David's Daily Diversions

Foreign Race

In a post somewhat related to yesterday entry, the High Court in London has ruled that using the phrase "bloody foreigners" can be racist. This seems strange to me, as I didn't realise that "foreigner" was a particular race.

The case arises from the case of a 16-year-old who used the phrase in an argument with a Turkish-speaking chef in a Portsmouth kebab shop. The argument was about whether the youth had paid for his food. The drunk teenager then cracked the window of the shop.

Charged under the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, he faced greater sanctions if it were shown that his criminal damage was racially motivated. The magistrates who originally heard the case decided that since he was motivated by the disagreement concerning payment, there could be not a racist element. The High Court overruled this. For the offence to be committed, all that was necessary was for the defendant "to demonstrate towards the victim hostility based on the victim's membership, or presumed membership, of a racial group", said the judge.

I'm still not clear what membership of a racial group, presumed or otherwise, was demonstrated. Is there a Turkish race? But the defendant didn't even say "bloody Turk". Apparently all foreigners are a racial group.

Now, tying this into the subject of yesterday's blog, it would seem that all the proponents of the migrant worker village need to do is have every opponent of the plan charged with racial hatred and jailed.