It seems that not a day goes by without some person or group screaming that they have been offended by something that has been said, written, manufactured, or just happened. The world is clamouring with people who see themselves as victims who need protecting from what is often just the plain and simple truth.  The police now even use time and resource to investigate the terrible crime of “offence”; scouring twitter feeds for remarks made in 140 characters that somebody, somewhere might find a little bit upsetting.

There are are the morbidly obese reporting hate crimes against those who tell them the truth about the consequences of their chronic gorging.  Others who bleat “RACIST!” when their their religion or nationality are criticised or commented upon.  And there are those who take offence on behalf of others.

The latest in protests from the professionally offended comes after minor celebrity Katie Hopkins tweeted about a nurse from Scotland who had contracted Ebola being treated in England.  In not-such delicate terms, she commented that, if the NHS in Scotland is independent of NHS England (which it always has been), and if the socialist utopia’s healthcare system is so great, then why is this person being treated at the Royal Free in London; why has NHS Scotland not set up its own specialist centres?  [It probably has, but we have a ludicrous situation where all UK people who contract ebola are shipped to just one unit in London]

Of course, in using the term “sweaty Jocks”, certain people were outraged, cried “RACIST!!!!” and started a petition for her to be arrested.

Is this how things work from now on?  Are we not allowed to make remarks, outrageous or otherwise, for fear of being investigated or arrested because of what is essentially mob rule?

People seem to have lost the ability to accept criticism, to debate, to argue, take a joke, or to even shrug off idiotic comments made by people who seek publicity, or indeed seek to offend.  Instead, they see themselves as oppressed victims, seeking any opportunity to be offended rather than grow a pair, take some responsibility and stand up for themselves.

God help anybody who dares say anything remotely critical against the people of Liverpool.

This attitude, this collective feeling of injustice, possibly comes from the creeping political correctness that has pervaded western society over the past few decades.  Borne out of good intentions of equality and fairness, it has been turned on its head and spun around so much so that no longer can somebody be called a dickhead without them screaming back that they’re being picked on because of their weight/nationality/religion/gender/sexuality/hair colour/body art.  Where does it stop?

I’m not the sort of person to ever quote Stephen Fry, I’m not a fan of his, but to quote him:

It’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually nothing more… than a whine. ‘I find that offensive.’ It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. ‘I am offended by that.’ Well, so fucking what.

So fucking what indeed.  People choose to be offended.

If they want to, people should take offence at the global situation that gives rise to our focus of attention being on one or two people from the developed world who succumb to Ebola when there have been thousands of others who are anonymous:

The customary rant about New Year

I don’t like New Year, cannot abide it.  This whole “let’s hope next year is better than the last one” is just a load of bollocks that’s been repeated by millions of people at 12.01am every first of January for years.

As December 31st progresses, the news media show us how New Year has been celebrated in the Pacific nations.  Oh look, there are fireworks on Sydney Harbour Bridge, I’ve never seen that before…  People smiling and clinking champagne flutes while wearing comedy glasses in the shape of whatever year it happens to be… People dancing in fountains… and of course, Scottish people.

Nothing magical is going to happen on the stroke of midnight (hopefully I’ll be asleep): this cold I’ve been suffering from won’t disappear; I’ll still have to do housework tomorrow and go back to work on Monday; people will come and go, as will the seasons.  Nothing changes, we just get older and more weary.