Were you offended?

Mountains out of molehills perhaps?

I just love the facts and arguments you put forward in a discussion "rosesarered*

This is the real problem, not how Cameron spoke about it.

I think we can address more than one problem at a time Lilygran.

Saying " you have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain because Britain has got jobs, it's got a growing economy, it's an incredible place to live." does NOT sound like "wanting to whip people up against the migrants" It sounds like a statement of the truth - they want a better life, for whatever reason. Nothing wrong with that, and many many similar waves have washed these islands. Nothing wrong with stating the obvious, either, and nothing wrong with trying to slow down the inrush, to make them absorbable, if you use the time gained to make sure that the inevitable influx is minimally disruptive to both new and existing citizens

Comparing people to insects? But people ARE the same as insects or any other animal. They need the same basic things - a home, a source of food and a chance to raise the next generation. When they see a chance to go for these things, they go for it, all in a gang if there are a lot of them in one place. It is not demeaning to have the similarities noticed.

By now, after all the online publicity aired and political points and social denunciations made on the back of a previously neutral collective noun, the word "swarm" will have acquired a new and sinister aura. People who associated it only with beekeepers will henceforth see the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan descending as a plague upon the complacent citizenry. Congregations of househunting bees will find themselves attacked with Flit guns. (that is just a little joke, in case no-one recognises it. No need to shoot me for being flippant)

Well done, Harriett Harman, for demonising another innocent word.

You are right, soon, numbers of people thinking a thing does not make it true. That applies to all beliefs, not just personal interpretations of particular words.

elegran, yes. Well said and spot on.

Which leaves me thinking that it was Harman who has done the most damage in this caboodle. She's the one who has done the "whipping up" of outrage.

I think it unfair to lay the blame on Harriet Harman, charities, bishops and others have also criticised the use of the word

Of course it was all Harriet Harman's fault. She put the words into Cameron's mouth and told him not to consider what he was saying ... really?.

Instead of sniping, the government and the other political parties should get together and seriously discuss and pool ideas as to the best way forward with this extremely serious problem that is threatening to overwhelm security on both sides of the channel. Suggesting that we demand compensation from the French is just such a stupid comment from the temporary leader of H.M opposition. How on earth can we do that overnight? Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would have to be negotiated, exacerbating further bad feeling with the French! If that is the best that H.H can come up with as a resolution then frankly she'd do best to keep quiet. If the opposition really can't find something useful.to say, then don't say anything at all! and that goes for the Church of England too.

So Cameron didn't describe the asylum seekers as swarming ? he is above criticism ?

Not offended at all and Harriet Harman doesn't help with her comments regarding compensation etc. etc. I think maybe a lot of us think the French could do more, they certainly protected their own borders between themselves and Italy a few weeks ago. Let's solve the problem and then deal with the fallout.

Not offended at all and Harriet Harman doesn't help with her comments regarding compensation etc. etc. I think maybe a lot of us think the French could do more, they certainly protected their own borders between themselves and Italy a few weeks ago. Let's solve the problem and then deal with the fallout.

So Harman and bishops have no right to the same freedom of speech as we do on this forum ?

I am not so sure about thinking the French could do more tigger, I tend to think we should stop thinking we are overrun - we come quite a long way down the list when it comes to taking asylum seekers - and we should be the ones doing more. We should also be getting together with the EU as a whole to discuss this but Cameron has already said no to that hasn't he.

None of this negates the fact that the word came out of Cameron's mouth and no one else's. If he hadn't said it there would have been no comments.

If the opposition really can't find something useful.to say, then don't say anything at all! and that goes for the Church of England too.

So who decides whether what they say is useful nellyniggle? It thought that would be up to the whole population. Sounds like you would like a dictatorship.

But it's a perfectly acceptable comment to make, and no one has said people haven't got the right to comment, but particularly unhelpful comments from highly educated intelligent people in positions of authority just to make political capital, are just that, particularly unhelpful and these people should know better than to potentially inflame what is a highly delicate situation for what are obviously spurious reasons, and perhaps for a change, offer some helpful ideas to find some answers.

Gracesgran I think that the people who travelled here as part of the Windrush immigration period did not get a warm welcome by many sections of British society and similarly when Idi Amin expelled the Asian community from Uganda. I think the history of anti-semetism in sections of our society is something we must not overlook either.

However there are very many British people who have always been empathetic to people who emigrate and who see the commonality of each others lives and work hard to try to make new comers have a positive experience. I would think it is when people feel unwelcome and uncomfortable that there is a need to 'stick together' to feel protected.

If by " it's a perfectly acceptable comment to make" you mean Cameron's comment nigglynellie that is a matter of opinion. I does seem to me that some on here find it difficult to understand the difference between fact and opinion.

When you talk about "particularly unhelpful comments" and "just to make political capital" that is your opinion; it is not a fact. Certainly you are implying that, unlike you who believes the comments you make, these people only make these comment for political one upmanship. That is not only simplistic but pretty insulting to anyone who holds a different opinion to you or do you hold the right opinion about everything? It is certainly "perfectly acceptable" to say you disagree with someone's comment but you seem to be wanting to ban them from being made - or what - just because you do not agree.

We have taken 7% Germany 40%

What political capital is a bishop making Nigglynellie

Where did you get those percentages from, Anniebach?

Sorry I can't recall the name of the woman who gave the percentages Ana, she was interviewed on the beeb news, will try to recall who she was, not a politician ,

Germany have taken 40%. But have you read what is happening in Germany to these immigrants. There are Syrians wishing that they could get back home because of the abuse they are getting.

[[http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Migration_and_migrant_population_statistics immigrant statistics EU countries]

immigrant statistics EU countries