Beyond Belief

There are some acts of crass stupidity which simply can't be ignored. A case in point was the stocking of golly dolls at the Wizzard shop, which is just a short walk from the International Slavery Museum at Liverpool's Albert Dock. Given that the port of Liverpool was enriched beyond all recognition by the slave trade, it beggars belief that a retailer in the city, & particularly the port area, could be so callous & obtuse. In the last couple of days, however, the penny has finally dropped with the shop's owners & the dolls have been taken from its shelves. Both the city council & the Merseyside Black Police Association had raised their objections, along with countless others (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/10/16/racist-golly-dolls-removed-from-albert-dock-shop-100252-22048103/ ).
The Daily Post report notes:
"A spokesman for the shop said: 'We've had messages of support and these dolls have been bought for years by customers both black and white.
"Even though completely legal, we felt on balance that being across the road from the Slavery Museum we had to withdraw them from sale.' "
You'll notice the absence of an apology in that statement. In fact, the shop evidently feels that it's been the victim of coercion. The first sentence in the statement is also the sort of bullshit employed by those whose position has become indefensible. The Wizzard shop has had "messages of support", eh? From whom, the BNP? In addition, the shop really can't be allowed to claim that Afro-Carribean people have bought the dolls. It merely compounds the insult.
Sad to relate, there are cretinous mewlings about the story on the Echo letters page (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/echo-letters/2008/10/14/your-letters-14th-october-2008-100252-22025662/ ).
The only thing missing from the pathetic missives to Old Hall Street is the well-worn phrase "political correctness gone mad".