Sarah Kennedy has put her foot in it again!

[persianlady]

I have just read in the evening paper that Sarah Kennedy has been reprimanded for something she said on her morning show. She allegedly said that she had nearly knocked over a black man in the dark. She said she had not seen him until he opened his mouth. (Dont you dare laugh!) Apparently, the BBC messageboard was inundated with protests. but a lot of people came to her defence, saying that what she was saying was relevant, and nothing to do with prejudice. It is fact based on science the science of light reflecting off objects. What do fellow ABs think?
Personally I think her remarks were pertinent to the subject of how dangerous it was for pedestrians wearing dark clothing in the dark. I think people have overreacted, to a perceived racial remark.

[cambus]

I think its a red card offence, instant dismissal, and rightly so.
Unfortunately she will have the right of appeal, thats Human Rights law for you!

[Drisgirl]

I dont see anything wrong with what she said -its a fact .

Hellish when you cant even mention something like this without people complaining -bet black people are getting sick fed up with the whining PC moaners - that to me is more insulting.

[naomi24]

Of course it's a fact, and of course people over-reacted, but don't they always these days? Remember all those World War II movies with camouflaged soldiers crawling through the undergrowth?

[persianlady]

Legend...... My husband does all that - and he cooks too!

Why have a dog and bark yourself? Doesn't make sense!

[fagidill]

If That 's What Sarah Kennedy See's, What The HELL Is Wrong With Saying So !! We Have Still Got Free Speech Or Has It Been Outlawed !! Try Writeing With Black Chalk On A Blackboard , Err I Think U Would Struggle To Read It. Do'nt U

[naomi24]

Legend, I'm not going to over-react - I've got to scurry off to do the ironing before my master gets home.

fagidill, yes, we do have freedom of speech - unless we say something like Sarah Kennedy said - and then the well-meaning PC brigade jump on board and do no one any favours.

[Lonnie]

Allow me to relate a true story, some of you may know that I was in the Military, years ago, anyway, we were serving in Malaya, and our unit had two Jamaican origin soldiers.
For a particular mission, we had to cam up, (use camouflage cream), on all exposed flesh.
These two, initially didn't, they said that because they were black, they wouldn't be seen. I had to threaten to put them on a charge, because skin, regardless of colour, shines.

leave young Sarah alone, her rambling is often thoughtless, and she doesn't mean anything by it, also, she definatley brightens up the morning.

[sukkie]

I think the whole story is ridiculous! I lived in Africa for forty years and was horrified to see what the people of this country has allowed the PC brigade and government to do. It has been reduced to a basket case. A person walks on egg shells in case an of the cuff remark ends up with a brush with the police. What sarah kennedy said is a fact but to be PC you have to pretend it is a fact that does not exist. Its like the politician who dressed as Mr Mandela, the PC brigade complained and the police started investigating until Mr Mandela himself said it was nonsense to call the person in question a racist. A normal man with a bit of common sense The PC brigade does not know what the word racist means, not suprising since they are a product of schools where children leave and can't even spell properly. What have you all allowed them to do to this once great country? Won't be long before they ban Christianity from what I have read.

[naomi24]

Lonnie, hello, how are you? Never thought of the skin shining, I have to admit, but what happened to Sarah actually happened to me once - and it certainly got my heart racing. I just missed him! In my opinion, she wasn't being thoughtless at all when she said this - it can happen, as I know all too well.

Apart from that, she does brighten up the mornings. Well, she makes me laugh anyway.

[tillyfloss]

I think the world has gone Political Correctness mad! By pointing out the differences between black and white skin does not make you a racist - the two skin types are different colours. If I say blue is different from red does that make me colourist! It's only if you are predjudiced against someone because of race that makes you a racist. She was simply saying what she saw and personally I am sick to death of all this PC rubbish. The other day I was told I couldn't say someone was Gay and that it had to be homosexual... even though that person calls themself Gay - I was not allowed to! Where will it end! The PC brigade has gone nuts at the expense of common sense... sorry but sick to death of having to call a Spade a Domestic shovelling Appliance!!!!! :-)

[Panic Button]

I was listening when she said it, and it didn't sound good.

I winced and knew she was in for some trouble.

I think she said it in a naive way, and without any racist intent. However as an intelligent woman she should know that saying such a thing was likely to alienate a significant proportion of her national radio audience.

It may well have been an incident that is totally true, but it is a conversation for the snug in her local not on Radio 2.

[sukkie]

Sorry to disappoint you legend but I am not South African by birth. I agree South Africa has had its fair share of problems and done many things wrong which has changed now for the better in many ways but over there the police do have better things to do than chase after someone for saying the word black or calling someone racist just because he dressed up as Mr Mandela or locking a kid up because he threw a sauage, kids do that, they are spontaneous! Mr Mandela would be proud to be so recognised, I wouldbe proud to dress up as him he is a great man. Its all about common sense.

[naomi24]

Sukkie, I too think the PC brigade has a lot to answer for too. I'm convinced they're well-meaing, but they don't realise the damage they're causing, not only to the indiginous population of this country - both black and white - but to the ethnic minorities whose rights they claim to be supporting. The blanket refusal to address valid concerns, and the determination to champion the cause of the ethnic minorities only, whatever the situation,causes nothing but resentment and produces no positive effect whatsoever upon multi-cultural relations.

[andy-hughes]

She talks like a character from an Enid Blyton girls' boarding school circa 1947.

Problem is, she thinks like one as well!

Get someone up to date - she is far too 'Light Programme'.

Pension the old duffer off - so she can drink in the mornings in private.

[sukkie]

Legend, I did not change my views, you just assumed that if I was a white South African, I had to be racist, this shows lack of knowledge of the country and its peoples.
Racist is calling someone nasty names because of their colour. They still sell Golliwogs in South Africa and do not find it offensive, its a toy for goodness sake.
If you do something wrong, you should be punished, not fed kentucky chicken on a roof because of your human rights. That is what all this PC nonsense has reduced this country to. You cannot even protect your own home and a burglar can sue if he falls over a childs toy on the stairs in a house he should even have been in. A teenager gets �18000 because he fell through the roof of a building he was trying to burgle. Tough he should not have been there in the first place. Common sense, common sense, thats all.