Tony Blair in the Guardian yesterday

A colleague sent me this. I will share it with you… ..It is titled. Let me make myself clear, neither myself or the colleagues is saying this. What the colleague is suggesting relates to what Mr Blair has said as reported in yesterday’s Guardian.

Black Culture is the root of killings?

Does Mr Blair, a so-called White liberal, really support the right wing and discredited criminologist view that maintains that some people or in this case specific peoples are biologically and therefore inherently more bent towards committing crime? (Twining says Professor Paj Waddington is one of those discredited peoples).

Had the ‘Right’ come out with a statement half as suggestive as this then the ‘White Liberals’ would have been enraged? (Twining thinks this is true).

As someone who has been involved in practical as well as theoretical criminology for the past quarter of a century I am not only appalled by Mr Blair’s statement but actually fearful that this may lead to the incitement of racial hatred towards Black people. Such a statement may well breach the very race hate laws that the present Labour Government actually brought in?

If Mr Blair has been quoted correctly? That ‘the spate of knife and gun murders in London was not being caused by poverty, but a distinctive black culture’ then I really do question his suitability to govern over a multicultural and diverse society for these sentiments and lets call them what they are ‘Racist’ opinions are what one would expect of someone in such an influential position.

Was it not also Mr Blair who supporting the changes to the race laws and in The Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000? This Act states the statutory obligations that public bodies should have due regard for in all aspects of their business, both internally and externally are: Elimination unlawful racial discrimination, Promote equality of opportunity; and Promote good race relations between people of different racial groups. I am assuming that the business of the governing of the United Kingdom is exempt from such good practise? And they need not promote anything positive. (Valid point, thinks Twining, if Mr Blair stated what he is suggested of stating).

For those who are wondering why the likes of the Commission for Racial Equality have not robustly put Mr Blair in his place and demanded his resignation, then do not worry, for the CRE has failed to be challenging for many years now. Perhaps it is the prospect of a ‘glittery’ bauble at the end of ones term that silences the past Chairs? The handing out of baubles to our ancestors has kept Black and Asian people nicely in their place for hundreds of years now so why should things change. (Twining has also argued this before. Baubles my foot! Even the NBPA or some in the NBPA rely on baubles).

I am at the end of my Policing career now, but still find strange that alleged champions of Human Rights and equality such as the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Superintendents Association or and even the Police Federation have remained silent on these statement when they actually are fully aware that there is no evidence to support such a stance. (Our leaders are cowards? This is a question from Twining. Not a statement.)

The National Black Police Association themselves only managed a half hearted attempt at a opposing their ‘Masters’ words. Perhaps all these bodies are also not wishing to miss out on a trinket or two? Mr Blairs comments support the opinion of ‘the inherent criminality of Black men’ will ultimately lead to further racial profiling and we will witness further abuses against the Black and Asian communities that are already disproportionately represented at the bottom of the socio-economic pile.

Was it not Mr Blair that supported the Community Cohesion Agenda Programme to combat the causes of criminality? This very programme is based not on the ‘nature’ argument towards the development of criminality or anti-social behaviour but on the ‘nurture’ aspect. Such Ministers such as Hazel Blears was a champion of this on behalf of Mr Blair’s government. Unfortunately the findings of this programme realised that the solutions are not short term and as such vote catching, but required long term investment which included not just money but putting the right people in the right places at the right time to achieve results.

Since the London bombings unfortunately the visionary approach has all been brushed to one side in favour of short term enforcement programmes akin to the dreaded ‘Zero Tolerance’ days. Many of the past supporters to a more enlightened approach to policing have been silenced by the present intolerant and xenophobic quick fix approach to not just dealing with crime but all many aspects of policy making which includes our present dreadful foreign policy.

One thing is for sure Mr Blair views which are an anachronism means that he can now proudly sit alongside the other ‘Great’ Eugenicists such as Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler to name but a few. I do agree with Mr Blair on one thing though, we should not let political correctness get in the way of the debate, so lets call a racist bigot just that when they are discovered. (Twining says, has Blair been wrongly advised? Crime in the Black community does exist, but so does poverty. Does poverty not cause crime? If Blair has been ignorant then we can forgive him. What are your thoughts?