Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Kafka's The Trial Meets Orwell's 1984

Kafka's The Trial Meets Orwell's 1984

From the April 11, 2010 Daily Mail:
A medical technician killed himself after being suspended from work after someone complained that he made a politically-incorrect joke about a black friend.

Roy Amor, 61, who was devastated at the prospect of losing his job making prosthetics, shot himself in the head outside his house.

He was facing a disciplinary investigation after suggesting to the black colleague that he ‘better hide’ when they noticed immigration officers outside their clinic.

It is understood that the man was a close friend of Mr Amor and was not offended. However, it was overheard by someone else who lodged a formal complaint.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265065/Man-kills-row-work-non-PC-joke.html#ixzz0l8GHBxXA
I remember reading several years ago that some police departments in Britain were beginning to send undercover officers into bars to listen for racially derogatory remarks.  No, not showing up to deal with racists committing violent acts, or conspiring to commit racially-motivated crimes--but simply idiots saying the sort of obnoxious stuff that reflects poorly on the speaker.  I hope the liberals involved in this feel nice and warm about driving this guy over the edge.

1 comment:

  1. Used to be, in Hawaii, racial humor was normal. Mel Cabang, Frank deLima, Andy Bumatai, and others made a living from racial stereotypes. Maybe you can find K. K. Ka'umanua's (Kent Bowman's) work somewhere. See this..."(There's no P.C. in the Islands..everybody is fair game! And we like it like that)."

    Frank deLima has expressed regrets that Mainland standards of PC have arrived in Hawaii. 25 years ago, my students, mostly Filipino and mixed-race, liked Andrew Dice Clay, I expect to irritate their parents.

    All insults mean one of three things: 1) (to someone) "I do not like you and I want you to know it", 2) (about someone) "I do not like him and I want you to know it" 3) (to someone) "I like you, and I demonstrate it by calling you dirty names which only a friend could get away with".

    Second-guessing by third parties is NOT appropriate.

    PS. I went to the 15 Apr. Tea Party at the State Capitol. The crowd looked like a typical downtown street crowd, maybe a bit (50%?) whiter, but I did not see a single Australian aborigine. Racism? Coincidence?

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