ‘special secured premises’ where staff are bound by strict confidentiality conditions. Director at Itella Tommi Tikka, likens the move to web banking. But others vehemently disagree, comparing the initiative to what the KGB did in it’s time in the Soviet Union and the Stasi in East Germany. But Finns who long for the tactile touch and scent of real stationary need not worry; once their mail has been opened and scanned, it will be returned to it’s envelope(s) and delivered in normal fashion with the postman delivering only twice per week.

#2 From The U.K. (Telegraph) Teachers Ordered To Smile at Students. Teachers at Buile Hill Visual Arts College in Salford received a memo from a senior staff teacher telling them to begin each school day with a smile and to avoid making students ‘bored’ by setting words that are either too hard or too easy. The demand is part and parcel of a broader government initiative listing pupil entitlements and issues arising from “student voice discussions” giving children more power in respect of their schooling. iPhones have been issued to some students at a secondary school in Kent enabling them to instantly report on teachers. In one instance, a candidate for a teaching position was asked during an interview by a student panel to sing Michael Jackson’s Bad and after refusing to do so, was not offered the job. The most recent episode involved a head teacher who was forced out of her new role after a Facebook campaign by pupils angry at her appointment. Teachers are now being told, “Don’t be surprised if you are asked to explain your actions if you are found in violation of the agreed expectations”.

#3 From Canada. (CBC News)  Smoking Ban Floats at Vancouver’s Beaches, Parks. Keeping in line with Canada’s compulsion for bans, the Vancouver Park Board is considering outlawing smoking at beaches, parks and playgrounds. Smoking is already banned in all public buildings, bus shelters and near open windows and entrances in British Columbia. In an online survey conducted last year, over 600 people responded with 90% in favor of some type of smoking restriction in parks and on beaches. Park Board commissioner Raj Hundal said a total ban is one option up for discussion at a board meeting to be held April 19. He added ” I think the public is demanding we look at the issue. Whether it will be an outright ban or a modified version of the (existing) ban, we owe it to the public to examine the issue and make a decision from there”. Neighboring North Vancouver, White Rock and West Vancouver already have smoking restrictions at beaches and parks.

#4 From Denmark. (Reuters)  Solidarity Strike for Suds at Carlsberg. Warehouse and driver staff at the Danish brewery Carlsberg halted work for a second day Thursday protesting a company decision which would limit beer drinking to lunch breaks. In response to the introduction of new rules for employees on beer drinking at work and seeing refrigerators emptied of pints, over 800 workers walked off the job in protest with other staff striking in sympathy. Drivers retain an old right to 3 beers per day outside lunch hours and warehouse workers claimed the same right. Jens Bekke, spokesman at the world no.4 brewer said there would be no shipments from Copenhagen with delays in the rest of the country. The financial effect of the strike is set to be minor.

The strike in Denmark followed the company's April 1 decision to introduce new rules for employees on beer drinking at work. Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg News

*** and the story we almost forgot…..***

From The U.K. (Telegraph)  BNP Teachers Should Be Banned. Activists from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has said that members of the British National Party should be banned from the classroom. A  motion to the conference called for ‘united action’ against the BNP and other groups such as the English Defence League with an amendment to the resolution demanding an all-out ban.

The comment follows the publication of a government review which said there was no justification for banning teachers from joining extremist organizations. BNP members are already banned from working as prison officers and activists insist the same ban be applied to the education service. Jean Roberts a delegate from Hammersmith and Fulham, west London said that although she opposes BNP’s views and that any teacher who promotes racist views should be barred from the classroom, she doesn’t agree that the state should bar teachers from joining any presently legal political party. “ To remove such a basic civil right, the right of association, something trade unionists hold precious, is in my view a grossly disproportionate response” she said.

BNP teachers 'should be banned'

A motion to the conference called for united action to oppose the BNP and other groups such as the English Defence League Photo: John Robertson

Responding, BNP communications officer Paul Golding said “ It’s a dangerous road to go down, once you start banning political beliefs. Isn’t that the sort of thing always lambasted by democratic politicians, banning people based on (their) political beliefs?”.

Matt Gurney: Starve the hungry; feed the ethnically enlightened

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National Post…The topic of campus racism has been much on my mind lately, ever since the latest eye-roller from Queen’s University. I’ve given Queen’s a rough time before, but I swear it’s not personal. I have nothing against the school, no grudge or axe to grind. But this is the third time in the last eighteen months that I’ve found myself writing about some politically correct insanity there.

