Robert Kilroy-Silk

Jan. 11 - The suspension of Robert Kilroy-Silk is causing more ripples: BBC chiefs accused of 'double standards' over TV presenter:

The BBC was accused last night of operating double standards over its suspension of Robert Kilroy-Silk for his comments about Arabs while it continues to use a contributor who has called for Israelis to be killed.

Tom Paulin, the poet and Oxford don, has continued to be a regular contributor to BBC2's Newsnight Review arts programme, despite being quoted in an Egyptian newspaper as saying that Jews living in the Israeli-occupied territories were "Nazis" who should be "shot dead".

Andrew Dismore, the Labour MP, said he found it hard to understand why the BBC had moved against Mr Kilroy-Silk but had not taken any action against Mr Paulin.

"I am not defending anything Mr Kilroy-Silk has said, but I was greatly upset by what Mr Paulin said, and I think the rules should apply to people equally," said Mr Dismore. "Mr Paulin said awful things about Israel and Jewish people. He should have been kept off BBC screens while his own comments were investigated. I was surprised that that did not happen. It smacks of double standards on the part of the BBC."

Mr Paulin made his comments in the Egyptian weekly newspaper Al-Ahram almost two years ago, saying that US-born settlers in the occupied territories should be shot dead. "I think they are Nazis, racists. I feel nothing but hatred for them," he said, adding: "I never believed that Israel had the right to exist at all."

Expat Yank reports that the BBC page contains Kilroy-Silk's response:

BBC presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk has argued that he has a right to say "there are Arab states that are evil, despotic and treat women abominably".

Don't those of us who believe in human and especially women's rights have a duty to criticize states that violate those rights?

Tim Blair links to the Board of Management of Arab Press Freedom Watch head Egyptian Ibrahim Nawar who supports many of the statements of Kilroy-Silk as well as his right to make them.

Posted by: Debbye at 01:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 349 words, total size 2 kb.

Robert Kilroy-Silk

Jan. 10 - In all the posts over the BBC suspension of Robert Kilroy-Silk for his comments about the dubious achievements of Arab states, the ones that resonate with me are at Expat Yank here, here and here.

If he and I seem somewhat dismissive of those people who are claiming to be offended by an April column of Mr. Kilroy-Silk, maybe it's because we actually remember what was being said by Arab states last April, or maybe it's because we are offended on a daily basis by the tolerant and inclusive types in our respective countries.

As Robert points out in the 2nd link:

Come to think of it, I am often "offended," too. As a group, Americans are regularly -- and apparently easily -- targeted for a group condemnation by, to quote Trevor Phillips, "the weak-minded." [Robert gets bonus points for posting the quote before the BBC changed it. Such is the BBC journalistic integrity.]

[...]

>From an "anti-war" protest in another E.U. member state in February 2003, here is just one example of the numerous nasty things often said about Americans -- and as a whole people, by the way:

. . .The only thing everyone seemed to agree on is that Americans are evil. "Go home, killers!". . .

Well, it doesn't get much clearer than that, does it? That seems to be at least as rude as what Kilroy-Silk wrote, which supposedly "offended" so many.

Hmm, maybe that sort of rhetoric used within a European state and directed at Americans should be dealt with in the European Court of Human Rights? And has anyone thought to ring up Trevor Phillips and the CRE about such "indisputably stupid" comments? After all, that above appears on what is apparently a British-based, web site.

No, Americans would not look to pursue either avenue of possible redress or retaliation. That's because Americans believe in the freedom to shout out all manner of stupidity. And neither do Americans want anyone to try to use oppressive law to muzzle what might be considered "offensive" commentary about us.

We would rather have the freedom to shout back. One wonders, though, just how much longer we may have the freedom to do that? For it seems we are rapidly approaching a time where it is inappropriate to "offend" anyone EXCEPT Americans.

And from the first link, Robert points out

For an American, what is most shocking is not so much Kilroy-Silk's opinions (such as they are), but those last two sentences: In Britain, expressing an opinion about "race" that someone else might be "offended" by could well get you reported to the police by the Commission for Racial Equality.

Indeed, if George W. Bush had the power to pronounce a newspaper writer's article "indisputably stupid" and then call in the police, I'm sure the likes of Phillips would be bananas over that.

Anyone who reads the Toronto Star or watches the CBC or Showcase is exposed to offensive attitudes towards Americans on a regular basis: Made in Canada, anybody? Imagine the uproar if Made in Canada had a black American as protagonist.

How about the This Hour Has 22 Minutes segment "Talking to Americans'? Would it be as funny if it was "Talking to Ecuadoreans?" Or "Talking to Haitians?"

For those who protest no, it's against Bush and his policies, what tune are you going to sing when he wins by a large margin in November?

The playing field isn't level, folks; so long as the targets are American or Jewish, anything goes.

Posted by: Debbye at 06:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 570 words, total size 4 kb.

Tony Blair visits iraq

Jan. 4 - British PM Tony Blair made a surprise visit to southern Iraq today visiting troops and Basra governor, Judge Wael Abdullatif.

Posted by: Debbye at 07:38 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 31 words, total size 1 kb.

Right to Bear Arms

Jan. 3 - The conclusion from this is that whenever private gun owners use their weapons to stop violent crimes, the media doesn't report it. There are several instances cited in the report where the fact that a citizen was armed prevented death or injury, including an attack by a pit bull that was dealt with effectively and cases where children used guns to stop a mother or grandmother from being killed.

Draw your own conclusions. I believe in my right to defend myself and my property, as apparenty do BBC listeners.

UPDATE: Jack talks about living in a household with children and and gun here .

Posted by: Debbye at 09:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 115 words, total size 1 kb.