: Zealot speak.

   

The words we use and the plethora of people and media representatives who wish make as much mischief out of comments taken out of context are becoming the norm.

Amber Rudd the the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions made a comment in a radio interview to highlight the scandalous comments made on social media  against women and women of colour. It was the description 'women of colour' which ignited an uproar of condemnation from the usual places.   Shelagh Fogerty, the presenter on LBC was first out of the blocks condemning Rudd's use of the word 'coloured' suggesting it was pejorative and as all Presenters do these days she lines up the people to interview who she supposes will bolster her opinion. 

John Barnes the ex Liverpool player, a very articulate voice who often speaks out against racial prejudice had received a call from Fogerty asking for his opinion on Rudd's statement but in his usual forthright manner, he decried the criticism of Amber Rudd and whilst Fogerty twisted and turned trying to extricate herself from a position of having the table turned against her by one who knows what it means to receive racial abuse. His argument that the term Coloured or Black was irrelevant especially so when Rudd's concern was clearly stated, condemning racial taunts when directed at women and specifically black/coloured women. 

It highlighted the minefield of racial commentary and in a slightly different context the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradly who had tried to differentiate the crime of murder by members of a terrorist organisation and the shooting to death when carried out by solders acting under orders. 

This was in relation to the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland back in the 1970s. A number of British solders are due to be brought to trial for the killing of citizens at that time during the street clashes against the well armed IRA. The IRA on the other hand have been given amnesty for any killing they did at that time as part of a political settlement which wouldn't have gone through without the amnesty. Brady tried to make the point that serving solders were lawfully under arms whilst the IRA weren't. 

In both cases the uproar from groups who represent the factions who seek to make the most disruption out of what could be construed as reasonable comment, have provoked 
such a hoo ha that both ministers have had to go, cap in hand and apologise.

We are witnessing a weird time when an opinion if deemed racist or inappropriate has no place irrespective of the general public's cognisance and support. That class of people who profess sensitivity and the right to speak for so called minorities have commandeered that right to speak and any reasoned argument against them is deemed some sort of heresy.  

In Orwell's, 'Newspeak', a use of language characterised by continually diminishing vocabulary, reducing complete thoughts, to simple terms of simplistic meaning.

Language, so powerful and so important to a healthy society is in danger of being shut down by zealots.