rahrahrah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There is such an obvious difference between > referring to 'gammon' (basically 'people who are a > bit reactionary') and insulting a small, often > vilified minority. Both are rude, but only one can > seriously be said to amount to something more > dangerous and irresponsible. Women wearing the > 'burka' are often the target of street abuse and > the kind of language used by Alexander de Pfeffel > Johnson echos the language of street abuse quite > intentionally. It also has to be seen in the > context of his previous 'gaffes' where he has said > things which belie an unsavoury attitude to people > in less powerful positions to himself. For example > referring to black people as "piccaninnies" with > "watermelon smiles", gay people as "bumboys" and > saying that if equal marriage was acceptable why > not "three men and a dog". There are others. The > problem is the power differential between a > politician and national newspaper columnist and > the minority groups he likes to publicly mock and > bully. And now the tiresome Christine Hamilton. Her departure was, rightly, swift. She's apologised for "upsetting" some people and taken down her unnecessary and racist picture but no sign that she understands or cares about even thinking of posting in the first place.