[UPDATE]
The article that was the subject of this post was first edited to reword the insane paragraph mentioned below, then it was taken off the site completely. Thankfully there’s a cached version here.
[UPDATE 2]
… or is it still up in edited form? Not sure what’s real anymore or if Rick Dewsbury even exists.
[ORIGINAL]
Hello. There’s a reasonably standard Daily Mail article online, written by some prick named Rick Dewsbury about the Olympic opening ceremony last night. It rails against a perceived left-wing bias and the prominence of a politically correct and multicultural agenda. All that’s up for debate (by the by, the article’s pretty much a by-the-numbers pile of shit, which Rick probably knew when he wrote it). The main premise is that the NHS shouldn’t be celebrated, because some doctors and nurses were responsible for the death by thirst of a patient called Kane Gorny. Non-sequitur central, natch.
However there’s a particular paragraph which struck me as probably racist and worthy of a PCC complaint:
“But it was the absurdly unrealistic scene – and indeed one that would spring from the kind of nonsensical targets and equality quotas we see in the NHS – showing a mixed-race middle-class family in a detached new-build suburban home, which was most symptomatic of the politically correct agenda in modern Britain.
This was supposed to be a representation of modern life in England but it is likely to be a challenge for the organisers to find an educated white middle-aged mother and black father living together with a happy family in such a set-up.”
I don’t know about you, but I can’t really see what’s so unrealistic about that. Rick presents no evidence to support this or otherwise to imply that it’s a statement about the simple number of mixed-race versus same-race couples in the country. What he does do, is to add the words ‘educated’, ‘happy family’ and ‘such a set-up [the nice house]‘ in such a way as to demonstrate that his claim is actually one that, by virtue of the races involved, such couples are more likely to be stupid, unable to foster a happy family environment, or poor. Pretty clumsy, nasty, and perhaps liable under Clause 12 i) of the PCC code. The full text of my complaint is at the link below:
We’ll see what happens. Most probably nothing but at least this post will stand testament that Rick Dewsbury is a huge tool who earns a living writing the kind of stuff that would have sent him insane by now if he really believed all of it, and can’t even correctly steer the line between anti-PC moaning and explicit incitement of racial hatred.
Well done! What a depressing article it is, I do wish the Daily Mail would cease to exist!!!
Well done, I would support your complaint whole heartedly. The article was a pseudo-racist rant, also bashing the NHS for a VERY rare lapse of performance and care.
The NHS has been going for over 60 years and is seen around the world (jealously in places) as an example of the best of social care, not a “lefty doctrine” but an attempt to care for your fellow human beings, if that’s what some people see fit to criticise then it’s a sad statement about them.
I’ve noticed the Mail has stopped taking comments on his sad pathetic excuse of an article,probably because the 100 or so comments it received were overwhelming critical of it.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t really see what’s so unrealistic about that. Rick presents no evidence to support thisi
Try this article on for size then:
Race divide on single parents
Or this:
Can single mums turn boys into men?
or this:
Moving towards inclusion
This one is a bit out of date but you get the idea:
Young, single & black
The point being if you wade through that lot you will not be left with any fantasies about mixed race two parent, middle aged, middle class (ie educated) families being just as likely as white ones. Thus, much as it upsets you, the assertion in the original article is in no way inaccurate.
There are variations in the number of single parent families between different regions of the UK, different social classes etc too. If a working class happily married family had been shown, would that be worth highlighting? Of course not. Should a family of Some other ethnic group be shown as they have lower percentages of single parent families than whites? No.
You said ‘more likely than not’, the article said ‘a challenge’ — you stats say 48% of Carribeans. Ie less than half, at the very most.
Finally and most importantly you confuse correlation with causation. The article was written to suggest a causal link between race and various negative outcomes which in reality can be the product of a huge array of cultural issues (inc racism), external factors etc. that’s racist.
Go and fuck yourself, and anybody who doubts whether that’s appropriate, visit Geezer’s website. Pseudo sociological paranoid crap.
I’m with John Williamson on this, go fuck yourself
Jessica Ennis, Jessica Ennis, Jessica Ennis.
