hibiedude
14-03-2009, 05:40 AM
Like him or hate him Jeremy Clarkson column in today's sun newspaper is interesting reading.
MOST right-thinking people will have been upset when they learned that a small group of Muslims in Luton had welcomed the Anglian Regiment home from Iraq with banners saying “baby butchers”.
But as we live in a free country, there’s not a damn thing we can do to stop this sort of nonsense happening again.
Shooting the protesters in the face, though tempting, is a no-no. Talking to them is as pointless as talking to a lawnmower.
And if you try to ban them, using the law, you’re going to find your solicitor just smiles the smile of a man whose hands are tied.
People are allowed to protest. The end.
Which is why, once again, I find myself daydreaming about the idea of creating a Minister of Common Sense. Someone who could step in and act on our behalf when the law can’t help.
Think about it. He’d look at those soldiers coming home from the heat and dust of Iraq. And he’d realise that after all the hardship and danger they’d endured, calling them baby butchers is at the very least bad manners.
So the protesters would be arrested, charged with being impolite and sentenced to spend the rest of time in, oh I don’t know, Melton Mowbray.
There are countless times every week, in fact, where a Minister of Common Sense could be used. Take the example this week of the policeman who claims racial discrimination after fellow officers laughed at his beard.
Legally, he may have a point. As a Muslim he is duty bound to have face hair and people should respect his efforts to grow some. No matter how stupid the end result may look.
But there is no way in hell that he should get a lump of taxpayers’ money because he got teased. The Minister of Common Sense would realise that and order the case to be dismissed
Then on Thursday we heard about the airline pilot — a Gulf War hero — who allowed a passenger into the cockpit during a flight.
Technically, this breaches anti-terrorism laws and he should be sacked.
But a Minister of Common Sense would realise that the man in question was Robbie Savage, a footballer for Blackburn Rovers, and therefore not a terrorist. And order the pilot to be reinstated.
There’s more. Earlier this week we heard about a sacked paper boy who is claiming £8,000 for “injury to his feelings”.
Two choices. The case goes to court at vast expense. Or the Minister of Common Sense steps in and, at a cost of nothing at all, says: “Oh don’t be daft.”
Then we move to this week’s inquiry into Press freedom.
Currently, the law that allows journalists to pry into the private life of someone they suspect is selling nuclear secrets to the Iranians also allows a man from the Daily Mirror to ferret about in my garage. And that’s obviously ridiculous.
But instead of trying to rewrite the rule book or set up a new body to oversee complaints, why not simply use the Minister of Common Sense?
Should a journalist be allowed to say Kate McCann murdered her child, when there isn’t a shred of evidence?
Should a journalist be allowed to go through Robert Mugabe’s hard drive?
It goes on. Should Channel 4 be allowed to merge with the BBC?
Should RBS shareholders be encouraged to help themselves to shrubs from Fred Goodwin’s flower beds?
Should Peter Mandelspoon be allowed to spend £2,000 a year — of our money — on flowers? No.
Should school children be allowed to play conkers? Yes.
You don’t need committees and meetings and eleventy-four million pounds every time there’s a dispute. You just need a bloke with a bit of nous.
I do not agree with everything Clarkson says but he does have some valid points.
MOST right-thinking people will have been upset when they learned that a small group of Muslims in Luton had welcomed the Anglian Regiment home from Iraq with banners saying “baby butchers”.
But as we live in a free country, there’s not a damn thing we can do to stop this sort of nonsense happening again.
Shooting the protesters in the face, though tempting, is a no-no. Talking to them is as pointless as talking to a lawnmower.
And if you try to ban them, using the law, you’re going to find your solicitor just smiles the smile of a man whose hands are tied.
People are allowed to protest. The end.
Which is why, once again, I find myself daydreaming about the idea of creating a Minister of Common Sense. Someone who could step in and act on our behalf when the law can’t help.
Think about it. He’d look at those soldiers coming home from the heat and dust of Iraq. And he’d realise that after all the hardship and danger they’d endured, calling them baby butchers is at the very least bad manners.
So the protesters would be arrested, charged with being impolite and sentenced to spend the rest of time in, oh I don’t know, Melton Mowbray.
There are countless times every week, in fact, where a Minister of Common Sense could be used. Take the example this week of the policeman who claims racial discrimination after fellow officers laughed at his beard.
Legally, he may have a point. As a Muslim he is duty bound to have face hair and people should respect his efforts to grow some. No matter how stupid the end result may look.
But there is no way in hell that he should get a lump of taxpayers’ money because he got teased. The Minister of Common Sense would realise that and order the case to be dismissed
Then on Thursday we heard about the airline pilot — a Gulf War hero — who allowed a passenger into the cockpit during a flight.
Technically, this breaches anti-terrorism laws and he should be sacked.
But a Minister of Common Sense would realise that the man in question was Robbie Savage, a footballer for Blackburn Rovers, and therefore not a terrorist. And order the pilot to be reinstated.
There’s more. Earlier this week we heard about a sacked paper boy who is claiming £8,000 for “injury to his feelings”.
Two choices. The case goes to court at vast expense. Or the Minister of Common Sense steps in and, at a cost of nothing at all, says: “Oh don’t be daft.”
Then we move to this week’s inquiry into Press freedom.
Currently, the law that allows journalists to pry into the private life of someone they suspect is selling nuclear secrets to the Iranians also allows a man from the Daily Mirror to ferret about in my garage. And that’s obviously ridiculous.
But instead of trying to rewrite the rule book or set up a new body to oversee complaints, why not simply use the Minister of Common Sense?
Should a journalist be allowed to say Kate McCann murdered her child, when there isn’t a shred of evidence?
Should a journalist be allowed to go through Robert Mugabe’s hard drive?
It goes on. Should Channel 4 be allowed to merge with the BBC?
Should RBS shareholders be encouraged to help themselves to shrubs from Fred Goodwin’s flower beds?
Should Peter Mandelspoon be allowed to spend £2,000 a year — of our money — on flowers? No.
Should school children be allowed to play conkers? Yes.
You don’t need committees and meetings and eleventy-four million pounds every time there’s a dispute. You just need a bloke with a bit of nous.
I do not agree with everything Clarkson says but he does have some valid points.