The first was about the case of a female cabaret dancer being told she was oppressing women after appearing, dressed appropriately for the part, at a campus event. The next told the story of a young woman at an on-campus Halloween party being thrown out of the event because her feathered headdress was insulting to natives. The slutty nun holding a Pope on a dog’s leash and the priest with the enormous erection, however, were completely acceptable costumes.

The newest one takes the proverbial cake. Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS) last week cancelled a food-bank fundraiser that was going to include “sumo wrestler suits.” These rubber costumes turn even the slimmest, fittest wearer into a clumsy, waddling laughing stock — precisely the sort of thing that makes for good, harmless entertainment at fundraisers. Not so fast, says the AMS. Those suits are racist! Continue Reading →

Anti-Islam decals improperly banned at Camp Lejeune, judge rules

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From NewsOK.com

Jesse Nieto’s stickers included one that said “ISLAM (equals) TERRORISM” and another with a threat to defecate on the Quran. He also had a decal to commemorate the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, in which 17 shipmates died including Nieto’s youngest son.

“His vehicle is a way to express his mourning and anger,” said Nieto’s attorney, Robert Muise. Nieto has been driving a different vehicle to his on-base job since the summer of 2008, but Muise said he plans to return with his decals next week. He has worked at Lejeune since 1994 and previously served 25 years in the Marine Corps, including two combat tours as an infantryman in Vietnam.

U.S. District Judge Malcolm J. Howard said in a ruling posted Wednesday that a Lejeune regulation targeting inflammatory speech on base was improperly applied to Nieto’s decals and not to pro-Islamic messages that may be just as incendiary. Howard concluded that the application of the rule violated Nieto’s free speech.

“While military officials are entitled to great deference in restricting speech to further the military’s needs, they may not do so in a manner that discriminates against a particular point of view,” Howard wrote in his decision. Continue Reading →

This week’s “Tales from the ‘Freedom’ Files”

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This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1 From The U.K.  Council Shuts Down Art Club Claiming Children are ‘Too Middle-Class’. Paint Pots Arts Club, a children’s care centre for kids under five has been forced to close after council deemed the families using it were too middle-class. The Paint Pots Art Club, part of the Sure Start child care scheme introduced across Britain in 2000,  is one of the busiest centres catering to children of all backgrounds. But despite it’s popularity, Hackney Council in East London pulled the plug claiming not enough ‘deprived’ families were represented at the service. Officials concluded that 68% of all users were white and not sufficiently ‘vulnerable’. Paint Pots director Ella Ritchies was told by the Learning Trust to canvas both the Turkish and Kurdish communities and council estates to try to spark interest but most canvassed were not interested in attending. “Based on our monitoring information, the Art Club is not reaching the families who have the most difficult needs. Accordingly, I have to advise you that the contract for the Art Club will end March 31” said an official from the Ann Taylor Children’s Centre.

#2 From Canada.  Street Hockey Dad Fights Fine. More than 500 people have signed a petition to strike down a Montreal area West Island bylaw that forbids street sports, after a father was fined for playing hockey outside with his son and friends. David Sasson and his seven year old son were playing street hockey on a residential street in Dollard-des-Ormeaux when public security officers who patrol the neighbourhood issued Mr. Sasson a $75 fine resulting from a noise complaint. ” That’s the way we have worked all these years” said acting Mayor Zoe Bayouk. The bylaw forbidding playing in the street has been in Dollard-des-Ormeaux since 1992. Mr. Sasson is fighting the fine and has since organized another game in protest.
File:Dick and Jane.jpg

#3 From Russia.  Russia Bans Hitler’s ‘ Mein Kampf”. Adolf Hitler’s book ” Mein Kampf” has been banned in Russia in an attempt to combat the growing allure of far-right politics. Prosecutors claim the 1925 semi-autobiographical book’s outline of racial supremacy has encouraged extremist and violent behaviour. Sova, a Moscow based non-governmental organization responsible for tracking racist violence, stated that 60 people were killed and 306 injured in hate attacks in Russia last year. The ban was initiated after a regional office of the prosecutor sought new ways to combat extremism. In 1950, George Orwell’s novel ” Nineteen Eighty Four” was banned by the Soviets as Stalin believed it to be a satire based on his leadership and was not re-released and legalized until 1990 after extensive ‘editing’. William Gray’s novel ” Fun With Dick and Jane” also seized, remains on the banned list due to it’s pro-American content. (In 2009, Reporters Without Borders ranked Russia 153 out of 175 in the Press Freedom Index. According to International Press Institute, Russia is the most dangerous European country for journalists).

