Why is everyone determined to be outraged all the time?

11 November 2009

Rod Liddle wonders where it will end if every grievance must be taken seriously and anyone who is offended by anything expects a pint of blood

Today, every grievance must be given weight, no matter how deranged the complainant. And I wonder if this may be a consequence of continual legislation to protect the sensibilities of some of our more touchy and vulnerable communities. If, for example, we enact legislation that makes it a crime to disrespect Islam (and without wishing to provoke, I do disrespect Islam), then we are opening up the door to people who will seek legal redress when their ludicrous beliefs are disrespected, when the things which they hold dear are made fun of. And the courts seem to agree with this fragile sensibility; last week a judge decided that one man’s belief in global warming was akin to a religious conviction and that his views were to be respected no matter how ludicrous they might be.

And so the rest of us follow suit, determined that our beliefs are sacrosanct and must not be gainsaid. And in the case of the Guardian readers, demanding that even a mention of those who gainsay them must be outlawed.

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KindnessofWomen

November 12th, 2009 3:19pm Report this comment

How very dare you suggest that members of the easily offended community are overreacting, you little turd.

Seriously, though, Rod is right. These 'twitstorms' are going to be part of the media landscape for the forseeable future. The only suggestion I can make for defusing them is that the relevant regulatory bodies should refuse to accept anything other than formal written complaints.

JohnBUK

November 19th, 2009 5:53pm Report this comment

I suppose at first over the years most of us have watched the "outraged" arms race with mild interest assuming it would end sensibly with a final "GROW UP" from someone in authority. Our surprise that some complainants have actually been listened and pandered to has meant more complainants have had to join in lest their particular part of the planet loses out. Finally (fat hope) we have, as you say, seen a global warming "disciple" taken seriously. God knows where it goes from here?

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