Reuters - 2 hours 35 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - A man has been convicted of racially aggravated harassment after calling a Welsh woman English.

Michael Forsythe was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, after being found guilty of racially aggravated disorderly behaviour, a court official said.

Forsythe received the sentence at Welshpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday and was also ordered to pay 200 pounds in prosecution costs.

The former lorry driver, who is originally from Northern Ireland, but lives in Powys, Mid Wales, called Lorna Steele an "English bitch" during an argument after he collided with her parked vehicle in the Welsh market town of Newport in February.

Forsythe has attacked the prosecution as a waste of time and money, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

"I find it unbelievable that I've been prosecuted for this," he said. "I've travelled all over Europe as a lorry driver and never had any problems with anybody and now they're officially calling me a racist.

"It's political correctness gone mad."

(Editing by Steve Addison)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20071130/tuk-uk-britain-racial-fa6b408_2.html

Wow, I can see problems calling her a bitch, but "English"?? :confused: I know that in many parts of the UK, there are supposed to be distinctions between English, Welsh, and Scottish groups, in spite of being on the same island, but this is so out of hand. How is it "racist"? Just by the fact that he uttered an ethnic epithet? ohno: What was his ethnicity?

Ten weeks in jail, just for un-PC behavior. I'd hate to imagine what a SERIOUS crime would get you.

Wow, I can see problems calling her a bitch, but "English"?? :confused: I know that in many parts of the UK, there are supposed to be distinctions between English, Welsh, and Scottish groups, in spite of being on the same island, but this is so out of hand. How is it "racist"? Just by the fact that he uttered an ethnic epithet? ohno: What was his ethnicity?

Ten weeks in jail, just for un-PC behavior. I'd hate to imagine what a SERIOUS crime would get you.

yes, the british are made up of english, scottish, welsh and northern irish people. apparently, in english law, it is deemed racist if you wrongly call a person from wales, english, or a scottish person irish for eg. it is also racist if you discriminate and racially offend a person who is american, canadian, french etc by means of their nationality and so its not just on grounds of the colour of their skin.

oh and btw, the guy was white

No comment. :rolleyes:

Ten weeks in jail, just for un-PC behavior. I'd hate to imagine what a SERIOUS crime would get you.

Probably just probation.

With all this "hate-crime" PC crap, "offending" someone is a capital offense.

That seems to me to be as ridiculous as calling someone from the Western US an Easterner and getting arrested for it. Obviously I don't know squat about British culture, but that's just...yeah. Do we have to start asking people where they're from before we say anything to or about them?

Probably just probation.

With all this "hate-crime" PC crap, "offending" someone is a capital offense.
:rolleyes: Tell me about it.

That seems to me to be as ridiculous as calling someone from the Western US an Easterner and getting arrested for it. Obviously I don't know squat about British culture, but that's just...yeah. Do we have to start asking people where they're from before we say anything to or about them?

that's one of the good things i like about american culture is that it is not as PC and run like a dictatorship as it is here in the uk. where i live, the place is run by extreme loony lefties. in the US you have freedom of speech and things like that. and in response to your question, no you don't have to ask people in the US stupid things like that and get arrested for it but if, like me, you live in any part of the UK, you do unfortunately

Since when is being English a "race" ?!?! :crazy: :lol:

And then the world wonders why the IRA are still in existence?! ;)


My family background is Scottish, English, Irish, French & German (in that order). It used to kill me, all my mother's life she always said not to dress in green for St. Paddy's Day and that every time she cut herself, she hoped it was the Irish blood that bled out. WTH is that supposed to mean? Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh, it's all from the same region basically and their heritages are so inter-woven that most probaby have "blood" of another. What difference does it make?

In the immortal words of Rodney King, "Why can't we all just get along?" :rolleyes:

Since when is being English a "race" ?!?! :crazy: :lol:

And then the world wonders why the IRA are still in existence?! ;)

My family background is Scottish, English, Irish, French & German (in that order). It used to kill me, all my mother's life she always said not to dress in green for St. Paddy's Day and that every time she cut herself, she hoped it was the Irish blood that bled out. WTH is that supposed to mean? Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh, it's all from the same region basically and their heritages are so inter-woven that most probaby have "blood" of another. What difference does it make?

In the immortal words of Rodney King, "Why can't we all just get along?" :rolleyes:

which is why people confuse britain as being a country- it is not, it is a region made up of england, scotland, wales and northern ireland, although when formed together make up as one nation, which is the UK. however, it all stems from the past histories and rivalries between england and scotland, wales, northern ireland. if you have ever watched the film, braveheart, then you'll understand where i am coming from

which is why people confuse britain as being a country- it is not, it is a region made up of england, scotland, wales and northern ireland, although when formed together make up as one nation, which is the UK. however, it all stems from the past histories and rivalries between england and scotland, wales, northern ireland. if you have ever watched the film, braveheart, then you'll understand where i am coming from


Oh believe me I know! That's why it killed me that some of the older members of my family would carry that old history and rivalries right into our family tree. :rolleyes: Most of it of course is over land rights and religion. It's not like they're separate races!

Oh believe me I know! That's why it killed me that some of the older members of my family would carry that old history and rivalries right into our family tree. :rolleyes: Most of it of course is over land rights and religion. It's not like they're separate races!

exactly!

No comment. :rolleyes:
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