I’ve just been looking for a way to complain about this article. The idiot should be sacked from the rag.
Perhaps it’s a display of feeling that genuinely unites a nation that these reptiles really fear
Thankyou for doing this! I don’t know why I still am upset and annoyed by awful Daily Mail wind up nonsense like this, should be desensitized to it by now but no, still freshly awful everytime! It’s nice however to remember that thankfully there are plenty of decent people like yourself that disagree with this unnecessary bile.
Oh and it’s hilarious if you actually bear in mind how puffed up and filled with righteous bluster such ‘critics’ were to see ‘ugh! A celebration of the NHS! and ugh black and asian people’! in a showcase of Britain that was seen by a billion people around the world. Whatever bile they come up with, THAT is the final word. Ultimate LOL in their faces to these loons!
Well done you. The ignorant racism of the statement you highlight should not go unchallenged. As for the NHS, Boyle saluted the vision that established it at a time of severe austerity, not the pale shadow of itself it has been forced to become after repeated attacks on its resources. In any case, the tragic incident that the Mail chooses to make political capital from would have happened long after the plans for the ceremony were set in place, and as a previous commentator points out, is grossly unrepresentative of the NHS as a whole.
Horrible article from a vile newspaper. Racist overturns and a disgraceful article, journalist should be sacked.
Sent a complaint too. Look two paragraphs after the one you quoted – he gratuitously referred to “black youths” in such a way as to leave the reader in no doubt that he viewed the youths’ race as relevant.
Found this page because I googled “Nick Dewsbury” after seeing the article. You’re the second to top result.
Well done on the complaint.
“Found this page because I googled “Nick Dewsbury” after seeing the article. You’re the second to top result.”
Even more impressive as the original post referred to ‘Rick Dewsbury’.
I’ve spent the last hour or do tweeting / facebooking / generally sharing my revulsion at this. Ideally I’d like to start a petition against Dewsbury and the editor to be sacked but I’m not sure how to go about it. I am appalled on behalf of the Gorney’s that Dewsbury has used their tragic loss as a platform for his abhorrent ramblings. The Daily Fail strikes again…
Paul Dacre is the editor and he supports racist articles like Dewsburys. Every day the paper pumps out articles that promote racial hatred and its readers just lap it up.
While I know we should just ignore the Daily Mail and not give them the attention they seem to crave, occasionally I get a but worried about such articles. Nearly 2 million people buy this newspaper and read its contents as ‘news’. Such opinion must only work to justify some people’s own views-in this case people of different colour living alongside each other being an utterly realistic dream. Why should we even care about countries we have never heard of? I discovered this article because someone on Facebook did just this, alongside sentiments such as ‘Thank god I am not alone’ and ‘I can always find comfort in the DM’. I too shall be making a complaint to the PCC.
Let’s start a facebook page. What shall we call it?
“Rick Dewsbury and the Mail are…”
Well done. Can you please organise some sort of petition to get this odious little man sacked?
I’d sooner a petition to get the Daily Mail closed down.
You miss the days of the Stasi and East Germany dont you.
[JJW -- from the IP this could be the same person as Geezer, trying a different tack. Happy to go on approving the comments.]
I have also complained to the PCC after reading the Mail’s article. After all the complaints made online the Mail should have issued an apology and removed the article.
Congratulations Sir. This is above and beyond the standard of vitriolic discharge normally ejaculated into the receptive faces of bigoted middle class Britannia. I doubt nothing will change for the better, however I admire your resolve.
Indeed, this publication’s obsession with souring every proud moment has gone beyond journalistic devil’s advocacy. If there was a petition to close this poisonous institution I would sign it. Ps, nice use of vitriolic – very Graham Greene.
Hi there. Doing my bit for you over on Miranda’s Island
http://mefinx.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/dont-let-the-daily-mails-racism-taint-our-olympic-vision/
I very much doubt “Rick Dewsbury” is a real person and is really just a pseudonym for any controversial views the Daily Mail bosses wish to express. What kind of name is Rick Dewsbury clearly a made up name.
It’s now been pulled from the Daily Mail website – one can only surmise as to the reasons why
Thank you.
