Mixed Race Britain | Olympics Opening Ceremony - edited Rick Dewsbury Mail Online article

Aaron with 2 of his cousins who are also mixed race

You'd be forgiven for not realising Aaron is mixed race, but I am 1st generation British with both of my parents having moved to the UK from Ireland and my husband is 1st generation British with both of his parents having moved here from Nigeria.  In some photos, Aaron looks really pale (as he does in Winter and at birth) but then other times, he is clearly mixed race.

Not only is Aaron mixed race, but he is one of 6 grandchildren on my husband's side of the family and ALL SIX of them are mixed race. That's from 3 couples, all of whom are still together, living together, both working, etc... etc...

I was listening to the radio last night (LBC 97.3 as usual) and was shocked by what I heard regarding a Daily Mail online article.  Apparently it has been edited but I will try to find for you, what it said, to provoke outrage, versus what it says now...

Well, despite being reliably informed that the Mail Online was edited, the below is the quote as I find it in forums, AND still on the Mail Online itself:

“But it was the absurdly unrealistic scene – and indeed one that would spring from the kind of nonsensical targets and equality quotas we see in the NHS – showing a mixed-race middle-class family in a detached new-build suburban home, which was most symptomatic of the politically correct agenda in modern Britain."

Aha, thanks to John J. Williamson, I have now found the bit that got edited.

The Mail Online now says:

But it was the absurdly unrealistic scene – and indeed one that would spring from the kind of nonsensical targets and equality quotas we see in the NHS - showing a mixed-race middle-class family in a detached new-build suburban home, which was most symptomatic of the politically correct agenda in modern Britain.

This was supposed to be a representation of modern life in England but such set-ups are simply not the 'norm' in any part of the country. So why was it portrayed like this and given such prominence? If it was intended to be something that we can celebrate, that two people with different colour skin and different cultural heritages can live harmoniously together, then it deserves praise.  But what will be disturbing to many people is top-down political manipulation - whether consciously or unthinkingly - at a major sporting event.

And what it originally said was:

“But it was the absurdly unrealistic scene – and indeed one that would spring from the kind of nonsensical targets and equality quotas we see in the NHS – showing a mixed-race middle-class family in a detached new-build suburban home, which was most symptomatic of the politically correct agenda in modern Britain.

This was supposed to be a representation of modern life in England but it is likely to be a challenge for the organisers to find an educated white  middle-aged mother and black father living together with a happy family in such a set-up.”

What he clearly doesn't realise is that mixed couples are very common.  The organisers would not have to look far at all and could probably have picked a few from the audience.

SHAME HE DID NOT EDUCATE HIMSELF BY READING HIS OWN PAPER HERE, BEFORE WRITING WHAT HE WROTE - SHAME ON YOU RICK DEWSBURY!

I was at a Fun Day at Aaron's nursery all day yesterday and nearly every couple I spoke to were mixed.  In fact the UK has the highest incidence of this, by a long way:

It is discussed here on bbc.co.uk with regards to the 2001 census, from where I take this extract: "Whatever the reasons, the result of Britain’s high number of inter-ethnic relationships is a boom in the mixed race population - currently the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK". And it goes on: "Figures published by the Office for National Statistics in 2001 revealed the number of mixed race people grew by more than 75% during the 1990s to around 415,000, 10% of the total ethnic minority population in the UK".

The Guardian here says: You are more likely in Britain to fall in love with someone of another race than anywhere else in the world.

The trend is happening in the U.S. too.
 THIS is very interesting.
Over to BBC.co.uk again

What I would really like to discuss here is his actual choice of words: challenge for the organisers to find an educated white  middle-aged mother and black father living together with a happy family in such a set-up.” 

Okay, let's start with educated:

Both myself and my husband went to University and came out with two BA honours (and not ex-Polytechnics either). I find his inclusion of this word quite insulting!

Middle-aged

Does he mean middle-classed?  If he really does mean middle-aged, well I am 39, so didn't exactly have a baby young despite us having been together for 24 years!

Living together

Er, yes we are, as are all of the other similar mixed couples I know.

Happy

I can list many such families that are happy, and met many of them at nursery yesterday.

Such a set-up.

He means a detached house.  Well, if you saw some of the stunning homes that mixed race couples I know live in, you would see how out of touch he is.  Typical Daily Mail sweeping judgements with no substance.  Although we live in a flat, it is indeed detached!

So, like with Aidan Burley, we have another sensationalist comment that has got as all up in arms.  I'd rather just focus on how beautiful the Opening Ceremony was.  I really loved it!

Maybe Aidan and Rick Dewsbury should go for a drink together - they are clearly both built from the same mould - perhaps they studied at Oxford together.

Update at 23:12 29th July 2012
I just Googled to see what else is being said on this subject and very much enjoyed what James W Smith had to say!  Thanks to reading what he said, and the comments, I am now aware that the Mail Online post has been taken down.  

I hope that is a result of John J. Williamson's complaint to the PCC - maybe lots of people complained.  Shows the press do sometimes listen.  Hopefully they will know better than to let such an article get published next time! Unless they do it on purpose to increase their online traffic! 

Succumbing to pressure, they have disabled the post! Good!

YOU CAN STILL SEE HOW IT READ AND LOOKED HERE AT FREEZE PAGE, WHICH IS GOOD FOR ANYONE WHO MISSED THE WHOLE THING, CONSIDERING THAT IT'S NOW BEEN TAKEN DOWN! GOOD!

With Jessica Ennis being one of our FACES of the OLYMPICS - London 2012, it makes his statements even more outrageous, if that is at all possible!!!

Jess Ennis and Proud Parents - he wouldn't have had to look far at all!