---reported by Scott Norvell


The deep thinkers at Indymedia have come to the conclusion that the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy paints a "racist stereotypical tapestry" that does a disservice to young viewers everywhere.

Lloyd Hart says people of color are all associated with the Dark Lord Sauron in the movie and the elephant-riding mercenaries too closely resemble the cultures of Africa, Persia and East Asia. The Uruk-hai also too closely resemble Native Americans, which is sure to cause "a great deal of cultural and racial alienation."

The fact that King Theoden, a white guy, calls his troops the "great warriors of the West" clinches it in Hart’s eyes.

"Can you imagine how people of skin color, of Persian, Arab and East Asian ethnic background feel when they come out of these films where all the heroes are white and all the 'evil doers' are of dark skin," Hart writes.

_____________________________

Double Standard?

A captain in the San Francisco Police Department is accused of creating a hostile work environment by referencing the race of a black colleague at a holiday party, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

At a party, Capt. Paul Chignell and Inspector John Monroe were described as trading good-natured barbs when the former said, "Johnny, now you're the highest-ranking black guy in the auto detail -- in fact, you're the only black guy. ... We haven't had a black guy in the auto detail since we called you Negroes.''

The remark was prompted by comments from Monroe to the effect that he "made more money than the chief" and "spent all my time f--- over you white boys'' in a previous job.

A complaint was later filed with the department’s civil rights unit about Chignell’s comments and an investigation is now underway.

Monroe’s comments apparently went unnoticed.

_______________________________

Glenview Grumps

Firefighters in a Chicago suburb were told to take down the Christmas decorations inside their firehouse because some residents complained that they were offensive, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Some residents of Glenview said that because the firehouse is a public building, the decorations improperly cross the line between church and state. The decorations were inside but visible from the street.

The firefighters had decorated the outside of the firehouse earlier in the season, but were told to remove those as well.

"We need to serve all our residents and customers, and we had been receiving calls from citizens who were not happy seeing what they perceived to be Christmas or Christian decorations on a particular firehouse," said Janet Spector Bishop, a spokeswoman for the village.

__________________________

That Iraqi Chap

London’s Sun says bosses at the BBC have told their reporters not to refer to Saddam Hussein as a "dictator" because to do so would compromise its neutrality.

Staff have been informed that they are instead to refer to him as "the deposed former president." The Beeb sent out the instructions to reporters on its Web site. A spokeswoman said it was merely a reminder "of the need to use neutral language."

_________________________

What Part of 'Shall Make No Law ...' Do They Not Understand?

Lawmakers in Arizona want to pass a law forbidding college professors from spreading comments that are deemed "inflammatory" or "offensive" toward minorities via campus computers, reports the Arizona Republic.

Democratic state Rep. Steve Gallardo said he believes intellectual liberty is important, but that hate isn't protected under the U.S. Constitution. He wants professors that don’t toe the multi-culti line to be dismissed.

Gallardo is irked that Glendale Community College math professor Walter Kehowski had the nerve to call some Latino students racist following a Dia de la Raza celebration in October. Following the event, he sent out a campus-wide e-mail saying that ethnic groups should be assimilated into society and that activists are using ethnic pride as an excuse for separatism.

__________________________

Great Questions of Our Time

A homeowners association in California removed holiday signs from light posts because they had images and words associated with Hanukkah on them; some association members complained that they were fostering religious messages, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The Dos Vientos Ranch East Homeowners Association thought the blue banners featuring a silver menorah and small dreidels would be a nice addition to the annual holiday display. But less than two weeks after they went up, they were replaced by white banners with images of green, red and blue presents on them. Association board member Kevin Corbett said the board was trying to stay away from religion.

"Many holidays have both a religious and a social context and it's the social context that the board feels is appropriate to publicly acknowledge," Corbett said. "The religious component is something that members of the community should celebrate in their own way."

Now, some Jewish residents are irked. Mark Alyn says the remaining banners symbolize Christmas, with their candy canes and red ribbons. "While this isn't blatant anti-Semitism and discrimination, it's intolerable," said Alyn. "Why can't we celebrate the holidays together and appreciate our differences?"



_________________

It just keeps getting better and better!

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic