Would you take a knee for the disabled?

I was watching the BBC’s ‘Match of the Day’ recently and noticed that the commentator referred to what is now the customary ‘taking a knee’ as a protest against all forms of discrimination. That, I thought, is a step in the right direction. Due to the disruption to the season caused by the pandemic, and …

The Gravy Song, a Christmas 2020 advert, and Prejudice as Normal

Some people just do not like other people because they are different in one or more ways. Perhaps it is human nature? If it is then it is going to take something significant to change it.

Provoking a Reaction or Not

Ever write something that you thought would provoke a response but it did not? Ever write something that was intended to be throw-away and it got the more attention than anything else you had published? I am sure that I am not alone in being able to answer yes to both questions.

Why not have a ‘No Room for Prejudice’ Campaign?

Being an avid football fan, I am well aware of the 'No Room for Racism' campaign that was launched in March 2019. It is one of many campaigns that aim to improve the treatment of people seen as vulnerable to discrimination. There are many players in the English football leagues who are not white and, therefore, many who may encounter racism during their careers, which is probably why football authorities are keen to be seen as tackling the problem.

All Lives Matter and the House on Fire Analogy

I recently read a post on social media that was offered as an abuttal to the ‘All Lives Matter’ statement. It used the house on fire analogy, which is basically this: in a street of many houses one house is on fire. All the houses matter but only the one on fire matters right now. …

All Lives Do Matter

In 1966, Dr Martin Luther King Jr., faced a problem during the Civil Rights Movements' 'March Against Fear' campaign. In the city park of Greenwood, Mississippi, a mass rally of support was held, during which Stokely Charmichael, a representative of the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC), proclaimed: "what we need is black power". The Black …

Egalitarian is Not a Dirty Word

I have recently seen posts in social media suggesting that 'egalitarian' and 'egalitarianism' are ineffective responses to the Black Lives Matter campaign. One post in particular that has been doing the rounds states that no one mentioned egalitarian until feminism was talked about. Personally, I think that this particular post is intended to be inflammatory …

There is No Benefit to Being Disabled

“Before my diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, I knew what ‘the disabled’ looked like and I'm sure I had the right instincts towards ‘them’. But I had no understanding of what it was like to be ‘disabled’ and no understanding of the myriad obstacles — born out of discrimination or disinclination, bureaucracy or bullying, ineptitude or ignorance, …

Prejudice Without Pride

Prejudice is alive and well and living right here amongst us. I am sure that for many that is not an earth-shattering revelation, if we are honest we all know it is still practiced, what often annoys me is the fact that there are people who simply refuse to accept that this is true. People …

Tod Browning’s ‘Freaks’, Have Times Changed?

When I first became interested in the horror movie genre, many years ago now, I read a reference to Tod Browning’s film ‘Freaks’ that fascinated me. It was not so much the lurid portrayal of ‘real freaks’ that attracted my attention, I only had to look in the mirror to see some deformed limbs. The …