Completely bonkers

Richard Keys and Andy Gray make sexist comments, shock horror! This story makes front page headlines, it is one of the leading stories on the BBC, ITN and Sky news, it has been discussed on Radio 5 live. And I am sure if I watch Question Time tonight someone will ask the panelists about this issue.

We have had many people stating their opinion, we have had the feminist lobby almost calling for their execution. Karren Brady, vice chairman of West Ham football club won't return Richard Keys phone calls, a leading English woman's footballer has called the remarks made by these two men evil! This has been running now as a front page story all this week, it fills seven pages of the Daily Mirror today. I truly believe those within the media have gone completely stark raving bonkers.

You may have an opinion on this, but what I have found when talking to the people I work with, both men and women that they cannot believe the hype about this story. I work for an organisation that is wrapped in political correctness, there are many women who I work with and talk to who think this story is a 'storm in a teacup'. I have sat and listened and read about this story and to be quite frank I cannot believe how much publicity it has got. When you look around the world and within the UK and look at the events which are happening every week this whole issue pales into insignificance.

This week four little children from one family died in a house fire, it didn't even make front page news, it was buried somewhere on page ten in most newspapers. It was story number four or five on the BBC, the mother of these four little darlings has been left to bury her children, I cannot even begin to imagine how this woman feels. I have three children of my own and if one died I would be heartbroken, let alone all three, why did this story and many others not make headline news? Why did a story about two men having a private conversation which was overheard and taped make headline news? Almost every fire service within the country is going to make cuts to its fire fighter establishment, which will mean less fire engines going to more fires, should this not be making headline news? Should cuts in front line services not be making headline news?

Unfortunately it seems to me that the world has gone bonkers, political correctness has taken over, to make a sexist comment, even when joking can now lead to dismissal. You could argue that these sorts of attitudes are from the dark ages and we need to move on from a culture in which people feel threatened, bullied and intimidated and being sexist is part of that culture, but how far do we go? What I find interesting is, it seems it is wrong to say anything disrespectful to women but okay to do it to men, just take the programme 'Take me out' on ITV in which a man stands in front of a group of women and is ridiculed. If someone suggested making a programme in which a woman stood in front of a group of men and the same happened to them I am sure it would be very quickly binned.

We do not live in a perfect world, there have been many times in my life in which someone has said something which has irritated me, I am sure most people can think of some incident in their own life, but would that be a good reason to sack someone? I don't know these two men, they might be a couple of idiots who are always making sexist comments, I am sure we have all said something offensive at times. But I believe the sacking of these two men has been a total over reaction, I believe a little word in their ear and a slap on the wrist would have sufficed, I am sure if someone had said to them to watch what they were saying they would have done. The interesting thing in all of this is it seems is that the woman linesman who the comment was aimed at wasn't even bothered.

I hope that these two men get another job, I personally believe this has been a witch hunt very similar to 'Macarthyism' in the US in the 1950's. I can see this sort of thing happening more and more, and I do not believe it is a good thing. We all know what bullying is and it isn't very nice and should be stamped out, but how far are we going to go? Are we going to end up living in a country in which almost anything will be taken as offensive? Unfortunately and frighteningly I think we are almost there, so watch out BIG BROTHER is watching and listening and could be coming to; a street, workplace, church, your home very soon!