Why Such Political Correctness???

[eyethenkyew]

What was all that with a disparate load of people marching in at one point with a large Olympic flag?

We had the likes of Ban Ki Moon(UN Sec Gen), Doreen Lawrence(Mother of murdered Stephen Lawrence), Shami Chakrabarti(Of 'Liberty'), Daniel Barenboim(Classical Conductor), and a few other nondescripts carrying this flag.

Why??? What in hell's teeth do any of those have to do with the Olympic Games??? What was it meant to achieve or portray in the context of this worldwide event???

Keep politics out of sport!!!

[sp1814]

VHG

Difference is, Doreen Lawrence spent many years fighting for justice, whereas I can't think of an equivalent case where a white mother has similarly been denied justice.

The closest I can think of, is the mother of Keith Bennett who was killed by the Moors Murderers.

She campaigned and pleaded for years for the truth about location of her son's body, to no avail.

...but of course Brady and Hindley were white.

[Gromit]

VHG

Plenty of mothers of white boys murdered by black boys get justice and so they should. It took a campaign by a national newspaper for Mrs Lawrence to get justice. And it increasingly looks like there was corruption in the Police which hampered the murder investigation. The campaign by the Daily Mail heavily featured Mrs Lawrence and many people were impressed with her dignity. That is why she has been elevated as someone worthy of representing parts of the community.

[FredPuli43]

VHG, how many parents of white boys murdered by black boys [please give examples of the same] pursue their dead son's cause, past the acquittal of the murderers to the conviction of the same murderers, and manage to keep the case in the public eye throughout?

Interesting to read that Barenboim and Ban Ki Moon, in particular, are nondescripts ( or did you not mean the sentence to be read that way?)

[joeluke]

Flag carried by members from the Political Correctness Olympic team

Should have been carried by our 8 greatest living Olympians

[eyethenkyew]

The Stephen Lawrence murder was a truly horrendous act undoubtedly committed by racist swine - may they rot in hell!
The ultimate quest for justice by his family still does not qualify his mother to march at an Olympic Games opening ceremony.

Did we have the still grieving family, say, of PC Keith Blakelock invited? I don't think so, and that was a racist murder by black on white if ever I saw one. One which to this day remains unsolved.

[eyethenkyew]

FredPuli,

I'm the one who mentioned Ban Ki Moon and Barenboim - and, no, I did not mean them to be seen as "nondescript".

[sp1814]

Yes, and perhaps if the police hadn't spent all their efforts in fitting up Winston Silcott, they would've actually found his killers.

[daisya]

Politics shouldn't be in a lot of things and sport is definitely one of them in my opinion. I agree with Joe luke, flag should have been carried by previous Olympians, after all it is the Olympic games.

[eyethenkyew]

And perhaps if the Affro Caribbean community of Broadwater Farm who knew the identity of the killer had told the Police, they would have known exactly who to "fit up"?

[sir.prize]

10clarionst - You guessed what would be in it? I don't think so. No-one could have guessed THAT. It was spectacularly presented; and worthy of worldwide witnesses.

And everything was true - unlike your Alan Hansen story . . . yawn.

[sir.prize]

10clarion - there will be 540 Team GB competitors ALL carrying the British flag.

[sp1814]

The blame for that lay at the feet of the police, and no-one else.

[eyethenkyew]

Spoken like a true apologist for murderers. I'm sure that the widow and family of the almost decapitated Police Officer would agree with you?

[Duncer]

BUt didn't the American boycott of the Moscow Olympics eventually lead to the Soviets leaving Afghanistan?
Credit where credit's due.

Sandy, I would normally bow to your superior intellect, but I suspect that the heavy Soviet losses and the untameable nature of Afghanistan had a lot more to do with it.

[Duncer]

Sp1814, I enjoyed it immensely, but you picked some strange highlights (I know, each to their own and all that, but I have to comment).

Bond and The Queen - a tad cheesy, but good.
Dizzee Rascal - dreadful doggerel wrapped up as music.
Emile Sande - out of tune and montonous, although I know she can sing.
Rowan Atkinson - sweet Jeez???? Why do people laugh because he can pull funny faces?
The fireworks - absolutely superb and ruined by the BBC cutting away.
The children's literature section - quite good, and refreshingly upbeat.
The history of British music - loved it, a real nostalgia fest.
The pogo'ing punks - a real highlight from a great show.
The recreation of the industrial revolution - pretty good and pleasing visually.
Beckham on the speedboat - so what?
The lighting up of London - and the stadium, all magnificent.

My other highlights would be the vibrancy and colour of quit a few of the African nations as they paraded.
The sheer enjoyment on the faces of the participants.
The cauldron.
The light show within the stadium.
The lovely touch by some countries who entered with their own flags and union flags

Potential improvements, Coe and Rogge to learn the meaning of brevity. The queen to smile. McCartney to emigrate and never come back.

[sp1814]

Duncer

Each to their own...but you know what? Practically everyone has slated Paul MacCartney's performance.

At least with that, we're all united.