Bigoted or free speech

[accyman]

jim davidsons career was demolished over night because he refused to bow down to the PC brigade

i forget what creed he poked fun at but he continues to do so very well infront of our troops abroad on teh camps in warzones

what a horrible man eh

well the people with guns like him so ill agree with the ones given the job of protecting our freedom of speech not some halfwit with a guilt complex

[westendlass]

Originally Posted by yerself

What's new? Jim Bowen was sacked or asked to resign by the BBC over ten years ago for calling someone a nig-nog on his radio show.
As Jim said:

He added: "Sadly, when a 65-year-old is employed he brings with him a certain amount of baggage from his era and sadly sometimes this doesn't sit well in 2002.
"The expression I used would identify with the youngsters who were last to be picked in a football team or perhaps weren't the sharpest knife in the box."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | TV and Radio | Comedian Bowen quits over race gaffe

My primary school head teacher used to jokingly call us 'nig nogs' when we had done something daft. It was just a gentle rebuke and had nothing to do with race. Jim Bowen would be about the same age as him, it was taken out of context and, I think, different regions have different sayings that may sound a bit iffy to people from different areas.

[Michael1954]

Anyone care to go down to Notting Hill and ask a group of black men directions along the lines of "Hey, can any of you niggers show me the way to such and such a place?" I think you would soon find out whether or not it is an offensive term. Please let me know how you get on.

[Accyexplorer]

It's certainly the context regarding the "N word", "nigga" or "nigger" is pretty common in music too (especially black music).
I don't think freedom of speech includes the freedom to cause someone of other skin pigment alarm,harassment or destress.

[accyman]

Originally Posted by Michael1954

Anyone care to go down to Notting Hill and ask a group of black men directions along the lines of "Hey, can any of you niggers show me the way to such and such a place?" I think you would soon find out whether or not it is an offensive term. Please let me know how you get on.

you would get on the same way as if you ran down notting hill shouting hey all you pedophiles can you give me directions

most of the people reading this thread get it

you dont appear to be one of them

ps: to get back on to the issue clarkson didnt call anyone a nigger he merely used the word

although it was perfectly acceptable for a movie to do this and it was a box office hit

[dotti34]

There are so many words in the English language that it is not necessary to use offensive ones. I personally don’t think there is any need to call people by names that may offend, irrespective of the colour of their skin, where they come from, or their beliefs, but irrespective of this I agree that it does depend on the way something is said as to whether it can be classified as truly racist or not.

Like for instance being called a Pommy b****** can be very derogatory but can also be almost a term of endearment (honest!) – depending on how it’s said or in what context, or even who says it - and believe you me I have heard this expression many times while living out here. Funny though, somehow this expression never seems to be classified as racist (even when used in a bad way) – or is it just that us Poms are thicker skinned than most, or maybe can take it with a pinch of salt. Brought up tough (especially Lancastrians!!!).

However, I do dislike it when a person says ‘I’m not racist, but….….’ and then proceeds to be just that.

[Aussie Irene]

Originally Posted by dotti34

There are so many words in the English language that it is not necessary to use offensive ones. I personally don’t think there is any need to call people by names that may offend, irrespective of the colour of their skin, where they come from, or their beliefs, but irrespective of this I agree that it does depend on the way something is said as to whether it can be classified as truly racist or not.

Like for instance being called a Pommy b****** can be very derogatory but can also be almost a term of endearment (honest!) – depending on how it’s said or in what context, or even who says it - and believe you me I have heard this expression many times while living out here. Funny though, somehow this expression never seems to be classified as racist (even when used in a bad way) – or is it just that us Poms are thicker skinned than most, or maybe can take it with a pinch of salt. Brought up tough (especially Lancastrians!!!).

However, I do dislike it when a person says ‘I’m not racist, but….….’ and then proceeds to be just that.

