After Nottinghamshire Police post – then later delete – a Facebook warning to women about walking alone late at night, the woke furies go ballistic over good, practical advice branding it “condescending” and “sexist.”
The speed with which the Notts Police force deleted its entirely sensible advice to women walking alone at night after it was accused of “victim-blaming” is further proof that common sense is losing in the woke war.
Before the Facebook post was taken down, it described a late night call from a woman who felt she was being followed by a man in a hoodie and called the police. While she arrived home safely, the police simply stated the obvious that women who walk alone especially at night are at risk of harassment or even physical assault.
Also on rt.com UK police apologize after warning women not to walk alone at night… while netizens wonder whether advice was so badPlain common sense. The sort of advice every parent gives their daughter across the cities, towns and even villages of Britain.
But the shrill offense-seekers are having none of that.
No siree, Nottingham Women’s Center chief executive Helen Voce was outraged, calling the well-intentioned advice “condescending” and “sexist” because it spoke about a late night “store-run,” and that was the police implying that women were always at the shops because, you know, they are buying groceries and make-up in their leading role as domestic organisers while their menfolk are hard at work on the 9 to 5. It’s like Mad Men up in Nottingham.
“It’s men that need to change their behaviour,” she said. Uh, okay, let’s put a Facebook post up about every man needing to understand they are a potential rapist, advising all males aged over 12 to think twice before walking within 100 meters of a woman at night in case she gets the wrong idea and blasts you in the face with pepper spray.
Imagine a hapless chap opening a door for Ms Voce to walk through first. How dare you! The caveman-style offense, the in-your-face sexism of such a gesture.
Back in the day, and we’re not talking so far back to the medieval times of that other famous Nottingham do-gooder, Robin Hood, such gestures were considered at the least common courtesy or in the cloak over puddle instance, actually quite chivalrous.
But don’t you dare condescend to the modern Nottingham woman in any way, even if you’re just trying to be helpful by pointing out the perils of walking alone late at night.
They don’t want your help.
That is despite Nottingham having something of a typical urban crime problem, which in any circumstances, is too much.
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The latest local crime figures show a police force at full stretch with October statistics recording a whopping 3,044 violent incidents for the month, that’s nearly 10 a day, and the figures have been at that level or higher since the middle of last year. Worryingly, weapons offenses are also on the rise.
Also in October, as the autumn nights drew in, total reported crime was at a figure of 11,979 offenses, including a total of 178 “thefts from person,” mugging in common parlance.
Interestingly it is the darker months, January (219 offenses) and February (281) that have seen the most muggings reported this year, so it would be reasonable to suggest that the police warning was as timely as it was practical.
Also on rt.com ‘What’s a girl seeking, alone at night?’ German mayor’s ‘victim-blaming’ blasted as immigrants accused of gang-raping teenagerIt simply makes sense. There is no need to apologize for making the point and by doing so, it actually undermines the attempt to try and make sure everybody is safe, and more importantly, feels safe.
Some poor social media sap at Notts Police has no doubt been slapped on the wrist for this “clumsy” effort and sent off for sensitivity training before being re-integrated into the team once the course of rehabilitation is complete.
Let us hope the lesson learned is that whatever you post there is someone out there just dying to take offense. Unfortunately, it is not just modern policing that needs to watch its social media output, it is all aspects of public life.
However, kowtowing to the claims of “victim blaming” and deleting the advice means the job that the understaffed, underfunded and overwhelmed police are trying to do has just become that little bit harder.
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