Tourette syndrome

[Sqad]

Tourette syndrome.....sudden outbursts of uncoordinated muscular movements repetitive with no useful end result.

Ed Balls at PMQ's ....exactly the same.

What IS the big deal?

[venator]

Diane Abbott was accusing all Tories of racial practices

The only butt of David Cameron's joke was Ed Balls. It was a thoughtless thing to have said, but nothing like as serious as Diane. We can all guess what kind of stuff she says among her friends!

We are living in a society where easily offended groups scream and shout at any use of their trigger words.

Roll on Animal Farm - White British Christians bad, everybody else good...

[emmie]

Venator, i don't think that people in Britain are like that, most go about their business, get on with their lives without resorting to being rude, or making overtly racial remarks, but with politicians it should be hard wired into them to be more guarded, after all they are the ones leading the country, so they should by rights set a good example. To say that many haven't in recent days, with the expenses scandal is a case in point, it seems to be do as i say, not as i do.

[jno]

it's pretty much the same as calling someone a spaz, isn't it... very grown up behaviour, Mr Cameron.

But yes, the coprolalia is the best known symptom (though relatively uncommon), and it's hard to see how that applies.

[venator]

Quite right em10, most people are reasonable citizens, going quietly about their daily lives.

What I was talking about are the highly visible and vociferous groups.

And politicians should watch their backs in view of the PC, 'ooman rights, 'elf & safety, discrimination and Compo industries all out for publicity.

I half expected someone to have a go at me for using the word "Christians" - surely that discriminates against everybody else....

[anotheoldgit]

Welcome back Squad, I was unaware you had been ill, hope you are now feeling much better.

All this "it's offensive" to someone or other, is getting completely out of hand, soon we won't dare open our mouths without offending someone or other, the British sense of humour is yet another piece of British culture that is fast being destroyed.

To all those that deem Cameron's rem,ark to be offensive I say this, how many times has someone in your household mislaid something and have asked you if you had seen it, to which you have replied, "It's on the hall table, are you BLIND"?

Regarding the reference to Abbot's racist comment, no it was not a particularly racist comment, it was the fact that if a white person had said the same regarding black people, she would have been the first to complain.

[Brenden]

about right AOG - and complain she would very loudly. I am beginning to think that the word "racism" is now the most overused word in the dictionary and will soon be obsolete if used so inanely as it is now.

[Steve.5]

Nice to see you back mate.
as for politicians you know my apreciation of them, heads on poles

[ludwig]

It must be deeply offensive to be compared to Ed Balls, so I can see why Tourettes sufferers are upset. Still, the PM has apologised for the insult, so fair play to him.

[Jemisa]

Hello Sqad, nice to see you I was enquiring about you this morning.
Glad you're feeling better and back in the 'answering' mode. We miss you when you're not here to give us confidence and reassurance about our ache's & pains. You look after yourself.

jem

[Ellipsis]

The problem is the implication that somebody with Tourette's wouldn't be suitable as the leader of the Opposition ... which, whatever your opinion of how true or not that is, touches on Disability Discrimination!

Cameron should have simply said the symptoms without reference to the name of the condition. That's much safer ground. E.g. "At PMQs, Ed Balls makes sudden outbursts of uncoordinated muscular movements repetitive with no useful end result" - no problem. We are then left to make the association in our own minds ...