1984first.jpg
British first edition cover

#4 From The U.K. School Bans Photographs of Pupils. West Community College in Watford, Herts has informed the parents of attending pupils that new restrictions would be put in place banning photographs being taken of students. The letter said in order to ‘safeguard’ pupils, parents, carers and friends could no longer photograph or videotape school events including sport days, drama plays and school trips. The school is thought to be the first in the country to apply such a blanket ban. School officials cite the necessity of the measure to protect students from ‘on-line exploitation’ and ‘ the threat of cyber-bullying’. Camera equipment will be prevented from being taken onto school grounds. The decision had been made after pictures of children were used inappropriately online, resulting in legal action taken against schools. The letter concluded by saying “I appreciate that you may be upset by this decision but hope you will understand the need for the school to protect the safety of our students at all times”.

#5 From The U.K.  Five Year Old Boy Left Stranded in Tree Due to Health and Safety Policy; Good Samaratin Reported to Police. A mischievous five year old boy climbed a school tree and soon found himself unable to climb back down leaving him stranded. Following health and safety guidelines, teachers at Manor School in Melksham, Wiltshire are banned from helping and, retreated inside the school to ‘observe from a distance’ so the child would not become distracted and fall. The boy was only rescued when passer-by Kim Barrett noticed the child and helped him down herself. But instead of being thanked for her good deed, the headteacher reported her to police for trespassing. The associate head “didn’t appear to be at all concerned” said Ms. Barrett. Headteacher Beverly Martin confirmed the school’s policy which prevents staff from going to the aid of children who have climbed trees. ” The safety of our pupils is our priority and we would like to make it clear that this child was being observed at all times”. To protect children, we cannot assume that people who enter school grounds without permission have innocent intentions and (we) must act accordingly. I am sure these expectations are the same in every school and are centered on children’s well being”.

…..And the story we almost forgot to mention……..
“Watch Your Mouth Ann”. University of Ottawa tells right-wing, American pundit Ann Coulter to watch her mouth urging her to use ‘restraint’, ‘respect’ and ‘consideration’ during one of a trio of speaking engagements booked at Canadian university campuses. Vice president and provost Francoise Houle advised Coulter via e-mail to ‘inform herself of Canadian hate speech and defamation laws’ before giving her talk. Days later her speaking engagement was canceled. Blame is abundant on all sides of the Coulter incident; police  and university officials say it was the event’s organizers who shut it down and event organizers said it was police warnings of anti-Coulter demonstrators claiming they could not guarantee her safety. But after sifting through the mess, one things is abundantly clear as The National Post points out in an editorial of March 25:
” It matters little who is correct (both could be). The true cause is the same either way: angry left-wing students and protesters who cannot bear the idea of people they dislike having a say”. It was not Ms. Coulter’s controversial views that forced the cancellation. Nor, in the end, was it any specific action by politically correct university administrators. Rather it was the potential for violence from the crowd outside that silenced her, which sets a very dangerous precedent for free speech in this country”.
” Universities used to fight vigorously for the free expression of ideas, all sorts of ideas, even discomforting and controversial ones. Now they seem to stick up only for those ideas backed up by the promise of anger, violence and vandalism”. Indeed, a triumph for thuggery over scholarship.

Islamophobia is a threat to democracy

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Muslims and thier allies respond

Those poor misunderstood Muslims

 GAURDIAN NEWS… We are concerned by the rise of Islamophobia, the negative coverage of Muslims in the media, the violent street mobilisations of extreme rightwing organisations like the English Defence League, and the rising electoral support for the British National party (The battle for Barking, Weekend, 13 March). Following Channel 4’s recent inflammatory documentary, Britain’s Islamic Republic, which saw concentrated attacks on the East London Mosque, the English Defence League marched through central London with placards including the demand “Close the East London Mosque now”.

The East End of London is not new to having its communities attacked by fascists and the media. The 1930s saw the Battle of Cable Street when Oswald Mosley’s blackshirts attempted to march into the Jewish community in the area. We cannot allow this terrible history to repeat itself. Further, the documentary, and articles since, have attacked the participation in politics by the Muslim community. We cannot stand by and watch this continue without remark or action.

