That he’s been forced to step down because of a misjudgement when he called someone and ‘angry ape’ on Twitter
The recipient said he was racist and so ends an unblemished 30 odd years as a newsreader
"...he’s been forced to step down because of a misjudgement when he called someone and ‘angry ape’ on Twitter" He didn't call someone an 'angry ape'. He used a well-known Shakespeare quote which essentially says a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The quote has the words 'angry ape' in them, but it is a leap too far to suggest he called the other...
If you use a quote with 'angry ape' in the text and it causes offence to a person of colour then you have to accept that, he does after all use words every day in a professional manner.
We can all accept that some take offence when it is inappropriate. What we ought be less able to accept is large corporations using that as a feeble excuse to sack folk innocent of any wrongdoing. For shame !
//did he know the person on Twitter was a person of colour?
I’m not sure he did //
I'm a not sure if the person had updated their avatar, but then you cannot say 100% that he did not know.
//If you use a quote with 'angry ape' in the text and it causes offence to a person of colour then you have to accept that//
You have to accept that the offended take offence but you don't have to act upon it. The perpetually offended offend me but I don't expect them to lose their jobs over it. It is my burden to bear. Some people need to get over themselves.
I like Alistair Stewart and it's a shame it has come to this but it was obvious that he was 'debating' with a black man but even worse he had 'itn' as part of his Twitter handle. His comment was utterly stupid and ill considered especially as Alistair is a very intelligent, well educated man who should be thinking before he tweets.
For me, and possibly for Stewart as well, "ape" means "knuckle-dragging subhuman", not anything racial. This is crazy. He should no better than to get involved in a Twitter spat, but racist? Hardly.
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