I think it is because we are a bit of all three Dotti. My hubby says they can say all they want about him as long as they don't go in his back pocket

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Michael1954

Anyone care to go down to Notting Hill and ask a group of black men directions along the lines of "Hey, can any of you niggers show me the way to such and such a place?" I think you would soon find out whether or not it is an offensive term. Please let me know how you get on.

But you just wouldn't do that because you would be directing that name at them in a personal context, and we have already established that in such a context, it is racial.

[Margaret Pilkington]

There is just as much bigotry aimed at the indigent population of this country by incomers.
We just don't recognise it because we do not have a grasp on the ethnic languages.

I once worked with a midwifery sister on an ante natal ward(she was a devout woman and had worked as a missionary in Pakistan and Bangladesh), she also,looked like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

A Pakistani man was visiting his wife and calling all the staff some very derogatory things(though we didn't know it because we did not understand the language).....this midwifery sister went up to him very calmly and politely and started to talk to him in his own language. It was the first time I have seen a Pakistani blush.
Later on this sister explained some of the very derogatory words to us and told us that if we heard them spoken again we were to report it to her.

[DtheP47]

Nobody was insulted directly, nobody was killed or maimed, it falls into that category "Tut tut he should have known better" Clarkson has always sailed close to the wind and he will do it or similar again cushioned in the knowledge the revenues he earns the Beeb would make it damned hard to sack him.

[Accyexplorer]

Does/should free speech include the freedom to promote hatred or "hate speech" as it's commonly referred to ?
Take this, for example, I got it posted to me this morning:

image.jpg

[JCB]

I don't know much about Mr Clarkson's TV programmes , other than that they are mainly about motoring which does not interest me in the least .

Mr Churchill was correct when he referred to the "infernal combustion engine" .

However I do know that Mr Clarkson has a history of taking pleasure in insulting people in an inappropriate way .

It bugs me that my money , in the form of the TV Licence I pay annually , goes into the pockets of such people as Mr Clarkson .

The BBC should sack him , in the same way that I would have been sacked if I had used my position to say such things as he has said .

[Margaret Pilkington]

While you are right.....the revenue that the BBC get from the programs that include this man, mean that he is unlikely to face that prospect. Mere mortals like us, live in a different economic climate. I sometimes think we live on a different planet to these so called 'celebs'.

Also, this furore which has been stirred up by the media, is publicity.....and didn't someone once say that there is 'no such thing as bad publicity'.

[Accyexplorer]

Originally Posted by JCB

I don't know much about Mr Clarkson's TV programmes , other than that they are mainly about motoring which does not interest me in the least .

Mr Churchill was correct when he referred to the "infernal combustion engine" .

However I do know that Mr Clarkson has a history of taking pleasure in insulting people in an inappropriate way .

It bugs me that my money , in the form of the TV Licence I pay annually , goes into the pockets of such people as Mr Clarkson .

The BBC should sack him , in the same way that I would have been sacked if I had used my position to say such things as he has said .

Regarding the licence fee, with recent revelations, it seems the licence fee pays for far more unsavoury characters than clarky (that really should "bug" you).
He shouldn't have to apologise because some weasel found a bit of 2 year old footage and used it to stab him in the back?
I'm unsure but, wasn't it Clarky himself who suggested that the footage in question be reshot?

The BBC won't sack him he makes them far too much money and even if they did, I reckon ITV would snap him up in a instant.

A pocket full of money may cause some discomfort, but only a fool would throw that money away.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Less

If he was being a bigot hasn't he got a right to be even if it doesn't make him popular?

I have been castigated on this very forum for using the 'N' word, I was using it as a reference to the colour brown, I explained that in electrical terms it was used as reference to brown coloured wires in the auto industry, it's many a year since I was involved in that side of electronics, I wonder what they are forced to say as an alternative these days?

I am hoping you will remember those black sticks that were melted to seal electrical insulation. I think the insulation was some sort of fabric tape, maybe glass. I can only remember the common name for it. Used it once as an apprentice but can't remember much about it. Tried google with no luck