"Because you found his comments offensive PROVES, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It CERTAINLY, DOESN'T PROVE that he's not ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!"

@Wed, 2011-08-31 07:46 - my,my,my why all the anger? Am I not entitled to have/expression an opinion here? I stand by what I wrote and people are free to either agree/disagree it's just a conversation nothing more - I don't hate the man, I just voiced an opinion that didn't agree with what he said so lighten up and don't get yourself into such a state over it for goodness sake!

a very well educated man who is entitled to his opinion when asked .too many people are prepared to SCREAM RACIST in this country and as david say's its down to the colour of his skin his comments have been seen as inflamitory !and as for an apology for what ? having an opinion ? its time the people of this country had an adult and informed debate about the culture of this country and the race card put away so the small minded cant hide behind it ! the racist tag seems to be given as and when it suits certain people ? i see beyonce is and i quote ! a white black ! and betraying her roots ? is that racist ? depend if david starkey says it or if a coloured/black what ever they choose to be on the day ? person says it !!!!!

david starkey is absoluteley spot on in his observations. the real problem here is the marxist white people who come out of the woodwork to call everybody else racists,because they dare to express an opinion that is different to theirs.. as an educated non-white person I feel that these left wingers are the most offensive of all. if black people have an issue with something black people are quite capable of speaking out for themselves..you may find that degrading black people by trying to speak for them is in itself racism of a far worse nature than you're whining about..step back, take a long hard look at what you've become...trying to define other peoples thoughts and lifestyles or trying to force your opinions on others is one step away from fascism..
NOT IN MY NAME YOU DON'T..my people came to this country because it had a fantastic culture.and a people with honour and respect .whingers like you just want to bring it down. have some self respect!!

His woefully inaccurate comments and observations were in stark contrast academic prowess and reputation. He didn’t just pose a suggestion he tried to put forward his opinions as fact. His comments were not racist but painfully embarrassing. I doubt very much any talk show will be asking for his opinion on current affairs again.

The Voice giving a white man a voice?! I'm impressed! LOL

Sounds a bit like a consensus of scientists, but that's another story! Just another bunch of toffee-nosed, stuck up liberals who have no idea of what life in working class Britain is all about. They are the ones who have caused the trouble in the first place, it's time people told them to bog off with their holier than thou rubbish - I'm with you Dr Starkey, say it the way it is and take no notice of these champagne drinking socialists (they are going out of fashion anyway, most people are sick to the back teeth of them!).

David Starkey is misinformed and did not do his research before making his comment on News Night. First of all the language spoken on the street are mostly Amercian in nature. The word "gansta" in American in nature, the wearing of low riding jeans and the glorification of guns are mostly American led. What Jamaicans offer to this society is thier proud, no nonsensse, fiesty attitude that most English people try to emulate. Jamaica is an island of 2.1 million people with renowned people in academics, arts ands sport. If David Starky felt that the Jamica patois or people had change England then I saw something is fundementally wrong in England. How can such a small country hardly visible on the world map, change the powerful England. What is he he doing to change it back. Jamaica maybe small but it's a powerful little Island. "Wi likkle but wi talawah" Well done Jamaica, use your powerful influence to effect positive change to the entire world.

Once again: What David Starkey suggested has a powerful logic.
White youths who find themselves as a minority in an area dominated by black gangs have no protection unless they join the gang and adopt its speech, mannerisms and behaviour. If they do not, they will find the consequences “painful”.
Unfortunately, the speech is mainly the almost unintelligible mode as expressed in rap, and the behaviour is predominately the aggressive and hostile mannerisms pouring out from the same source.
Norman Mailer, the author, observed a similar, defensive, reaction among youths in America. He named the disaffected “White Negroes”.
We are now witnessing that phenomenon in this country, and David Starkey was right to recognise it and point it out.
However, the “acceptability” of a statement is, now, more important than its truth.
There was a time when England was recognised as the most law-abiding country in the world. It allowed George Orwell to write in his 1941 essay ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’:
“The gentleness of the English civilization is perhaps its most marked characteristic. You notice it the instance you set foot on English soil.”
Professor Geoffrey Gorer, the psychologist and anthropologist, wrote on page 13 of his book, ‘Exploring English Character’ (1955):
“…in public life today the English are certainly amongst the most peaceful, gentle, courteous and orderly populations that the civilized world has ever seen…”
So what has change in what is now “Uneasy England”?
The change can be expressed in one word: “Immigration”.
One essential ingredient for harmony is homogeneity.
A study done by Oxford University, before the beginning of great influx that changed the “complexion” of England, observed that those living in England whose maternal grandmother was born in England had at least a twelfth cousin relationship to 94% of the population.
This brought about the instinctive and comfortable situation observed by Orwell and Gorer.
At that time, the concept of “race” did not exist and what did not exist required no laws.
Now, England is disturbed by all the implications of race and its enforcements, and, it seems, the disturbance emanating from this situation will always remain.
All we can do is to learn to live with it and be honest about it.
When people like David Starkey makes a honest observation, we must respect it for its validity – however “disturbing” it might seem.
Having recognised the social facts, we must then accept them and live with them – as the Japanese accept their periodic and inevitable facts of geological disturbances.
Like them, we must clear up the damage and get on with it – until the next time.

'His crass generalisations about black culture and white culture as oppositional, monolithic entities demonstrate a failure to grasp the subtleties of race and class that would disgrace a first-year history undergraduate.

'In fact, it appears to us that the BBC was more interested in employing him for his on-screen persona and tendency to make comments that viewers find offensive than for his skills as a historian.'

He has said nothink racist and I see whites trying to be black gangsters and acting like em every day....Think people should try and get out more often and you will see it....

Mad man! lol

I don't understand why you think that black gangsta culture turned 'white' youngsters into monsters! I don't agree that all black people subscribe to this decadent type of behaviour. I'm black I don't speak patois, I am not Jamaican, the black gansta culture never influenced me and never will. In my circle in Tobago I would be laughed and scorned if I attempted to speak like a Jamaican; I have my culture and upbringing and I'm quite comfortable in my skin I do NOT have to adapt to anyone's style.

somebody shut this fool up.

Being unable to express your opinion in this country is a direct result of 13 years of lefty, political-correctness-legislation n dogma by the unlamented Labour governments! I agree with much of what the professor says, although not all!

Please sign this petition to demand an apology from David Starkey and BBC Newsnight.
Please scroll down to where is says sign petition, clicking the "like" button isnt enough.
Thank you very much.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/public-apology-from-david-starkey-an...

The damage is already done. Far right groups don't care about the Voice. He made a lot of racists happy with his Enoch Powell commments. In hindsight, he should have composed himself and given a measured, balanced perspective on this controversial topic.

Furthermore, Jamaican patois is nothing to be ashamed of, even different regions of England have their own dialects. It doesn't imply that you take part in criminal activities...

Thank you Voice for speaking to Mr Starkey, but nothing in this interview changes my opinion of him. I cringed watching him on the Newsnight programme. Is it coz you is white Mr Starkey? No it wasn't - For a academic supposedly heldin such high regard,I found his comments were not only misguided, they were offensive as well and even with him attempting to justify/put into context about what he said in this interview, all it only confirms is that David Starkey really doesn't have a clue!