It's Time To Stamp Out Hate Crime

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the hideous Julie Burchill article. Unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you look at it, it's found its way back online thanks to the Telegraph. You can read it here *** Possible Trigger Warning***.

Now, I'm not one to let things go easily. And I don't like it when people like Burchill go waltzing around, mocking others, and enjoying the attention. So I've written a long winded complaint to the editor. And I'll keep harassing him until I get a straight answer other than "sorry". If you want to get involved, feel free! The more the merrier! I'm going to publish the editor's name but, before anyone kicks me for that one, it's in the public domain.

Observer Newspaper Address:

John Mulholland,

The Observer, 

Kings Place, 90 York Way
London N1 9GU

Phone number: 020 3353 2000

And here's my complaint. Trust me, I'm really not going to let it lie. I don't care who you are. I don't care if you're someone on the street, a journalist, a musician, or an MP. If you say something like this, especially in public, then you should be subjected to the full extent of the law.

28^th January 2013

Dear Sir,

It has been two weeks since Julie Burchill's hate speech masquerading as journalism appeared in your newspaper. No doubt you're still reading through the digital mountain of complaints which has been sent your way.

I'm writing to ask what you're doing about Burchill. In case you've forgotten what all the fuss is about I'm including a copy of the article.

Like every large company out there, I'm assuming you have a policy relating to people, their sexuality/gender/colour/religion etc and how they have a right to be treated as an equal and allowed to go about their job, and life, in peace and without the fear of harassment, discrimination, or reprisal. Anyone known to break this policy is subjected to suspension and/or termination. Has this policy been enacted against Burchill? If not, why not? Your average person on the street wouldn't get away with a fraction of what she said without reprisal. Why should she just because she's a “journalist”, “columnist”, or whatever you choose to call her?

Secondly, what she wrote is hate speech, discrimination, and a call to violence, all of which are crimes under British law. Has she been questioned by the police? Again, if not, why not?

Finally, what is your justification for allowing her to remain with your newspaper? After that little tirade she can hardly be good for your image? Or do we need to assume that her viewpoint is held by the majority of your staff?

While this country prides itself on freedom of speech, we also have morals and ethics which need to be upheld and honoured. Morals and ethics which are written in to the Editor's Code of Practice. I appreciate that Burchill's brand of writing is possibly what draws in your readers, but where do you draw the line? Will you let her publish something along the same lines about Muslims? Or people with disabilities? Or Asians? Where's your line in the sand? Take the article and replace it with any of the three examples I've given you and then ask yourself if you'd publish it.

Can you imagine if yourself, or one of your family, were one of the people lambasted in Burchill's article? Perhaps you are, I don't know. Perhaps you thought it would be good for “a laugh”. I realise that you pulled the piece and left a response along the lines of “The piece was an attempt to explore contentious issues”. However, your response could not be further from the truth, and I believe you know this. How would you feel if someone called you derogatory names and basically called for you to be injured and killed? You've probably had the statistics for the murder, assault and suicide rates among transgender people thrown at you a million times in the past two weeks so I won't repeat them. But, if you've read them, I'm sure you can see just how dangerous Burchill's article is. And just because Burchill is a “journalist” or “columnist” does not mean that she is above the morals, standards, and laws of this country. In fact, as a possible role model for others, she should be held even more accountable. How would you feel if a transgender person was murdered and the accused cited Burchill's article, the one you chose to publish, as a reason for why they committed the murder? It's a hypothetical scenario but has happened, where the accused has cited music, books, or films as the reason for why they committed their crime.

This is not about one particular group becoming more offended than another. This is about protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We no longer live in the Dark Ages. We live in a time where everyone, no matter what their creed, gender or sexuality is can live in peace and without fear. You have an opportunity here to prove that you will not be among those who allow such speech to pollute our society.

Yours,

Rae Gee

 *****

POST SCRIPT:

I'm laying down a challenge to the Observer. It'll be going with this letter. 

