John Davidson has tourettes, a condition involving repetitive tics. These tics can sometimes be offensive in nature. Despite John not being able to control these tics, he has received a lot of unfair criticism for displaying them at this years Bafta Awards.

The Best Of Humanity

John Davidson has done outstanding work to help educate people about his condition. He gives talks and workshops to both school pupils and teachers. He discusses the condition at length with them and explains how it affects a person's life. He is an ambassador for Tourettes Syndrome.

In 2019, John was awarded an MBE for his tireless campaign work.

This recognition for the brilliant work he does to help foster awareness of the condition has sadly not stopped him receiving a lot of unfair criticism and persecution for his involuntary tics.

Out Of His Control

It can't be stressed enough that a person with tourettes has extremely little control over their tics. An NHS website describes a tic as "fast, repetitive muscle movements that result in sudden and difficult to control body jolts or sounds."

Think of it as trying to control a very tickly cough or a sneeze in a dusty room. Suppressing a tic is extremely difficult and sometimes just not possible.

Tics present in many different ways. From nose wrinkly to banging the head. Sometimes they can be the repeating of a sound or phrase. On occasion these sounds and phrases may be obscene or offensive in nature.

It's really important to stress that tics are involuntary and not a manifestation of a person's beliefs.

Unfair Criticism

The criticism John received because he involuntarily said the n word at the Baftas has been deeply unfair. Some have gone as far to question his beliefs towards black people.

Black actor Jamie Fox called it “unacceptable” and commented on social media, "Out of all the words you could’ve said, Tourette’s makes you say that? Nah he meant that s***”.

Many things are wrong with this reaction. Firstly it is not "unacceptable" as it is not something John can control. It is acceptable because he has tourettes. Calling it “unacceptable” suggests that people with tourettes should not be accepted in public because their condition makes others uncomfortable. This is both closed minded and cruel. Secondly the tics are not a manifestation of his beliefs. John is not a racist. He could not control saying it.

John did nothing wrong. I repeat, he did nothing wrong. He was at the Baftas because a fantastic film about his life called “I Swear" had been nominated. He had been invited. This means the Baftas would have been well aware of how John’s tics. The BBC broadcast of the Baftas was on a two-hour tape delay. They could have censored his tics if they wanted. But then why should they? Surely it should just be accepted that John has these tics and we adapt to that. Why should John be censored?

Society Needs To Change Its Attitude

It all feels like society at large is imposing unfair expectations on those with tourettes. It is abundantly clear that we as a society are sadly not accepting of those with the condition. Despite the movie about his life clearly showing the level of distress the condition causes John, as he faces the deeply entrenched societal stigma towards tourettes. He even got severely beaten because of it. Have we learnt nothing from his experience?

Attacking people for things they don't choose to have is all too familiar. There is a name for it. That name is bigotry. Persecuted for being different. Untill we stop this persecution how can our species ever progress/evolve? Calling a person racist because they have a condition that makes them shout expletives is frankly ridiculous. What they shout during a tic has no baring on the person they are and what they believe.

John is a national hero. Let us not forget that!