Extreme Political Correctness: Down’s syndrome boy charged with racism
This is so sad on so many levels:
Hers is a situation so ridiculous it would be laughable, had the potential ramifications not been so serious.
Her story also serves as a disturbing example of how extreme political correctness can allow minor of incidents to be blown out of all proportion.
The events which have brought her such anguish in recent months begun with what was effectively a playground spat between two individuals with special needs.
It soon escalated into a seven-month criminal investigation that could have resulted in Fiona’s son being hauled before a court and left with a criminal record.
Last September, Jamie – who is 18 but cannot even tie his own shoelaces, needs help on the lavatory, mustn’t be left alone in the house and still relies on his mother to tuck him up in bed at night – had an altercation with an Asian girl of a similar age, also a pupil at the special needs department of Motherwell College in Lanarkshire, where Jamie is a student.
Put quite simply – girl irritated boy, boy pushed girl and told her to go away. Then, girl responded by telling her teacher.
The two were sent their separate ways and their parents informed about the falling out.
Given their mental ages, it was no more significant than a playground spat between two five-year-olds. That should have been the end of it.
Instead, a notice was placed in the local newspaper – it is not known by whom – asking for witnesses to a “racial assault” at the college on the day in question.
Whether this notice led to the police investigation, or whether the family of the girl contacted them directly is still not clear. Either way, just over a week later, Jamie was charged with racism and assault.
It was an insane example of overzealous political correctness; a local zero-tolerance policy on racism taken to its extremes without any common sense being applied, let alone consideration for the unusual circumstances of the individuals involved.
After months of stress and fear, the Baulds’ ordeal came to an end yesterday when, in a remarkable climbdown, the Crown Office issued a formal apology to the family for any distress caused over the past seven months.
April 19, 2008 - 09:58 PM on April 19th, 2008
have the liberals no shame i mean this is outragous
April 20, 2008 - 08:15 AM on April 20th, 2008
Pathetic, and like you said snowy egret, outrageous. Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OH MY!