Insensitivity in Politics: Roger Scruton

Actions are taken over hateful and insensitive comments at Downing Street. Roger Scruton was fired from his position after making crude comments about the term Islamophobia. His dismissal brought on the question from many other ministers in parliament, why was he hired in the first place given his insensitive comments in the past and present?

Prime minister Theresa May was forced to fire him after those comments in an interview with The Newstatesman and his past comments on homosexuality.

It was reported that he claimed homosexuality was not normal. He has also made comments on the Chinese race by saying, “They’re creating robots out of their own people… each Chinese person is a kind of replica of the next one and that is a very frightening thing.”

This was both crude and inappropriate. Scruton was in a place of power advising other government officials and making these comments only puts the government and his position in a dark light.

Upon his dismissal, there have been some who disagree with the decision. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has commented saying that Scruton is the right person for the job as chairman of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission.

Brokensire went on to say that the comments that are being reported are: “highly selective, taken completely out of context and distorted to paint an inaccurate picture”.

He counteracted that statement by also saying that, “I don’t have to agree with Sir Roger to acknowledge this, nor do I have to agree with his views on a number of different issues, but we live in a free society where people can hold different opinions and I’m proud that we do still live in a society where that remains possible.”

With responses like that is it fair to say because a person is qualified for a particular job, should it excuse the comments they make in public? Being a public figure especially in the government there is a way in which you should act and speak. Insensitive comments like what Scruton said only sets the government and their work behind.

Roger Scruton has not been the only one in politics that has let their views get them in trouble. President Trump has continually made remarks that are both insensitive and rude. He has been seen making comments on race and ethnicity.

Trump has called Mexican people rapist, in a speech in June 2015 he said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best, they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

There is always a right and a wrong in life: words have consequences if it’s insensitive with no moral means to other people’s feelings.

Photo by Marco Oriolesi on Unsplash