Dogwash

The bus racist (as she will undoubtedly become known) has been arrested, largely, I suspect, as a result of the persistence of people like Casuals United who have pestered the police and the media and forced them to realize that the matter would not be allowed to drop.

Whether anything comes of this remains to be seen. On one level, I would prefer that nothing come of it, and that the police and CPS get on with something more useful. But then I'd apply the same thinking to the cases of Emma West (whose trial is currently set to resume on 5 September, I believe) and Jacqueline Woodhouse, who was banged up for 5 months.

Unfortunately the issue has become one of fairness, not justice or common sense. In all those interminable CiF threads about race, immigration and identity we are repeatedly asked to define "Britishness". Actually, Britishness can't be pinned down in quite the sort of terse formula that the internationalists always demand: it's a damned sight more than the warm beer and morris dancing they sneeringly propose and, more to the point, it's difficult to see clearly because, outside the fully colonized areas, we are immersed in it. Woods and trees, old boy, woods and trees.

But one clearly identifiable core feature of Britishness is the concept of fairness. The British will put up with all manner of crap, provided the process is perceived to be even-handed. And coming down ridiculously hard on White people for rocking the race-relations boat — sometimes in effectively life-ruining ways; remember the young idiot Liam Stacey? — while pretending that non-White troublemakers either do not exist or are excused by victimhood or cultural dissonance ... well, I'm sorry, the natives are not going to stand for that for ever.


The FA seems to have learned this lesson, fining Rio Ferdinand two days' pay for his careless endorsement of the choc-ice tweet. And believe me, calling someone a choc-ice for collaborating with Whitey is a damned sight more racist than Mr Terry's alleged outburst.

Look at it this way. Ashley Cole was accused of being a collaborator for testifying in support of John Terry. What should he have done then? Lie? Refuse to testify?

Time for a spot of whataboutery, eh. An altercation takes place between a Black man and a White man. Witnesses see the Black man strike the White man in what appears to be an unprovoked attack. But I was there earlier and saw the White man refer to the other as a "fucking nigger" and spit in his face, provoking the violent response. The question is, do I keep shtum out of solidarity with my White brother? Or do I come forward and turn myself into a ... well, whatever confection is white on the outside but black on the inside?

Now that is proper racism. Incidentally, was any action ever taken against Piara Powar, executive director of, er, Football Against Racism in Europe, over his coconut tweet? A White bloke in his position (well, Jeremy Clarkson excepted) would have been out on his ear.


Commonsense has failed. Time to reply in kind.