I think that the criminal courts are probably not the place to settle a matter that concerns 10 year olds, but that having happened it's interesting to see what the judge says.
A boy from Irlam, Greater Manchester, appeared at Salford Youth Court accused of racially abusing a fellow pupil. He is accused of calling another pupil names including "Paki, nigger and Bin Laden" and chanting "He's on the run, pull the trigger and shoot the nigger".
Judge Finestein said he thought the decision to prosecute the youngster was "crazy" and urged the Crown Prosecution Service to reconsider its decision on the basis of whether the case was in the public interest.
The judge's comments also included the classics, "political correctness gone mad", "Nobody is more against racist abuse than me" and that in his day the boys would have got "a good clouting".
Judge Finestein was keen to point out that this concerned boys in a playground. He said that he was often called "fat" when he was at school.
While not condoning abuse of peopel because of their bodyshape, the majority of fat people could take steps to change that if they wished to. It's a bit different when it comes to the skin you were born with.
And when does it become something more serious than palyground antics? When someone puts an axe through someone's head because of the colour of their skin?
For the record, the abused pupil also called his abuser "white trash" and they now get on okay, playing football together.
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