Interesting approach 'The Sun' newspaper has taken in taking a stance against the radical element of racism that has appeared over the past couple of years in Britain..
The papers front page features a Jewish child holding a sign that says 'Yid'.. a black child holds one that says 'nigger'.. a Muslim girl has one that reads 'raghead'.. a Muslim boy, 'terrorist'..and there are about seven more other children of ethnic origin with the epithetic lables they're subjected to..
This has caused quite a stir among the ethnic communities..
Now the Editor-In-Chief of 'The Sun' says it's a shock tactic, designed to highlight what these ethnic children have to endure at school, and to some extent, from the public at large.. And that he cannot believe that in this year 2007, kids still have to face this type of discrimination. The purpose of the front page, was to draw each and every reader into the world of these minority children, to demonstrate the polarisation process as it develops from childhood.
But the stance taken by at least some of the ethnic communities has been somewhat less than enthusiastic. To see these epithets in print, they say, is bad enough.. But to see them on the front page of a national newspaper is unendurable.
There is a point to the objections voiced to this approach, for to see such unacceptable labels anywhere is difficult to accept.
But, one must admire The Sun's courage in taking this stance, and printing such a headline picture, for if even one reader is moved by this image, and one attitude is changed, then some progress has been made.
And it is likely that British people, who, it has to be said are by and large socially concious, who see this picture, will have their collective shame touched to some extent.
And indeed, confronting what might be something lightly said, with little insult intended, could well lead to a more complete understanding of the damage done by such epithets, and could possibly prompt thought before they're uttered..
One can only hope, for as has been recorded here many times, this Island is becoming fragmented, and the issue of what it means to be 'British' is an issue which even the government is exploring..