The Judge RANTS!
Date: 06/06/09
Colourblind, Or Just Blind?
Some of you may remember The Ricin Plot of a few years ago, where a number of Muslims were arrested, charged and tried on counts relating to a plan to release poison in public places.
If you do remember it, it's probably because of all the hoop-la from politicians, police and the punditocracy about "the Muslim threat to our way of life" (i.e., mindless violence, ovine consumption, out-of-control pissheadery and indiscriminate shagging), and about how the case was proof positive that we needed to bar-code everyone and stick CCTV cameras in everyone's living rooms 'just in case'.
To the great chagrin of the pols, pigs and pundits, the men in question were acquitted. This totally perverse and politically-motivated piece of judicial activism was occasioned by two inconvenient facts:
- There was no ricin
- There was no plot
That didn't stop the p's, p's and p's behaving as if the acquitals were the result of 'political correctness gawn MA-A-A-A-AD!', or some such bollo.
Yesterday, the BBC News website had an item headed:
Suspected ricin found at property
The story included these quotes:
"Traces of what is thought to be the nerve poison ricin have been found by police..."
"Police said the suspected ricin was found in a jam jar at the property..."
"The substance was examined in tests by scientists in Scotland and is to be sent under escort to the Ministry of Defence's chemical biological warfare facility at Porton Down for further examination."
"The arrests followed a long-running intelligence-led operation."
Now, you would think that this story would have brought the p's, p's and p's running, desperately looking for the nearest camera, microphone or keyboard in order for them to give vent to the thoughts of 'all right-minded people'. Gordon Brown would give us another comedy turn in front of that unfeasibly large fireplace in the reception room at Number Ten; Jacqui Smith - in her last act before leaving to spend more time cleaning her husband's biological stains out of the carpet in their current home of choice - would staunchly maintain that the arrest totally justifies all the illiberal and hateful legislation her Department have put on the books these last seven and a half years; and Melanie Phillips would tap her talons on her specially-reinforced keyboard to insist that now was the time for Israel to bomb Tehran, Jeddah, Damascus and Luton, 'just in case'.
But no. Nada, zilch, sod all.
This may have something to do with the bits of the story I didn't quote you. Such as:
"Traces of what is thought to be the nerve poison ricin have been found by police at the County Durham home of a suspected white supremacist."
"Mr Davidson's son Nicky, 18, was arrested at Grampian Court, Annfield Plain, on suspicion of inciting racial hatred."
The story is currently here).
OK. I'm sufficiently broad-minded to believe that we should wait for any further proceedings and trial before casting nasturtiums on these two. Compare and contrast the response I referred to in the earlier case, and that from people whom - one would hope - would know better.
But this, if accurate, is hardly an isolated incident. It is well-enough known (though perhaps not well enough publicised) that the BNP and their ilk have 'form' for their members and supporters being dangerous, violent nut-jobs. Such as Robert Cottage, failed BNP election candidate, who was jailed two years ago for possession of chemicals designed to create explosions.
Was his picture plastered all over the front of the Daily Mewl or The Scum, along with lurid headlines about plots to bring down our tolerant, law-abiding society? Nope. Scarcely a mention anywhere in fact; and I suspect that this new case, even if it goes to trial, will register nary a blip on the radar of media which are obsessed with celebs and other prostitutes, and which do us a daily disservice with their monocular reporting of the real world.
