Posted by Mike Dennis on December 30, 2005 at 11:08:47 from 81.77.157.27 user MTD.
In Reply to: Bowlderising AR (was Political Correctness was AR v HL) posted by Jock on December 28, 2005 at 01:52:42:
I have just read on the BBC's news Web site about warning from RoSPA (the accident prevention group) about the 'dangers' of frozen ponds and lakes, and how in the North of England police removed a group of 10 children from a frozen pond. If this attitude had been around in AR's day there would be no WH.
Before anybody berates me for safety issues I am all to well aware of that, my point is about taking resonsability for your own actions. My older brother was killed as a child riding his bicycle (this was in the late 1950s) - did my parents demand compensation from the car driver involved? No, my father spoke on his behalf at the inquest. Did my parents demand the banning of all bicycles? Of course not. It was perceived as an accident.
So what has this to do with bowdlerising? AR wrote the books when he did in the way that was acceptable then, they have to be seen in context of the 1930s. They are not timeless, as far as we know AR did not intend to offend anyone so leave them as they are.
A word on a page that does not intend to offend cannot offend, if it does read something else.