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I don’t know about you, but I can’t really see what’s so unrealistic about that. Rick presents no evidence to support this or otherwise to imply that it’s a statement about the simple number of mixed-race versus same-race couples in the country.
Allow me to enlighten you. Because you are a well meaning but deluded white liberal. Im guessing most people reply on this thread belong to the same group.
Statistically black men are more likely than not to abandon their baby mothers whether white or black. Thus the odds against them morphing into a middle class two-parent family is increased. Because we are then talking about a single parent family thus breaking the terms of the article and because its harder work for single parents to maintain the economic status status required for middle class lifestyles.
Then we have assortative mating. Average black IQ is lower than average white IQ thus many white women having children with black men are already of lower IQ and therefore less likely to be middle class.
No doubt you have all noticed (but studiously pretended not to) that the reverse is true with white men & black women. They are much more likely to be middle class and stay together, much more likely to be higher IQ.
Finally of course mixed race couples and marriages, especially middle class ones are much rarer than they ‘should’ be statistically and thats where the media comes in, Its necessary to promote mixed race relationships as left to themselves they wouldnt happen as much.
Thus whether its sport, news, drama, kids TV mixed race marriages, families and friendships are promoted as perfectly normal throughout pop culture. Blacks are portrayed positively, whites negatively and so on, anything to level the playing field. If you think thats not true, you havent watched TV in the last 20 years.
Geezer, thanks for the reply, but you’re an idiot. Present some sources, check your logic, clarify whether you’re trying to say the paragraph isn’t racist and try to be a bit less paranoid abot being under some kind of racial siege. Nice website.
I think, also, we have to recognise that Boyle is presenting a vision of Britain as we would like it to be, not just as it already is. There’s no room for complacency. But I personally want to live in a country where the precise racial mix of a family is absolutely no barrier to their completely successful integration into the best that life has to offer. We aren’t there yet, but I’m delighted to see that ideal publically celebrated.
I am a 22 year old white woman who holds a First Class Honours degree in Actuarial Science (Geezer – look it up) and I work as an Actuary for a leading Insurance company. My black boyfriend, also 22, works as an Insurance Broker and we have just purchased our first home together. I am sure Rick Dewsbury would be shocked to hear it is a New Build!
I don’t appreciate being told that I am likely to be of ‘lower than average’ IQ. I am also usually very polite but in light of the circumstances, Geezer, you should go f**k yourself.
I’ve noticed that TV always portrays racists are dimwitted wankers, which I think seems pretty accurate.
Quite apart from the awful other stuff in there, it’s also incredibly eye-popping and cringeworthy to see him refer to the world as a “procession of banana republics and far-flung destinations nobody has ever heard of or even cares for.” Words fail me.
It’s worse than cringeworthy. These people are honoured guests in our country. You don’t tell your guests that where they come from is rubbish.
Agreed! What a sweeping statement, I’m just relieved this wasn’t published on paper for Olympic tourists to read. HE doesn’t care about them, doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t! I literally read it with my mouth open.
[JJW: This is in response to my comment on Geezer's earlier post]
JJW – “There are variations in the number of single parent families between different regions of the UK,”
Cop out. The black/white divide is starker
JJW — How much starker? Since the differences are only in degrees between percentages, not orders of magnitude, I’m unsure where you think the line is. Or is black/white divide more important since it’s visible on a TV camera, whereas the social/regional background of the family displayed wouldn’t be visible? And if you are qualified to judge what’s ‘stark’ and what isn’t, do you really think the statistics you quoted show the situation to be ‘absurdly unrealistic’ as the Mail article claimed?
“If a working class happily married family had been shown, would that be worth highlighting? Of course not. Should a family of Some other ethnic group be shown as they have lower percentages of single parent families than whites? No.”
Middle class is shown as its aspirational. The media have no interest in showing blacks in a negative light. What would be the point of that? And it runs the risk of the accusation of racism – thats the whole point of ‘racism’ of course.