"By now you've probably noticed that your withdrawal of the offending article, and your subsequent apology, have not been accepted by the vast majority. You've also probably gathered that people don't want to read misinformed, unresearched and factless pieces. As a media outlet, you are responsible on what you put out there. You now have the chance to show the world that you actually mean what you said in your apology. Which is why I'm laying down a challenge for you and your newspaper. Find a positive story, one of hope, love, and dignity, and report on it. Don't put a negative spin on it. Don't be derogatory. Don't put down the person, or persons, the story is about. And heaven's above, don't give the piece to someone like Burchill. In fact, go through the list of people who no doubt write to you every week looking for work experience and give one of them a shot. Write a nice, positive piece, one which will make people happy to read your paper and run it as the front page story. Don't think about the circulation or the money. Don't think of anything like that because you're the editor and, as you've proved, can do whatever you want. So do this and start making a positive change in the world."

 

No Phobias Here, Please

Those who regularly read my personal facebook page will know that, when in the wrong mood, I can be a chronic complainer. Wobetide if your company has failed somewhere along the line; you'll be hearing from me! It's actually become worse over the past year, a sign, I believe, that I'm getting old.

For those of you who are inflicted with my often long winded complaints (You are allowed to "unfriend" me, you know!!) will know that yesterday I really lost the plot.

If you didn't catch it, I was complaining about an article published on the Observer newspaper website (the offending article has now been removed, thankfully). It was written by a writer (and I use that in the loosest sense of the term) who decided to take it upon herself to write what, in essence, was a hate speech against transgender people.

I HIT the roof! I don't, and will never, tolerate any kind of "phobias" (I'm arachnophobia but that's a different story). We're not in the 1500's any more and people should be allowed to live their lives however they want. I don't care if you're pink, blue, black, yellow, green or rainbow coloured. If you're happy, you're happy. You will always have an ally in me and safe place on this blog.

As much as I'd hate to see anyone loose their job during times like this, the author of that piece (Julie Burchill, for the curious) really does need firing. No one, and I mean no one, should be allowed to get away with what she wrote. I don't care if they're a columnist for a supposedly upmarket newspaper. She should be promptly sacked and then handed over to the police for prosecution regarding hate speech and inciting violence. If any one of us had said what

And, if the Google News search is anything to go by, I'm not the only one.

It's time we stood up to these bigots. Time to stand up to the ones who think they're immune to any kind of retribution because they have the protection of an editor and newspaper. Time to wipe out this so called "news" and create something new and beautiful. Are you will me?

Well, are you?!?!?!

For those who didn't catch it, here's my complaint to the Observer in full:

To Whom It May Concern:

As a regular reader of your newspaper I find it utterly atrocious that you allow Julie Burchill to spout unwarranted, and quite frankly offensive, views. I would like to point out that we live in the 21st Century and, while freedom of speech must be maintained, so should the dignity of those who for so long have been pushed in to the minorities.

While I'm sure your editor allowed this piece through to no doubt "improve circulation and readership", all you are doing is lowering yourselves to the standards of the red top rags and the lowest of the low of news services. How about actually standing up for the people who find themselves regularly beaten and harassed because they are different? How about speaking to the people Burchill chooses to vilify and writing an honest, open article on their lives? (and not sensationalising it at all. Have you people learned nothing from the phone hacking and Saville scandals?) In fact, how about finally getting rid of Burchill and her outdated and vile views and replacing her with one of those people she so enjoys attacking?

How about you don't follow the "norm" and actually do something different? You would win yourselves a lot more friends that way than making even more enemies just by trying to improve your circulation with the mindless, outdated, and unresearched views. We in society have to think before we speak, and will suffer the consequences if we don't. Burchill should not be exempt from these rules and should be made aware that her words can lead her to be prosecuted.

While we need to protect our freedom of speech (which I'm sure you'll cite that article as), we also need to be aware of what we are doing and saying and how it can make others feel.

I do hope you take the complaints you're receiving about this article seriously and actually think about what you're putting out in to the world. This world is a bad enough place as it is without you allowing people like Burchill to whip up even more hate and prejudice.

This complaint will also be sent to the Press Complaints Commission.

Yours,
Rae Gee