Soltalk October 2019 | Page 27

Jottings This was deemed to be unfit for the ears of easily-offended snowflakes. Self- appointed diversity police objected to phrases which included “curly Latin kinkies,” as well as “yellow Chinkies” and even “Red Indian boy.” It appears that snowflakes are unable to understand the concept of context. While the song would be unlikely to be composed or recorded nowadays, 1969 was a very different time. Blue Mink’s bassist Herbie Flowers, now 81, said he was bewildered by the ban, adding that, “there are far worse things played on (BBC) Radio 1 these days, songs full of obscenities and violence.” He added, “You would have thought the world had got bigger fish to fry than this.” Quite ... Meanwhile, two icons of children’s literature have been snowflaked in recent weeks. First, the creator of Noddy and the Famous Five, Enid Blyton, came into their field of vision when it was revealed that she was denied the honour of appearing on a commemorative 50 pence coin. The UK’s Royal Mint described the author as “a racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well- regarded writer.” Their views came out when minutes of a meeting were obtained in which a committee debated whether the coin should be struck to mark the 50th anniversary of her death in 2018. Second, was Fireman Sam who has been dropped as a mascot by the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service over fears he could put women off joining. They say he does not “reflect the inclusive nature” of the service, and have put their faith instead in giant fire extinguishers called Freddy, Filbert and Penelope. Your Jottings team fear that Dora the Explorer may have to declare herself gender neutral and that the Mr Men have a serious problem to overcome. And before we leave the subject, we must mention a parent who has called for innuendos to be banned from TV programmes. Jane Evans has been branded “sad” and “an idiot” on social media after stating that parents should not have to explain rude jokes to their children. One person commented, “It’s part of our heritage. We’re the country of seaside postcards, Carry On, pantomime ...” Gender debate NHS bosses in Scotland have warned nursery staff against referring to “boys and girls,” claiming that “gendered” language can lead to violence or murder. The guidelines from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are part of a pilot project aimed at creating “gender 25 friendly nurseries.” These include considering the use of phrases such as, “Good morning, boys and girls,” and asks, “Is it made clear to visitors to the nursery that no distinctions are made re boys and girls when being addressed?” The report suggests that “throwaway” comments can influence a child for the rest of its life. Meanwhile the UK’s Gender and Equality Commission has criticised the guidelines which allow transgender children to use the toilet of their choice. It says the policy is “ignoring the rights of girls.” A draft document, expected to be in English and Welsh schools this month, says that girls who feel uncomfortable with such an arrangement should be given the use of a private changing room. The Commission says it wants to protect children who meet the legal definition of gender reassignment as well as pupils who are “simply exploring their gender identity.” Vegan views Your Jottings team is very open-minded. Any lifestyle is acceptable provided it’s legal and we’re not obliged to practice it. So when we heard that a group of vegans Continued overleaf