In the runup to the general election, all parts of the population should be actively encouraged to exercise their votes. That is democracy. We welcome the work of organisations who work to this end. We call for solidarity and support for those organisations that work to encourage political participation from all sections of society, including Muslims, and condemn those who seek to undermine it. Continue Reading →

Britain’s Islamic Republic. Dispatches report in 5 parts

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MP quizzed by police after saying ‘wearing burkha was like having paper bag over your head’

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 MAILONLINE… An MP was investigated by police for inciting racial hatred over controversial burkha comments following complaints from a human rights association.

Conservative MP Philip Hollobone said wearing a burkha was the religious equivalent of ‘going round with a paper bag over your head’.

During a parliamentary debate last month he urged the House of Commons to ‘seriously consider’ banning the garment.

Now it has emerged police received a complaint about the Kettering MP a few days after his comments from the Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC).

Officers rang Mr Hollobone to say a complaint had been made but the Crown Prosecution dropped the case a few days later as there were no grounds for prosecution.

Debates in Westminster are protected by parliamentary privilege but Mr Hollobone said the complaint could have related to comments made inside or outside the Commons.

He blasted the ‘hypocritical and ‘patronising’ NREC today for championing freedom of speech while attempting to have him prosecuted.

Last month the organisation sent the outspoken MP a letter criticising his stance on Muslim women who chose to wear the burkha in public.

Mr Hollobone said: ‘It’s complete hypocrisy. They talk on one hand about freedom of speech and expression and then without even making contact try to get me prosecuted.

‘In this country you should be able to have a debate about controversial subjects without the threat of police action. That’s how democracy works. Continue Reading →

Dozens arrested as anti-Muslim English Defence League protestors battle rivals

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UAF supporters Bolton 10

UAF supporters Bolton 10

 TIMESONLINE… Riot police battled to control thousands of rival demonstrators taking part in an ill-tempered city centre protest organised by a controversial right-wing group.

Hundreds of officers, some horse-mounted and armed with batons, separated supporters of the English Defence League (EDL) and members of Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

Two officers were injured following ugly clashes: one fractured a finger, the other was bitten by a police dog. A police helicopter was also dispatched to assist the officers on the ground. There was a total of 67 arrests, 55 of which were UAF supporters and the remaining 12 EDL, police said.

The EDL organised the rally in Bolton, Lancashire, to protest against “radical Muslims” and Sharia law. At its height there were some 2,000 EDL and a further 1,500 UAF protestors.

The main protest took place in front of the town hall, which was boarded up to prevent any damage. Many local pubs and shops closed and taxi firms pulled their drivers off the roads.

Council leaders had met with Home Secretary Alan Johnson earlier this week in a bid to ban the demonstration, but were told there was no power to do so unless it took place on private property.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan, who is leading the operation for Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said: “Today in Bolton we have seen groups of people, predominantly associated with the UAF, engaging in violent confrontation. Continue Reading →

Rise in marriages between cousins ‘putting children at risk of birth defects’, warns Baroness

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MAILONLINE… A rise in the number of marriages between cousins in Britain has prompted calls for a crackdown on the practice amid warnings it is putting children’s health at risk.

Crossbench peer Baroness Deech has called for a ‘vigorous’ public campaign to deter marriages between family members, which is common in Muslim and immigrant communities.

Her comments come as figures show up to 75 per cent of British Pakistanis in some areas are married to first cousins.

In a speech to be made next week, obtained by The Times, the leading family lawyer will warn that such marriages can be a barrier to the integration of minority communities and increases the risk of birth defects in children.

She is also expected to call for testing for genetic defects when marriages between family members are arranged and for a register of people carrying genetic diseases to be set up in order for two carriers not to be introduced.

She said such a scheme could be possible in Bradford, which has the UK’s highest population of Pakistanis. 

Up to three-quarters of Pakistanis in Bradford are married to their first cousins.

The trend is also evident in Birmingham, where figures show that one in ten of all children born to first cousins died in childhood or suffered from a serious genetic disorder.

British Pakistanis, half of whom marry a first cousin, are 13 times more likely to produce children with genetic disorders than the general population, according to Government-sponsored research.

