You are what you do, not what you say; so do it like the "space monkey".

Why are we becoming so sensitive about what everyone says rather that what everyone does? There have been three classic examples in the press recently.

1) The "slutgate" affair and the UK Independence Party (UKIP)

UKIP's Godfrey Bloom was accused of insulting an audience of (mainly) women when he called women who did not clean behind the refrigerator "sluts". One of the ladies took exception even though he was only joking. He was subsequently told that he could no longer represent UKIP as an MEP.

I do not support Mr Bloom's policies and never will. However, I do support his right to make fair comment and make a joke. Mr Bloom quoted the Shorter Oxford Dictionary. The first entry for the word slut is " a women of  slovenly habits or appearance or a kitchen maid or a drudge". The second entry is "a sexually promiscuous woman".

I am prepared to accept that Bloom meant the former. Why should he be traduced for using the word "slut"?
The person or  people who complained were obviously ignorant of all the meanings of the word. It would have been better if they had looked up the Shorter Oxford Dictionary before creating a furore.

Why not give him the benefit of the doubt even if you do not like him or his policies?

I accept that Bloom's comments about "Bongo Bongo" land were ill judged and should not have been made.
He has also made other ill judged remarks about the employment of young women. So, if you do not like him don't vote for him.

The best way of resolving issues about Mr Bloom are at the ballot box rather than creating a  silly furore about his use of language.

http:wwwhuffingtonpostcouk20130928ukipsgodfreybloomhits_n_4007325html


2) The "plebgate"  affair

Ten years ago a Government Minister could swear unjustifiably at a policeman and then apologise and the matter would then be dropped. The policeman would have accepted that the language used was uttered on the spur of the moment.

Policemen are sworn at and insulted much more on the streets by drunkards and petty criminals.

Andrew Mitchell, the government minister involved ,was forced to resign for using naughty words. This is completely ridiculous.

The senior management of the police have got themselves in a lot of hot water for refusing to accept Mitchell's explanation of what he said.

I am sure that all the parties involved in the affair would have preferred it if the matter had been dropped after the initial apology. Andrew Mitchell had not been violent and he had done nothing wrong other than use a few impolite words.  You are what you do, not what you say.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/policing-reform-needed-plebgate-affair-2464082



3) The "spacemonkeygate" affair

It is difficult enough to be the manager of the England football team at the best of times without being accused of racism. The "space monkey" phrase came from the initial era of American space travel. Instead of sending dogs into space before humans, like the Russians, the Americans sent chimpanzees, Ham and Enos, into space first. During Project Mercury this  prompted the joke about the astronauts being sent into space only to feed the "monkey" who was doing all the real work.

Roy Hodgson is not a racist and once again he is the victim of ignorance. No one took offence about what he said  and the comment should not have been leaked to the press. There should have been no investigation and no one should have even mooted an investigation. The matter should have been dropped. Hodgson was only joking.

There is no such thing as different races of human beings  as we are all members of the same race - homo sapiens sapiens.  It is completely ignorant to claim that there are different races of human being. To differentiate human beings on the basis of skin colour is also ignorant and unjustified by the facts.

Let's forget about race in this context and treat all men and women as being equals and with equal respect. This is what Roy Hodgson, who is a decent and intelligent man, does; he puts his beliefs into action.

When Project Mercury was in progress the astronaut corps members were all white men. There were no black astronauts selected and women were not selected either. Quite rightly, NASA was criticised at the time for their selection criteria. It was wrong to exclude both black men and  all women. NASA subsequently corrected this.

The subject of the astronautical joke took the "space monkey"  comment as being rather a compliment. It implied that the he was rather special and should be fed the ball.

Once again, you are what you do, not what you say. Let there be shame on those who misconstrued the joke and blew a little piece of humour and humanity out of all proportion and into a racist incident.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10388833/Andros-Townsend-defends-England-manager-Roy-Hodgson-saying-space-monkey-joke-a-compliment.html


I find it very irritating, when dining with my wife, to be called "guys". If I am dining alone no one calls me "guy", and I get funny looks from the waiter if I call him Guy in return. My wife hates being called "guys". The use of this word is irritating; what is wrong with using the word "folks"?

I looked up " guy" in the Shorter Oxford Dictionary and apart from meaning 3 being defined as "a man or fellow" in the singular or "people" in the plural  and chiefly North American; it also means "a person of grotesque appearance" or "an effigy of a man about to be burnt on Guy Fawkes night".

When the waiter calls me and my wife  "guys", he does not intend to call us "people of grotesque appearance" or burn us. He is just trying to be friendly. It is my wife and I who interpret it as being irritating. However, we are not offended and usually see the funny side of it especially when I ask the waiter "how did you know my name was Guy?" This joke is usually lost on waiters, just like the "space monkey"" joke was lost on the media and the watchdogs.


It is a pity that everyone takes themselves too seriously especially with regard to jokes, the way you are greeted or even the way you are sworn at.

Let us reserve our ire for those who are truly offensive and advocate violence against others - even with polite words.

You are what you do, not what you say ;so three cheers for the "space monkey" , he was very clever even if he was really a chimpanzee.