JJW — your reply doesn’t answer the point. If e.g. Bangladeshis are statistically more likely to be in a 2-parent household (according to your own stats), why not show them instead of a white family? Surely, (22% versus 11% or so) the image of a 2-parent white family is ‘absurdly unrealistic’ too. Again, when confronted with a bunch of distinctions between percentages, your decision as to which ones matter is based not on the numbers involved, but which ones pertain to blacks. Because you’re racist, and shitty at constructing an argument.
“You said ‘more likely than not’, the article said ‘a challenge’ — you stats say 48% of Carribeans. Ie less than half, at the very most.”
My bad. More likely to be single parent families than whites, far less likely to be middle class than whites.
As an aside – if blacks are really just as likely per capita [JJW -- I didn't claim they are. You'll notice that in the complaint I wrote to PCC, I allowed that the author might have just been reporting a statistic rather than making a normative claim. Then I refuted that by pointing out that Dewsbury made no mention of any statistics or evidence, and in no way signified that his argument should be taken that way. Geezer is valiantly rushing to his aid here] to be middle class and in two parent families then we cant really be concerned about ‘racism’ as its obviously not having effect is it. The whole point about your white liberal moral grandstanding (because thats all it is) over the plight of blacks falls apart if they actually have life outcomes similar to whites [JJW -- they don't]. If their outcomes are the same what are you worried about? Oh and where are all those black middle class folks pitching in on your site? [JJW -- see Aaronovitch's Twitter feed].
“Finally and most importantly you confuse correlation with causation. The article was written to suggest a causal link between race and various negative outcomes which in reality can be the product of a huge array of cultural issues (inc racism), external factors etc”
The trouble is when correlation keeps piling up we are entitled to at least a degree of belief in causation [JJW -- who says?]. The problem is blacks underperform academically at every level, underperform economically and over perform in terms of crime, single parenthood and social dysfunction. Even after you control for other factors such as family wealth, the area they live in and so on.
More damning is that this holds true across different times and places. If black outcomes are just as bad in 1972 in the US as they are in the UK in 2012 and thats white racism then it requires a huge multinational conspiracy to hold them back. [JJW -- very shaky ground...]
“that’s racist.”
And you’ll be finding that, online especially, more and more of us just dont care anymore, your magic word doesnt work as well as it used to. What will you do then when it loses its last power? [JJW -- 'magic word'? If you 'don't care' and are happy for the article and you to be described as racist, then we agree, so we can stop.]
“Go and fuck yourself,”
Touched a nerve? Face it John, you know the truth, you dont have to admit in public
your liberalsim is all about and anybody who doub [JJW -- not sure what the rest of the sentence is. But yes, you did touch a nerve -- racism is a hugely important and destructive phenomenon and continues to be so, and you're whinging that society has gone too far the other way somehow. I've no interest in 'cleanly' winning the argument without resorting to insults, because I think you're a prick.]
“visit Geezer’s website. Pseudo sociological paranoid crap.”
Well, its not my site and its rather American in tone [JJW -- so?].I’ll link to it again to help out. We could do with something similar focusing more on the UK media. Rather than bleating about its paranoia you could perhaps cite examples from the media which refute that view. I could go to youtube right now and find British ads and clips which reinforce the stereotypes of black superiority over whites [JJW -- please...if they're like the ones on the site you enjoy so much they're worth nothing. You can see anything as reinforcing that if you're already a racist and feel like the whole world is somehow out to get you. Childish.].
How many could you find that reinforce supposed white racist stereotypes of blacks. Almost zero. Go on off you go, try it [JJW -- here's one example: the Daily Mail article we're talking about, fuckwit].
[JJW -- unfortunately for some people in the world everything has to be a war and they have to be the ones under attack. Geezer is a straight up racist posing as some kind of social warrior, and has a basic grasp of what a proper argument's supposed to look like, but can't quite do it right. Unfortunately at some point Geezer will have to have the last word unless I don't approve his next comment, but what can you do.]
Geezer, hope you don’t mind but I’ve added my replies to your various sections in italics in your comment. I probably won’t respond for much longer but will leave your comments up for people to judge. Cheers.
The Mail article appeared on the Rightminds section of the Mail which is defined as a blog. the PCC have already ruled with the Telegraph that they have no jurisdiction over blogs and will not act. Dewsbury has already been on Mumsnet claiming that he cannot be touched by the PCC.