Although British Pakistanis account for three per cent of the births in this country, they are responsible for 33 per cent of the 15 to 20,000 children born each year with genetic defects. Continue Reading →

This week’s “Tales from the ‘Freedom’ Files”

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This week’s stories remind us once again of how ‘old fashioned’, rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony Left in its mission to create a better, more thoughtful world continues to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser, dictatorial approach. Initially we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as we felt they may provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Quickly concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1 From the U.K. British Man Arrested by the Egg Police. A British auctioneer who attempted to sell a chest of drawers containing 100 year old bird’s eggs has been charged under laws designed to protect wildlife. Jim Railton thought the cabinet was just another piece of furniture but authorities disagreed. After a description of the common species eggs appeared in an auction catalogue, his salesroom was raided by police who were tipped off by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He was arrested and driven to the police station where he was fingerprinted and mouth swabbed for a DNA sample. If found guilty, he faces a $5,000 fine and 6 months in prison.

#2 From the U.S., Switzerland and Canada. Workers in Detroit Urged to Avoid Perfumed Products. Signs will be placed in city buildings in Detroit telling staff to refrain from using scented products such as cologne, aftershave, perfume, deodorants and face/body lotions. Scented candles and spray/solid air fresheners are also banned. The new regulation came into play after a city employee won a $100,000 settlement claiming colleagues perfume caused her breathing difficulty. Due to similar complaints, Zurich has banned perfume, plunging necklines, bad breath, shirts with patterns, too much make-up, overly manicured nails, gym shoes, messy beards and short trousers. Ottawa debated on a similar program that would outlaw perfume, scented soaps, cleaners and deodorants in public places.

#3 From the U.K.  British Police Banned from Asking for Christian Names. British police officers taking down a suspect’s particulars have been banned from asking for their Christian names should the practice offend Muslims, Sikhs and people of other faiths. They must instead ask for their ‘personal’ or ‘family’ name. Kent’s police diversity handbook also instructs officers to refrain from using phrases such as ‘ my dear’, ‘love’, ‘mixed-race’, ‘businessman’, ‘housewives’ and ‘child’ and warns officers not to comfort people by ‘putting their arm around them’. The rulebook for Kent police intends to ‘break down cultural barriers with diverse communities’ and such loose talk and gestures of comfort could be seen as embarrassing and unprofessional by some unfamiliar with the ease of traditional British norms. The Kent manual seems in keeping with NHS Trust who attempted to ban hot cross buns at it’s hospitals during Easter for fear of offense and Liverpool schools who have succeeded in their ban of the traditional bun along with pancakes.

#4 From Canada.  Butt Out! City of Waterloo to Ban Smoking in Apartments. As of April 1, a Waterloo regional policy is set to outlaw smoking in multi-unit apartment dwellings. The ban will apply to all new residents and to those previous tenants who wish to relocate to a new unit. “People’s health is important to us and we’ve taken a bold move”, says regional director of housing Deb Schlichter, adding ” not everyone is going to be happy with the change”. Ms. Schlichter also advocates the use of public health nurses to provide counseling and nicotine replacement therapy to those who wish to kick the habit but does not rule out the prospect of eviction as a last resort. Pressure groups have long lobbied for a complete ban on smoking including in the home. Sadly, tenant Gary Smith’s old fashioned sentiment is lost among the rhetoric of the Butt-Out-Brigade ” what I do in my apartment is nobody’s business”.

#5 From England, Scotland and Canada.  The Latest in the War on Fat: Council Bans Ice Cream Vans from Stopping Near Schools. Ice cream traders in London have been banned from parking outside schools or in town centers in a bid by Hillington Council to improve children’s diets. Council claims they have been forced into action because healthier eating habits in children must be encouraged. Ice cream vendors found in defiance of the ban risk having their van(s) impounded. “An ice lolly is only unhealthy if you have 3 or 4 in one go” said ice cream vendor Pete Bhogal. The ban applies to nurseries through secondary schools.

Council bans ice cream vans from stopping outside schools

Traders in Uxbridge, Ruislip and Hayes, west London, will be forced to sell ice creams only in residential streets Photo: AFP/GETTY

The promotion of healthier eating habits in children including a ban on baked potatoes for pupils, is just one issue being tackled by health desk-jockeys. School administrators in Scotland have folded sleep lessons for teens into the curriculum warning them of the health hazards of late night t.v. and the benefits of an early bed time. This is done despite the fact that most parents are perfectly qualified to teach good sleeping habits to their own children within their own homes. Meanwhile, one Calgary school has banned kids from skateboarding to it’s school as officials have mistaken them for weapons. The fact that skateboarding is a healthy form of exercise seems to escape such skinny minded bureaucrats, as the city of Calgary also frowns on skateboard ramps, basketball hoops and hockey nets.

