Big Brother and the word that dare not speak its name.

To set things straight at the outset, I am not a Big Brother watcher nor do I have much time for Channel Four in principal, although it is fair to say that they do occasionally surprise me.

I must congratulate them on the current Celebrity edition, even those of us who have ceased to be amazed by the levels to which faux offence could descend could never have seen this one coming.

This absolute fixation on "racism" is pathetic. It is the same as everything under Nu Labour, class everything as an offence and that way no action need be taken against real offenders.

Undoubtedly racism will be a problem in any country that attempts to bring together such disparate groups of people as Britain has done, but the whole issue has been hijacked so that any banter between people of different ethnic groups could be interpreted as racism if that is what you wish to think. The people in the Big Brother house are paid "celebrities" it is a televison programme. If they don't like what is going on they can leave, it is entertainment.

Whilst I totally agree that bullying in any form in the real world is wrong, it must surely be looked at in this context. Any programme of this nature, including the likes of Ramsey's chef programmes, Bad Lad's army etc are full of bullying if that is how you wish to view them. And let's not forget, do away with your television, hand back your licence, sit back and get ready to find out what relentless bullying is all about!

Up and down the country people are beijng subjected to real violent attacks and assault, living in fear because of the daily circumstances in which they live but nothing is being done to help, nothing is being done to make their lives better.

3% detection rates on crime, 50% of criminals given a fine or warning and yet so many people turning their time and attention to people being offended. How many people like myself who have been the victim of a violent assault would be happy to trade that for some offensive behaviour instead?

No, I do not think that racism is not an issue, no, I do not think it shouldn't be taken seriously and no, I do not down play or under underestimate what a shocking affect it can have on individuals.

But that is the problem, racism is no longer about the individual it is now all about distance offence. If someone is offended, let them speak and let them have the right to take offence or not, but surely it is patronising in the extreme for others to take offence for them.

The irony is that the whole "offence agenda" is as usual driven by the sort of people that see the bad in everything. Having read a broad spectrum of comment regarding the Big Brother issue, those that condemn the actions of Jade Goody and her mother as racist tend to have one thing in common, they call them racists then follow it up by calling them thuggish, thick, stupid and repeat the phrase white trash.

Talk about offensive.