He needs a slap but seems very proud of his racism.
link to Dewsbury on mumsnet please? thanks for the info.
Sadly i can’t find it. I heard yesterday about it and him claiming that only 25 people would have read it if it hadn’t been tweeted but all reference seems to have gone
I’ve had a response from the PCC saying they will investigate it. Outraged by ‘Geezer’s’ comments; ignorant geezer.
I couldn’t have put it any better myself. As one half of a mixed race relationship I find it best to ignore this sort of thing but this article particularly riled me because of the suggestion that only uneducated people would have a partner of another race. The Daily Mail regularly publishes articles written by unintelligent and uninformed writers who think they have the ways of the world sussed out. They’re usually completely incorrect but their readers are mostly halfwits who are desperately aspiring to be ‘middle-class’ and ‘respectable’ and this is exactly the sort of thing they like to hear.
Complained via PCC who replied to my Tweet as well. Will be very pissed off if the Mail gets away with this by defining it as a blog
Right On !
…I’m chartered acct have a masters a white better half and a new build – and know of a lot the same (and a few who arnt). The man obv has issues !
so glad to have found like minded people on this issues! I sent off my complaint to the PCC and got a response back saying they select only one complaint and send it to the editor.. I doubt much could happen. I Just wonder if it would be possible to bring a civil case against Mr Dewsbury, I wonder how he would explain his actions in court? is there anyone with legal experience on who can help out there?
This Blogger nabbed screen grabs of the original article before it was even edited the first time.
http://botherer.org/2012/07/28/the-daily-mail-and-how-an-nhs-death-means-racism-is-fine/
Response from Daily Mail:
Dear Mr Kelsall
Thank you for contacting us about this blog. Blogs on the Right Minds site are where writers can voice opinions and comment on the current issues of today. As they are blogs, by the their nature, they are the views of the individual writer concerned and not necessarily those of the Daily Mail or Mail Online.
However, we have taken comments about this blog very seriously. On reflection, the Right Minds editor decided – as is his prerogative- to remove the blog post from the channel. We always welcome feedback-whether positive or negative-and we recognise that controversial views can elicit a strong response. We appreciate you taking the time to get in touch and passing on your thoughts about the item.
Yours sincerely
Pete Picton
Deputy Publisher
MailOnline
You’d have a new subscriber – except that there doesn’t seem to be an option to get email updates on your latest posts. So go on – turn on that option – then I’ll be able to have the happy whoosh of your future posts in my inbox.
I have ‘followers’, is that different? Not sure how to enable that but thanks
Hi John, Did you put in a complaint to the PCC.. Am also incensed.. if yes please do forward me a copy or any response you have.
Every blessing
Dorothea
John, well done. We are are on the same page here… I said something similar on facebook when the article was published and then soon “editted”.
I also shared with a free lance Journalist who contributes to the Mail who also happens to be happily married to someone of a different race. Go figure?
I would like an unequivocal appology from the “Snail trail”.
Mervyn King was on the news predicting doom & gloom in the economy and cited the analogy that “we must take inspiration from our Olympic team”.
Well, if the “Silent majority” would consider giving Black, Asian, short, fat, old, female, disabled people a Job, instead of printing money to give to banks so they can stash it in a tax haven, we might all learn something from the “Olympic legacy”.
The IPCC will be getting a letter from me too.
Just wanted to check whether any of you that complained to the PCC (as I did) about this repulsive article have received the response that I have had from the PCC. Their decision is that there is no breach of the Code unless a particular individual’s race is referred to. The insult about mixed race couples in the Daily Mail’s article was a general one – therefore no breach. So, it seems, a generalised racist remark about black, Jewish, mixed-race etc people is fine, according to the PCC! I wondered whether you anyone here thinks this is as silly / spineless as I do, and whether any of you are doing anything about it…
David — just to round this post off — I got a similar response from PCC with the added point that the section of the DM website where it appeared was a ‘blog’. Functionally identical to the rest of the DM website and, as evidenced by the swift editing of the original post, they do have editorial control over it, but even so the PCC think that’s grounds to let the thing slide. Rubbish.