Aaaaaargh! I despair, I really do!

WillowTheWhisp · 18-12-2007, 12:02

I was in town this morning and paused to look at the crib as I passed the Town Hall. A chap came up to me and said,

"It's lovely isn't it?"
"Yes," I replied but before I could say anything else he chipped in with,
"They tried to ban it you know."
"Did they?" I asked in a puzzled voice." Who was that then?"
"The muslims. But they couldn't could they? We won."

Then he wandered off.

I was left wondering "Eh? What? Who? When? How?" but didn't get chance to ask him to elaborate before he was off.

cashman · 18-12-2007, 12:04

pity you were too gosmacked to get the S.P. on that one willow.

kathleen_firth · 18-12-2007, 12:04

is it true we are not allowed to sing bah bah black sheep either

WillowTheWhisp · 18-12-2007, 12:07

Of course we're allowed to sing "Bah, bah black sheep." One school changed it to "rainbow sheep" out of some misguided PC nonsense.

kathleen_firth · 18-12-2007, 12:10

oh okay i thought it was for every body. to be honest i didnt think it was that big of a ordeal.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-12-2007, 12:36

It's like that story that hit the papers about nurses having to stop work 5 times a day to turn beds to face Mecca. The real facts were a long way from that, but that was the story which got reported and once in print people ran with it.

kathleen_firth · 18-12-2007, 14:05

so what was the real story behind that one, i do remember reading it.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-12-2007, 14:32

Something along the lines of a suggestion to nurses that elderly, frail or terminally ill Musim patients may feel better if their beds were able to be aligned with Mecca for when they said their prayers. Nothing about nurses stopping work 5 times a day, nothing about movings all beds of all Muslims.

I just wish I knew where 'crib guy' had got his story. Probably from a mate who heard it from a mate who had been told by his mate who had drawn a conclusion from the fact that the crib wasn't there when the lights were turned on. I just wonder how many other people have been told that story by now though. I seem to remember something similar going round last year, and that time when the Christmas lights were left up all year and then taken down one Autumn supposedly because Muslims had requested no Christmas lights! Where do they get it from?

kathleen_firth · 18-12-2007, 14:48

isn't tht annoying

WillowTheWhisp · 18-12-2007, 15:03

Yep, but it's surprising how these things get a life of their own. I'm wondering how many people in Accy are now grumbling that "the Muslims" tried to ban the crib! I would love to know where the story originated and what it was based on.

jambutty · 18-12-2007, 16:31

WillowTheWhisp you are now beginning to understand how subversive tactics work. You cannot unsay what has been said nor unhear what has been heard even if someone instructs you to ignore what you heard. The seed has been planted and it takes some effort to stop it growing especially in the face of majority opinion that the rumour lie is true.

Lawyers in court are skilled at practicing this art.

We need more little boys who do not see the king’s new clothes.

Rumour lies spread like wildfire fuelled by the media especially the tabloid press.

Rumour truths do not.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-12-2007, 18:01

I totally agree with that Jambutty. I've seen barristers chuck in a statement which they know the jury is going to be instructed to ignore, but it sows the seed of doubt.

It reminds me of a story about somebody who had spread a rumour and then lived to regret it. He asked if there was anything he could do to put things right and the "wise person" told him to get a feather pillow, go up on top of a hill, slit open the pillow and empty the contents out. He did so and then went back to the "wise person" to report he had done it.
"Good", said the wise person, "That was part one."
"So what's part two?" the man asked.
"Now go and collect all the feathers and put them back in the pillow." was the reply.

cashman · 18-12-2007, 19:46

this is exactly why i said, pity you didn't get the S.P. was very sceptical about the guys tale,in fact i think easop would have been proud of him.

grannyclaret · 18-12-2007, 21:44

when i was a kid ,we had a lovey little story book called LITTLE BLACK SAMBO.................
ooh what would the p.c brigade say to that??????????????????

cherokee · 19-12-2007, 00:01

only like the gollywog granny .... i had one and loved it .. and used to love seeing it on the jam jar ..