In the news today were...

Race, sex crimes and death from joblessness.

It seems that a US hotel honoured a request from a British family not to be served by any POC or with "foreign accents". A Black waiter working at the hotel is suing over the decision.

I would like to express my disgust both at the family's behaviour, but even more so at the hotel, who made a note in their computer system and treated this as if it was a perfectly reasonable request to make. The family acted in a racist way, but the hotel's reaction is what allows racism to persist in society today. Deeper analysis is possible, but I think this captures the essential point and the conclusion that any such analysis would reach.

Sex crimes:

A female firefighter surrendered to the pressure from sexual harassment in the hope that having sex with the harasser might stop it. Of course, it actually only became worse as a result of this decision.

And yet there are people who claim that there's no more need for feminism!?

The latest crime rate figures for the UK have been published, showing a 30-year low for overall crime rates. However, sex crimes have increased by 2% since the last figures were published. The Guardian offers all the data here.

I did notice that one or two (right-wing, anti-Labour Party) papers offered that serious violent crime is rising, but even moderate right-wing press seemed to support the idea that crime rates are falling. It's just that pesky situation of sex crimes rising.

I don't have any clever analysis to offer on this to explain why that might be, but I think it is true that in general not enough is being done to counter the rape-culture that pervades our society. In my questions for Parliamentary Election Candidates in my constituency, I included questions about this on improving sex education and on providing proper funding for rape crisis centres and refuges for victims of domestic violence - this is a key issue in our area, as a news report last week (unfortunately, I can't find an online version) showed that in this constituency area in the last year there were 750 DV cases, and nowhere near enough refuge places available - currently, the article claimed, the police receive more than 100 reports per month of DV in this region. The police say there is actually a slow decline in this region on DV cases, but even so, this should be something any MP for this area should have as a high priority.

Finally, death from joblessness:

A young woman rejected for over 200 jobs in the past two years, committed suicide from the intense humiliation and shame she felt. Regular readers will know why this is an issue very close to my heart, given my long-term unemployment and history of depression.

I was rather sickened by one Guardian CiF commenter (screen name LittleRichardJohn) who implied that this story was just about electioneering, with the sarcastic comment "'Brainy girl' Vicky Harrison will not have died in vain if she can help get David Cameron elected." Apparently, he thought only the Sun picked up on the story (the Daily Mirror, whose article I linked, tends to be more pro-Labour in its coverage). But even so, it's a totally unacceptable comment to make.

The fact remains that joblessness results in mental health issues such as depression, which can indeed lead to suicidal thoughts and eventually, actions. And very little is done to address these problems or actually help people find work (you're threatened with losing benefits if you don't look hard enough, is all I see happening). Again, there was a question in my emails to candidates about dealing with helping the jobless.

And that's a selection of the soul-destroying news that crossed my radar today.