British police banned from asking for Christian names; may cause offense to Muslims, Sikhs

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From The Telegraph U.K.

Police officers banned from asking for ‘Christian’ names

Police officers have been banned from asking for a person’s “Christian” name because it might offend people with other religious beliefs.

By Richard Edwards, Crime Correspondent
Published: 12:18PM GMT 18 Mar 2010

Officers taking down a suspect’s particulars must now ask them for a “personal and family name” in case the word “Christian” offends Muslims, Sikhs or other faiths, according to the new official guidance.

Kent Police’s prescriptive diversity rulebook also tells officers to refrain from using phrases such as “my dear” or “love”, when addressing women for fear it may cause “embarrassment or offence”.

The guidelines warn that officers should not comfort people by “putting their arm around them” as it could be seen as “unprofessional”.

They also state that the term “mixed race” should be replaced by “mixed parentage” or “mixed cultural heritage”.

Police officers condemned the guidance as “the latest in a long line of annoying politically correct nonsense”.

Other recent examples have included Scotland Yard instructing officers not to use the phrase “gang rape” to describe such crimes because the term is too “emotive”. Sex attacks that involve more than one culprit are referred to as “multi-perpetrator rapes” instead.

Last year it was revealed that officers in Warwickshire had been warned not to say “Evenin’ all” – the phrase made famous by television show Dixon of Dock Green – because it could confuse people of “different cultural backgrounds” as to the time of day.

Other words now discouraged include, “businessman”, “housewives” and “child”, all of which organisations argue have negative connotations.

The new rulebook for Kent police, which has almost 7,000 officers, staff and community support officers, says it intends to “promote clearer communication” and “break down barriers” with diverse communities.

“Do not underestimate how your own cultural background may affect your perception and behaviour towards others,” it warns.

One veteran Kent police officer of 15 years, who did not wish to be identified, said: “Most of us are fully aware of how to treat people from different cultural backgrounds, but being told we can’t even ask what their ‘Christian’ name is just plain ridiculous.

“That is what we are brought up with – Christian name and surname – and to be honest if you had an officer ask for your personal name and family name it’s just going to confuse people.

“It’s just the latest in a long line of annoying PC-related nonsense that we keep getting shoved down our throats.”

Marie Clair, spokesman for the Plain English Campaign, said: “I would like to know who these people with religious beliefs are that are allegedly so offended.

“I do not understand why someone in an office somewhere is coming up with these guidelines when there has been no outcry or complaints made public to suggest that the word “Christian” is offensive in this context.

“It is political correctness being pushed to its absolute limits. All common sense has been lost. Why can’t we use familiar language which people understand?”

This week’s “Tales from the ‘Freedom’ Files”

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This week’s stories remind us once again, of how ‘old fashioned’ rational thought is being replaced by ‘progressive’, irrational ideology. The Loony left in its’ mission to create a better, more thoughtful world, continue to cast aside what they consider the useless notions of public consultation, debate and majority consent in favour of their gentler, wiser dictatorial approach. Initially, we at vladtepesblog were reluctant to post these stories, as they may only provide more data for the social engineers of our cities to expand their role of government interference in our personal choices and anything else enjoyable. Concluding they will rail on regardless, we got over it. Enjoy.

#1 From Britain. Mother branded abuser for telling daughter of cesarean. Social workers have placed the five-year old daughter of a professional couple on the child register for ’emotional abuse’ after her mother told her she had been delivered by cesarean. Other allegations against the mother include cuddling her daughter for too long when dropping her off at nursery.  The intervention from Birmingham social services and a subsequent request to hold a child protection conference resulted from allegations which stemmed from the daycare. Friction developed between Mrs. Malik and the nursery after staff reported the child ‘bit her nails’ and was heard swearing.  Birmingham MP John Hemming responded saying ” This whole case is madness as there is no reason for the state to be involved in this little girl’s life in this way”.

