Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

PD James: Political Correctness Ruining Society
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-2-2008

Posted on 05/01/2008 9:07:47 PM PDT by blam

PD James: Political correctness ruining society

Last Updated: 2:57AM BST 02/05/2008

Police hampered by a 'culture of blame' says PD james

Modern life is bedevilled by political correctness, PD James, the crime author, said last night. There was a growing risk that Britons would live in "ghettos" and experience little contact with other people, she said in a speech on policing in the 21st century.

Baroness James of Holland Park, who is best known for creating the detective Adam Dalgliesh, told an audience in the Palace of Westminster: "Our society is now more fractured than I, in my long life, have ever known it.

"Increasingly there is a risk that we live in ghettos with our own kind, with a strong commitment to our local community but little contact with those outside it.

"Mutual respect and understanding and recognition of our common humanity cannot be nurtured in isolation. And in our relationships we are bedevilled by the cult of political correctness."

She added: "If in speaking to minorities we have to weigh every word in advance in case inadvertently we give offence, how can we be at ease with each other, how celebrate our common humanity, our shared anxieties and aspirations, both for ourselves and for those whom we love?" It would be "unfortunate" if the police became "enamoured" of political correctness, which she described as "a pernicious if risible authoritarian attempt at linguistic and social control".

Modern day police forces were also hampered by a "culture of blame" and red tape, the 87-year-old peer said.

"Perhaps the time has come when we need to look at the whole structure of our police service to see how far it meets the challenges of our changing society."

She concluded that police deserved "our respect and gratitude" for a "complex and demanding" job.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: correctness; pdjames; political; society

1 posted on 05/01/2008 9:07:48 PM PDT by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: blam

Children of Men was a pretty conservative book.


2 posted on 05/01/2008 9:16:10 PM PDT by Tribune7 (How is inflicting pain and death on an innocent, helpless human being for profit, moral?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Beautiful quote, I’m adding it to my home page.


3 posted on 05/01/2008 9:21:33 PM PDT by JillValentine (Being a feminist is all about being a victim. Being an armed woman is all about not being a victim.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

A Clockwork Orange comes to the UK.


4 posted on 05/01/2008 9:26:51 PM PDT by 43north (I hope we are around long enough to become a layer in the rocks of the future.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Political correctness is a tool for the inducement of cultural psychosis, a modern phenomenon, for which there has been only the experience from the time of Marx and Engels to the present. No known antidote is present as the original and ideal preventitive, the constitutional republic known as the US of A has been delegitimized as if it has not existed and does not exist now. Only a rediscovery of our cultural past can save the West from the monstrosities of the EU and concepts such as supranational trading areas and transnational, progressive ideas which are only the new clothing of Marxian derivatives, just as damaging as credit derivatives in our financial world.


5 posted on 05/01/2008 9:43:12 PM PDT by givemELL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

PC is a failed experiment in social programming. The pendulum will swing back, but when it does, it won’t be only “feelings” which get hurt. I foresee violent outbursts of pent up hatred and resentment when the dam breaks.

Some will begin to express themselves openly, when they sense that enforcement of PC is weakening, while others will have been programmed to be sensitive to every possible offense. The result will not be pretty.


6 posted on 05/01/2008 9:52:39 PM PDT by Rocky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

The GOP should make political correctness a major campaign issue. Conservative talk show hosts should always rail against it. It is a winning issue for us, everyone I know, liberals included, hate PC.


7 posted on 05/01/2008 10:09:23 PM PDT by A_Former_Democrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam
"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
8 posted on 05/01/2008 10:32:26 PM PDT by FrankR (OBAMA is the VAST WRIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rocky

Yep


9 posted on 05/01/2008 11:03:45 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: blam
I watched the majority of the PD James mysteries on PBS when Mystery was still pretty good.
10 posted on 05/02/2008 4:00:01 AM PDT by wally_bert (Tactical Is Still Missing A Chair!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson