Our thanks to our correspondent The Secret Policeman for drawing our attention to this piece of monumental stupidity.
Political Correctness is an industry - it purveys an artificial product, it has customers who turn to it when they want to be spiteful or bolster their own importance, and plenty of people make a living out of it (including one David Onamade, of whom more later). And one of the most salient and distressing features of this industry is the deep, deep ignorance of most of its supporters. Not that they find it any hindrance, unfortunately.
The Rev.Michael Wishart, vicar at St Mary's in leafy Bishops Lydeard, Somerset, wrote in his regular newsletter column about the changing of the seasons, which included a comment about a "nip in the air". He also mentioned that the PC Holy of Holies, multiculturalism, was "undermining the British way of life."
The Rev.Michael Wishart
The vicar wrote "The mornings have a decidedly autumnal feel to them, there's a little nip in the air. Which is what they said when they hanged the Japanese criminal."
The vicar later apologised and described the joke as a "throwaway line". Race relations nazis are, predictably, less than amused at his humour and also criticised a comment he made in the same newsletter about how Christianity was now "under attack" from other religions.
"I think what he said is racist to say the least and I think his views about other equality areas are patronising," David Onamade, director of Somerset Racial Equality Council. "Why did he feel the need to pick out the Japanese? Maybe he doesn't realise the term nip is derogatory. It's very insensitive for someone in a position of power and who heads a congregation of all the people in his community to make such remarks".
Someone needs to explain a few things to David Onamade. For instance, "nip" is a contraction of "Nippon" or "Nipponese", and "Nippon" is the correct and official word for Japan. The Japanese have no problem with the word - in fact, they like it. It's their word. It's possible they might take offence at being called "Japs", I don't know. But nicknaming them "Nips" is no more offensive than referring to residents of the UK as "Brits" or, north of the border, calling Hibernian supporters "Hibs".
Didn't know that, did you, David? But you should have done. It's your job, isn't it, to know a thing or two about race? And it wouldn't have been hard to find out, if you'd taken the trouble. All you have to do is put the word "Nippon" into Google, and on the first two pages you'd find …
• Nippon Animation, one of the largest and best-known independent animation studios in Japan …
• Nippon Cargo Airlines, Japan's only cargo-specialist airline …
• Nippon Life Assurance Company from Osaka, Japan …
• Nippon-Export which, as you can guess by the name, offers Japanese goods directly exported from Japan …
• The following entry in Wikipaedia: "Japan (Japanese: Nihon or Nippon, officially Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku) is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. Its capital is Tokyo" ...
• All Nippon Airways …
• Nippon Paint, one of the leading paint and coating manufacturers in Asia …
• The Nippon Foundation, and important international social and political organisation …
• The International Nippon Collectors' Club, for collectors of Japanese porcelain …
• The Nippon Sei Ko Kai - the Anglican Church in Japan …
• Nippon 2007, an international science-fiction conference …
• Nippon Gohsei, Japan's first management systems company …
• The Nippon Steel Corporation …
• Nippon Distribution, which supplies replacement starter motors and alternators for Japanese, Korean & Chinese equipment …
• Nippon Automotive Ltd., a Cheltenham-based supplier of spare parts for Japanese cars, and …
• Nippon Express, a major transport company.
So, David, if people generally don't mind contractions and the Japanese people seem to be rather keen on the word "Nippon", in what sense, exactly, is the term "nip" derogatory? Could you contact us, please, and explain? Because although we appreciate that someone in your position needs to keep himself in the public eye in order to justify his position and job, to be honest we're having a little difficulty following your twisted, self-serving logic.
Or perhaps it's the suggestion that some Japanese might be criminals that's derogatory? Does Japan not have criminals then? Or if it has them, must we not mention the fact? Or maybe the idea of a criminal being hanged is derogatory? Funny, I don't recall anyone keeping quiet about the fact that we used to hang people in this country, some of whom were actually guilty. You'll notice I'm not mentioning the Japanese history of cruelty and genocide here - it was a long time ago, after all, and I wouldn't want to say anything derogatory.
Also, David, you might like to explain your statement that the Rev.Wishart is "in a position of power" and "heads a congregation of all the people in his community". Power, David? A village vicar? And since when does any church have a congregation that includes more than 5% of the population? What world are you living in, David?
David also went on to criticise Wishart for writing "during the summer it was also stated by a number of prominent politicians, like Ruth Kelly, that multiculturalism is undermining the British way of life and will harm future generations". David said "He's got an agenda and doesn't think multiculturalism is something that should be welcomed. I think he should consider his position."
Well, David, Ruth Kelly did say that. So did quite a lot of other politicians, commentators and columnists. So did I. What's wrong with mentioning it, exactly? Does David actually know what "multiculturalism" means? He seems to think it just means being nice to people from other countries. What it really means is encouraging immigrant populations to maintain separate communities and not make any attempt to integrate themselves into British society, and as such it is certainly a right and proper matter for comment and discussion.
In the monthly village newsletter, the dear old Vicar also slagged off police for arresting a Christian activist handing out leaflets at a Gay Pride event. "We are not only under threat from other religions but secularism gone mad," he said. "It has become so politically correct that many local authorities are following Birmingham's lead and no longer intend to observe Christmas festivities but are calling it "winter fest" instead, so that no offence may be given". For a vicar, this is also a perfectly appropriate matter for comment. Of course, if it had been a Muslim claiming that his religion was under attack, that would have been OK, wouldn't it?
A spokesman for the diocese of Bath and Wells said "It was certainly an attempt at a very heavy handed joke, that just wasn't funny. He was trying to be light hearted inappropriately. He's a first rate parish priest. He's got the people he serves very much at heart. This was just a very unfortunate error of judgment. He does have a fairly robust view of life and he's very personable and well-liked man". It's nice that the diocese is prepared to stand up for their representative the Vicar, but one might have wished they'd had the confidence and fairness to be a little more robust about it.
The vicar has apologised for his joke but also appeared to take a swipe at his "politically correct" critics. "If it has caused any offence, then I apologise," he said. "I got the mickey taken out of me left right and centre for being Welsh when I was in the Navy, but I never went running to the race relations board." That's fair comment, too. He apologises if his joke caused any offence. So far we're not aware that any Japanese people have complained.
For indulging in thoughtless, out-of-proportion, self-serving, knee-jerk politics, David Onamade of the Somerset Racial Equality Council is our "Wanker of the Week", and a very well deserved one at that. If you'd like to tell him about it, his email address is admin@srec.org.uk.
The GOS says: In the course of our research into this farce, we discovered that there is such a thing as the "Black South West Network". It claims to be "a voice for the Black VCS to provide representation where it matters most with statutory bodies; to unlock further funds for the sector and increase effectiveness through the provision of advice, information, training, publications and development services". BSWN is located within the Black Development Agency in Bristol.
Odd, isn't it, that in these days of racial equality there are organisations that exist purely to serve the interests of certain racial minorities? Is there also a "White South West Network" or a "White Development Agency"? No, of course there isn't.
The GOS wants to join the Black South West Network. He isn't black, but why should that be an issue? Aren't we all equal? And if they refuse to let him in, wouldn't that be racial discrimination?
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