Friday, July 28, 2006

PC PCs ignore yobs bother widow.

The crime rate in England has been going up. One reason is that the police there are nigh unto useless and more interested in political correctness than fighting crime. I have just reread the book Life at the Bottom by Theodore Dalrymple which dissects the values of the British underclass that create most the problems they face. He also discusses how the social elites encourage these values with some stupid PC ideas they push. One problem that Dalrymple dissects is how the police ignore violent offenders routinely or make excuses for them. Even when assaults are witnessed by others the police merely tell the violent offender to be good and leave him to go on with his crime spree once the cops disappear. Yet, says Dalrymple, they have plenty of time to investigate people for not being politically correct. So yesterday I finish reading the book for a second time. And then today I read a story in the London Telegraph which confirms the book.

Just recently a couple police constables paid a visit to an elderly widow. Jean Grove, 77, was visited because of a sign posted on her gate 32 years ago by her late husband. It seems that in 1974 the family was enjoying Christmas Day when some Jehovah's Witnesses, who don't celebrate the holiday, interrupted the family get together in the hopes of coverting them. To make it clear that the family didn't want to be disturbed by missionaries the late Gordon Grove posted a sign saying: "Our dogs are fed on Jehovah's Witnesses." And for 32 years the sign sat there though it did disappear once and police, in less PC days, helped recover it.

Now the police show up and demand that Mrs. Grove remove the sign because it was distressing, offensive and inappropriate. But someone should note it is not illegal. The widow removed the sign and immediately reposted it after the police left. She said: "I couldn't believe it. The police put my name and address in their little black book and everything." The only dog in the house is a small pup which isn't a threat to anyone.

A spokesman for the local Jehovah's Witnesses said: "If we see signs like that we turn around and walk away." Clearly it serves it's purpose. He didn't seem particularly concerned about the matter. But the local police were upset. However the chairman of the local parish council found this "quite surprising and complained that the police apparently don't show the same concern "to what many people feel are more pressing matters in the village, such as vandalism nd trouble with yobs."

Mrs. Grove said something sensible: "It's only a lark and it's staying there. I don't see what the fuss is bout. Don't people have a sense of humour any more?"

Perhaps this story will join be in any sequel that Mr. Dalrymple writes.