I wrote to Channel Four last week about their disgraceful English-bashing 100% English programme...
Dear Channel Four,
"100% English" was disturbing. Using Nazi-style criteria, the makers set out to rubbish the concept of Englishness. Of course, Scottishness and Welshness escaped unscathed.
My brother-in-law, fully aware that the English are as genetically mixed as people from elsewhere, applied to be on the show - but was turned down as he refused to act like an ignorant moron.
The show did not prove that Englishness is an inclusive thing, transcending race and colour, something I wholly endorse, it simply made out that Englishness did not exist.
The Commission for Racial Equality states that Englishness does NOT depend on DNA. To be ethnically English, one must have blood ties here dating back to before the Act of Union in 1707. To be of English nationality, one must simply be a permanent citizen of England.
But Channel 4 has stated that Englishness cannot exist without rigid, Nazi-style DNA tests from a company in America.
This is not the case according to British law. Also, the dating of components of the DNA quoted in the programme is not exact - some of it may date back to before there even WAS an England, let alone an English people. But Channel 4 did not explain that. The programme deliberately misled viewers.
Scottishness and Welshness exist and those countries now have their own nationally representative bodies to prove it. And yet the Scots and Welsh are ethnically mixed and capable of extreme racism - as events in Scotland in the summer proved - when a disabled man was dragged from his car and beaten and a seven year old boy was punched in the head by a grown man. Their crime? Simply wearing England football shirts.
And yet Channel Four commissions racist propaganda from a company, Wall To Wall, headed by Alex Graham, a Scot!
So, no national civic English identity for us in England, we're just a bunch of "mongrels" (according to Channel 4). Is this why our lives aren't valued by the Government as much as those in Scotland and Wales?
Cancer treatment drugs are still being made available on the NHS in the rest of the UK, but not in England.
Non-representative MPs from Scottish constituencies still force legislation onto England.
Many reasonable, ordinary English folk wrote into Wall To Wall, the production company behind "100% English", fully aware of the diverse genetic background to their Englishness, requesting to take part in the programme, but were rejected.Wall To Wall had an agenda. Shame on Channel 4 for giving it air time.
I am campaigning for a nationally representative parliament for England and ALL its people, however they define themselves - in line with the Scottish Parliament. I have written more about Channel 4's racist behaviour on this website - http://englandparliament.blogspot.com/
Please be aware that any replies you send to this letter may be published on the website.
Channel 4 has become a horribly sensationalist and, in fact, downright dishonest and politically correct "anti-fascist fascist" television channel, always out to scapegoat and ridicule those who would define themselves as English.
In these devolutionary times there will soon have to be an English dimension to UK politics.
It's about time Channel 4 grew up and moved into the new century, and began to keep up with the changing patterns of life in the UK, instead of acting like anti-English Scots bigots or politically correct English prigs of the 1990s.
I shall not be watching Channel 4 again.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Abbott
And Channel Four replied, in depth as ever, having taken each of my points on board and being well able to justify their Nazi-style bile:
Dear Christopher
Thank you for your email
We are sorry to hear that our programme 100% ENGLISH was not to your taste. Your comments have been logged and passed on to those responsible for it.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us with your comments. We always like to hear from our viewers, critical or otherwise.
Kind regards
David Warren
Viewer Enquiries
Sheesh, thanks, Channel Four. Good to know you always have a reasoned argument for showing what you show.
This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.
