At a certain point it dawned on officials in West Yorkshire, England that something was amiss. That point: when children’s services authorities lost track of 205 (!) kids, of which they have since found 172. The missing 33 are girls who are feared to have been forced into Muslim marriages or made victims of “honor violence”—the often deadly assault on females practiced by Muslim fanatics who claim justification in Islamic scripture.
Ministers had local authorities launch a formal investigation. Which proved difficult. As the Times of London reports:
Campaigners say that a fear of being seen as racist, and misplaced cultural sensitivity, are preventing teachers from following up cases when youngsters are removed from classes.
Misplaced cultural sensitivity indeed.
When the Times reported this story on March 8th, they spoke to former policeman and “vulnerable persons officer responsible for Asian women in the Bradford district” (V.P.O.R.A.W.B., presumably) Philip Balmforth. The V.P.O.R.A.W.B. had this to say in reference to the cowardly proceedings:
If these girls are missing, who has been told? Who is doing anything about it? I want to know from every education authority, “How many children did you lose last year? And where are they?” At the moment, we just don’t know. It’s like knocking a nail into a piece of stone.
Words sensible enough to get him suspended, it turns out. Balmforth faces permanent dismissal for “damaging the reputation” of West Yorkshire Police by speaking to a newspaper without consent. A man who has reportedly helped thousands of young girls will be sacked for saying 33 young girls need help. Melanie Phillips, in the Spectator, reports that Balmforth may not have stood a chance, as his suspension was likely due to pressure from the “‘biraderie’ — the Punjabi word for the extended family — which now ran Bradford city council.”
While West Yorkshire girls fall victim to Body Snatchers, local officials imitate Stepford Wives. And the one man determined to deliver his city from this horror movie mash-up is now out of work. Just another overcast day in England.
Pragmatic as always: the speech intended to pass the stimulus. (love Cheney in wheelchair, too perfect)
I was a little piqued by the prayer that all the colors could get a chance (like “let the red man get ahead, man”) while “white [should] embrace what is right.” Thanks for the stereotyping.
Which is what #1 will never be. What a shmuck!
#1
“(love Cheney in wheelchair, too perfect)”
A metaphor for authoritarian ambition and a geriatric ideology crippled?
I hope he mends quickly.
#2
You are too sensitive. Yellow only got to be mellow.
Didn’t watch the address, no TV at work. But, these criticisms sound a bit petty. We’ve all heard the Obama speaches by this point in time. There will be many more to come to be picked apart if so desired. Ya’ll gonna need to grow accustomed to this.
As usual, JR’s primary concern boils down to standard conservative-blogosphere apprehension – “not enough of what he actually called for: an embrace of his opponents, or their views or concerns.”
Really? It should be more than obvious to those paying attention that YOUR concerns are being addressed – via centrist cabinet appointments, Rick Warren speaking at the inauguration, tributes to McCain, etc… These aren’t just bones being thrown to ravenous dogs still stinging from election defeat. BHO knows that he’ll never earn the vote or respect from conservatives & contentionistas – but he is real making the efforts to respect and embrace opponents that JR feels the need to criticize.
Being conservative, anti-democrat, etc… however you people define yourselves is ok and a principled position to take – especially regarding certain aspects of the economy and abortion. But being overly petty and unjust with the critiques is just childish. C’mon – you’ve all been salivating for weeks for the opportunity to blast the Inaugural Address as part of your conservative “healing therapy”. C’mon – just admit it.
Right, #6 – the people here are engaging in knee-jerk criticism… says the guy who didn’t even watch the speech, but just knows what is must really have been like.
#6 ” But being overly petty and unjust with the critiques is just childish.”
You didn’t watch the speech!! that is hysterical. Yes, you must know exactly what Obama said, and exactly what we are discussing, and the fact that conservatives were salivating. An amazing pair of eyes!! I just gotta believe, right? too funny.
@ #7 -
That’s right CK, I already know in advance how you and your contentionista co-conspirators think – especially about the much anticipated 1/20/09 events that certainly don’t resonate well with this group. I also have seen enough of BHO to know his abilities and limitations in regards to giving speeches. Do I sound a bit arrogant? – sorry. I read a lot of blogs in a futile quest to figure out how people think and view issues/politics. CNN ticker, Contentions, BBC Have your Say, Weekly Standard, Pijamas, Kos (sometimes, but this stuff is crap), etc…
Anyway dude, I don’t have a problem with you or even JR. After all, I’m always here and commenting. I do that by choice, so I can’t and don’t complain about content. But I do have a problem with pettiness – and poor strategic assessments that are based upon party-line propaganda (not the case for this blog though). That comes from getting old and watching people constantly cry and moan about trivialities. So, please don’t be offended. If I meant to offend, I would have been rude and offensive – which is so EZ to do via blog posts.
Tell me though if you don’t mind – did you already have a predisposed negative opinion of the inaugural address before it was given, simply because you’re a conservative? If so, then that puts you in the same boat with me for commenting on a speech that I didn’t even watch (read most of the transcript though). Let me know. Gracias.
@ # 8 -
Jonas – thanks for the smart-ellecky comment. Yes, I base my opinion about conservatives salivating for an opportunity to blast on the address based upon reading thousands (well at least a thousand) conservative blogs over the past few weeks since the election. BHO is constantly criticized for being an empty suit that only gives a good speech. So what a better opportunity for folks like you to continue to criticize BHO as still being an empty suit – but now can’t even give a good speech. Yes, I know how you think.
And… I really can’t watch anymore of Obama’s speeches. I know what he has to say at this point. I’m going to wait until May or June to really review his initial 90+ day actions, then make an assessment of what this guy has to offer.
Barak Obama is a doctrinnaire liberal and liberalism is good for campaign rhetoric, since you can demogogue your opponents. But in the real world of governing, it is disastrous and thankfully there is an accounting every two years for the sort of policies and agenda he will implement. It is his choice whether he wants to try to move the country to the left or if he simply governs as Clinton governed the economy post 1994 and how Bush prosecuted the War on terrorism. In other words, leave the country center-right. Hint, hint, our country’s greatness is owed to our center-right tradition in politics.
It was a boring political speech that never had a chance to live up to its hype. Much of what he said we have heard before. It is all political theater, just like the ones done by Bush and Clinton before him. I am glad it is over. I don’t know how long it was by previous standards (this was 18 minutes I think I read), but if that qualifies as short my extreme thanks.
The only real complaint was the Rev Lowery. That is about as racist as it gets in polite company. He needs to leave, soon. I hope that Obama didn’t “approve of that message”.
#2 Ahithophel
THANK you! I Knew I couldn’t have been the only person who bristled at that.
Nay-sayers can call it petty, but add it to Rev Wright and all the other “incidences” that have been brushed aside, this was a rather public declaration of a certain point of view, one that if a white person said it about another group in society, would have caused an uproar.
Hmmmm.
You know, as an Asian, I had always thought you white people came up with most if not all of the advances that created our modern technological world. Aside from the Chinese inventing gunpowder, and doing little if anything with it, most technologies were created by white people.
Now I find out you white people are complete bastards who won’t go along with what’s “right”.
Amazing what you learn from Obama …
I am confused as to why people are so disappointed in the lack of specifics. If you believe in nothing but your own fate and destiny it’s hard to be specific.