#2 From Ottawa. Resident told to erase sidewalk chalk art. On one of the season’s first warm, sunny days, eleven year old Remi Ackert-Fraser made a big chalk drawing of a Canadian flag in front of her home in the Byward Market. The following day, complaints from neighbours led the grade 6 student’s mother Jamine Ackert to wash her daughter’s art away. “My neighbour said, ‘It looks like shit, and you should remove it”. The building’s property manager and the president of the condo association’s board told Ms. Ackert of the complaints citing some had said the chalk art had defaced the property. “What will they do now, asked Ackert, stop hopscotch in the Market?” The Market seems to attract partypoopers, the last being councilor Georges Bedard and his campaign to crackdown on rowdies, bad language and disorderly conduct.

#3 From the U.S. 119 words banned from use by radio broadcasters at WGN Chicago. The CEO of the troubled Tribune Company has made an effort to eradicate 119 all-too common words and phrases from the lexicon of WGN radio reporters dogged by cliches. Staff have also been given ‘bingo cards’ to keep tabs on each others usage and turn in offenders. They are urged to use the cards as a snitching tool to record the precise time and date if a fellow worker is found to be non-compliant.  A memo circulated to staff reads: ” The real goal here is to avoid using words that make you sound like you’re reading instead of talking–that shatter the image that you’re speaking knowledgeably to one person. By not using ‘news-speak’, you enhance your reputation as a communicator”. (Yes, ‘after the break’, ‘after these commercial messages’ and ‘in other news’ are on the list).

#4 From the U.K. Amateur gardeners urged to use peat free compost to lessen carbon footprint. The Environmental Secretary has called for a phasing out of peat compost sold by garden centers to green-thumbed householders by 2020 to combat its environmental impact. The recently launched campaign aims to raise awareness among homeowners of its negative impact and seeks to encourage such gardeners to find peat free alternatives. ” I know that the proposed 2020 phase-out for the amateur market will be challenging, but we know this is what we need to do”, said Environmental Secretary Hilary Benn. (Urges turn into needs and needs turn into bans).

#5 From the U.K. Charcoal next in line for outlaw status; meet Camden’s killjoy barbecue police. Primrose Hill community center in north London has been successfully hosting a summer barbecue festival for the community for three decades. But recent requirements by the Camden Council have dampened the festival’s fun. All staff, volunteers and artists attending must undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check. ‘Under-represented ethnic groups’ must be invited and any volunteer who wishes to man a barbecue stand must undergo a special how-to, health and safety course. All traditional charcoal barbecues have been replaced with gas units in a combined eco-friendly and risk-aversion safety bid with officials sent to ensure only the right kind of barbecue is being used by a qualified burger flipper. These bids are a natural spin-off of local authorities gone mad with ridiculous regulation.

*** And now the story of the week that we didn’t have time to mention……….

From the U.S., Canada and the U.K. New York’s state legislature considers banning salt from restaurants. Chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill that would prevent them from using salt while preparing food in restaurant kitchens. The legislation was brought forward by Felix Ortiz, Democrat Brooklyn, and if passed, would allow fines of $1,000 to be issued to any restaurant found in violation.  “We need to talk of the two ingredients of salt; health care costs and deaths”, Ortiz said adding, ” reducing the content of sodium content of food could save 100,000 lives in the city”. But salt shakers would stay in place on tables. Chefs understand that salt if used properly, is an essential ingredient in cooking, realizing it’s intrinsic ability to enhance natural flavours. It is a rare trained chef who would be advised to omit it’s use. New York chefs have banned together to fight the bill with one saying “modifying sodium intake needs to be home based for optimal health”.

But health lunacy is not confined to New York. Since the Ontario government has banned junk food from schools it has realized it needs to recoup vending revenues lost to the junk food ban. The solution? Replace junk food vending machines with water machines where kids buy ‘chilled’ drinking water. According to liberal logic it works something like this: ban the junk and ‘encourage’ kids to buy healthy water from a $10,000 vending machine, something they can already get from a fountain in the corridor so they can fund previous government idiocy.

If it’s a sniff of clean air you want, why not look to the National Trust in the U.K.? Responding to the high stress level of 74% of Brits, air has been collected in environmentally-friendly British made recycled glass jars providing harried UK workers with an instantly relaxed feeling.

Fresh air from the lakes
Fresh air from the Lakes

The air collected from the sea side, comes in several scents; lakeside aroma of Windermere, the smell of Townsend, the grass-filled air of Wiltshire and a wood-land scent from Surrey. Wondering if the air was trucked in? Never you mind, the jars can be recycled and filled with jam or preserves. Better yet, why not capture your own fresh air scent, say Bouquet de Bureaucracy or Eau d’ Enviro?