Not racist, just silly?

Diposkan oleh Zainal Arifain

A store in Scotland had a little word in its ear from Grampian police.

BBC.
A company selling "Anyone but England" T-shirts for this year's World Cup has rejected suggestions it is racist after police in Aberdeen visited its store.
Police warned Slanj, which also has stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh, that a window display featuring the shirt could cause offence.
Grampian officers advised a store worker to consider whether the display was appropriate and should be removed.
A spokesman for Slanj said staff were "flabbergasted" by the warning.
Ross Lyle, from the company, said: "To be honest we're absolutely flabbergasted.
"We have been selling this T-shirt for the past three months and we've had a great response.
 


"Even the English people who come into the store think it's a laugh and just a bit of tongue-in-cheek football banter.
"We're certainly not being racist. We are the same race as the English. It's just daft to say it's offensive."
A spokesman for Grampian Police said the force's visit to the Slanj store was not in response to any public complaint about the shirt slogan and was prompted by an officer acting on his own initiative.
In a statement, the force said it was purely an "advisory visit" and there was no criminal investigation as a result.
Pc Kirk Hemmings added: "The primary role of any police force is to preserve the peace and we would be failing in our duty if we did not make people aware of the potential for disturbance such a window display could cause.
"The Grampian area, in common with the rest of the country, has recorded incidents relating to nationality and we have a responsibility to do our best to ensure that incidents of this nature are kept to a minimum.
"The public expect no less of us."
 No, it's not racist, though only the Celts would do such a thing, there really isn't the interest in anything they get up too in England unless they're playing us, only mild interest when they do occasionally qualify for anything important, then treat as England B and move on. Still I do wonder what the reaction would be if anyone produced an "Anyone but Scotland" tee shirt, howls of anguish perhaps or as the most of the English do, take it in good part?
Heaven forfend though if anyone were to produce an "Anyone but Pakistan/India/Jamaica" tee shirt. That I could imagine setting the alarm bells off in "Righteous" central. Yet it's the same difference isn't it?
I doubt many on the left (with certain honourable exceptions) would get offended by a "Death to Israel" tee shirt, or perhaps a "Destroy the USA" after all to them the USA is the one nation they feel obliged to slag off.
Yet the same principle applies surely?

Or is it never racist when it's England, the USA or Israel? After all hypocrisy is second nature when it comes to defending your own behaviour, just ask any politician.

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