I NOTED the front page of the Wiltshire Times attacking Cllr Sankey for the joke he posted on Facebook.
Having spoken to him, I thought the joke was very funny.
Over many years the Christian religion has been mercilessly lampooned, particularly about the Pope, and I have laughed along with it. Think of Dave Allen! I have never taken offence.
Now, the Muslim religion has been elevated to a position in our society that means it is untouchable and not subject to the lampooning and criticism that other religions are rightly faced with.
Coupled with that we now have a new social and medical condition called the ‘permanently offended’.
The symptoms include an overwhelming desire to read everything on Facebook, a constant need to feel offended and once offended calling for the perpetrator of the offence to be publicly shamed and forced to resign from which ever position in life they hold. Historically they would be found sat knitting wigs at the foot of the guillotine.
This condition is now used to stifle free speech. Mark my words, the thought police are already active and before long everyone will be too afraid to say anything to anyone.
Years ago the expression was `holier than thou`; the social media expression is `offended more than thou`.
Which is the situation with the paper report mentioned above and all those asked to comment on the perpetrator`s disgraceful attack on Islam, each in turn being more offended than the other. Get a life.
My point of view is that religion had been the biggest cause of death and suffering every invented in the world, if I had my way religion would be banned from public life and only practised in private.
As that is not going to happen, please can we carry on as we are, practice our different religion, laugh at the jokes and yes be offended if we wish but get on with our lives and rub along together as we did in the past.
Finally, I have known Mike Sankey for many years, he is not a racist, a bigot or anything else.
I would rather have him as my friend than all the permanently offended put together.
Paul Carter
Mobile Home Park
Melksham