to feel uneasy about my son reading Enid Blyton books

surely you shouldn't be feeding a dog ginger beer

Shame on you

Dear me, this thread has really kicked off!

I would pass it to you kimi, but Timmy wolfed it up

Again, NN.

You do surprise me.

Desiderata well said.
You know I like you, pass the ginger beer {is it still ok to say ginger beer or will some one call me homophobic?)

And I guess she just doesn't understand that Mornington Crescent was built by a load of late 19th century racist bastards.

Still, just so long as she enjoys the game.

crikey. what quattro said. in spades.

at last she realises that people can make their own decisions.

Hi 2shoes. Well as I say, I am off. I am sorry if you feel offended. I said Jackie Collins and Hello were crap. I am not alone in this. Most people, even the people who read them, think they are crap. Objectively they are crap. I could tell you why but it would take several years and I would rather play Mornington Crescent. Better for you to work it out tbh.

May I make myself clear, Quattro.

I don't use your idea of racist language. The reason I don't is because I've never liked to abbreviate anything. A Chinese is a Chinese, after all.

I said last night that thirty years ago, everybody went for a 'chinky.' It was a term that defined the cuisine. You immediately rounded on me and that that they did not. It then turns out that you're not in your forties ... so how the feck would you know what people said thirty years ago?

I would never confuse you for a Post Office Manager. That would make you a POM, which is an offensive term ....

Oh TN, Am I pleased to see you! They think I am a manager in the local post office on this thread! I keep denying it but they are ABSOLUTELY convinced. I'm coming!

Quattrocento who decide you were the person to decide which books are crap?

Quattro - Mornington Crescent

[gurn]

And I'll take the back, Kimi.

You are making so many assumptions Desi and absolutely not one of them is valid.

To start with you seem to me to be confusing me with a manager in your local post office.

This caused you a grievance, which then you found some poles to agree with your grievance and you have extrapolated that to what?

To making it okay to use racist language? That's nonsense, really, and you know it.

But you do know that Jackie Collins and Hello are both crap.

People suspend their critical faculties when it comes to children's books, especially when it comes to books they had when they were children.

Things have improved radically over the last 10 years however, and people/schools trying to make sure that children use their reading time to best effect.

I will tell you why I think you're a problem, Quatt.

There are hundreds of thousands of ethnics in the UK at the moment, trying to make a life for themselves. Some succeed. Some don't.

Much like the rest of us.

When people start elevating them above their situation, giving them more rights than they might ordinarily expect, it makes many of them nervous. It can create resentment within the indiginous population, which is the last thing they need.

A case in point: my local Post Office opened a dedicated queue for Polish people last month. They were fast tracked for their benefits and payments at the expense of Old Age Pensioners and Disabled people who consequently had to form a longer queue.

This was as the result of a white, middle class Briton who thought they might need a little assistance.

Not unnaturally, the Poles were horrified, and gave up their places in the queue immediately, and especially to the old ladies and the disabled. They were mortified that someone had done that on their behalf.

This doesn't mirror the EB debate exactly, but it does prove a certain point about uber-sensitivity on the issues.

Britain is a meritocracy. That's why people want to come here, and that's why they don't need your bleeding heart on silly little words.

They can stick up for themselves. And if you think they can't, then who's the racist?

Desi, Do you want front or rear???

But, what one person views as crap another may not.....
I would not read a Jackie Collins book as they do not appeal to me but I do like Stephen King, another person may hate king and love collins.
I would not tell that person that they should not read crap and would not expect them to tell me, I read the new scientist not hello but would not tell everyone that hello was crap

Desi I am not in the business of making value judgements about writers or painters. None of my business. However I do make value judgements about the books I choose to read and the paintings I go to see. My choice is not to read crap. Lots of people make the choice to read crap and that is an equally valid choice for them.

BUT, did the word chinky have the same meaning then as now?

Kimi, this is the fourth time I have made this point on the thread. EB was racist because she chose to be so. Don't suppost she could help being pants, in all fairness. There are many writers of her generation and of earlier generations who chose not to be racist and were not pants. Up to you which you choose to read.

Gauguin = good
Garry Glitter = bad [not cause he is a pervert but cause his songs stink,] ok now I'm getting it.

Yes, Kimi. I'll ride tandem with thee any day, lass.

Quattro, it's OK then, to be a child molester providing you make good art and you don't use

I think you've just exposed your Achilles heel, lass.

• Rhodan