Bigoted or free speech

[mobertol]

I get very weary about this kind of thing o.O What is central to the whole debate for me is the hatred which people develop for one reason or another towards others, that is the essence of racism or any kind of "other-ism" which is used to divide and categorise us all into some kind of group of belonging.
The words are not to blame, they have their own history which is often lost over time. They usually start out as being non-offensive then gain a new connotation when used and infused with hate. They become considered collectively to be "bad words", however they are used, and that is NOT correct.
I don't think Mr. Clarkson was expressing hatred when he started to pronounce the "offending" word, he realised that what he was saying might be taken badly as the word has been so demonised and tried to mumble his way out of a "Faux Pas" thus making things look far worse than they actually were!

[mobertol]

As a post-script - should we castigate teachers who still use Rudyard Kipling's version of "Eeny, meany, miny, mo..." featuring the same (now) offensive word? Or should we perhaps teach it to children and explain it in it's historical context so they might learn something from it...

The alternative might be burning all copies of his books...

[accyman]

when reginald D Hunter was talking about racism and when he was asked if something was racist he replied he didnt know and enquired if there was hatred in the persons heart when they said it..

i could call you a teabag and it wouldnt be deemed an offencive word even if i was screming the word teabag at you while smashing your face in with a claw hammer



ps:

somoene mentioned teh obvious that we are all teh same race so those who scream racism on behlaf of others are declaring that they think the person to be offended is not human and therefore beneath humanity as humans are top of teh food chain

what a set of bastards how dare they see someone as sub human just because of their skin colour

[Margaret Pilkington]

I think education is the way to go.
We have to accept that language is fluid and moves in waves...that some words will be fashionable and that some words will lose the original essence of their meaning over time...this is usually through misuse in the first place......ANY word can be said in a derogatory fashion....ANY word can cause offence....not by its meaning, but by the way the user bequeaths it with a bad meaning.

I'm not sure I am explaining myself very clearly here. Many years ago I was once having a very heated (teenage) altercation with my father and I called him a 'basket'(basket is not an offensive word is it?) He thought I was going to say another word which starts bas.....but ends differently......I got a whack for it.
Why ? Well because my father concluded that I had substituted an innocuous word for one which meant he had no father.

So if a word is used with bad intent, then it corrupts the innocent word.

They say that words cannot harm us, but in my opinion words can hurt you more than any sword......they leave invisible scars which do not heal.

[accyman]

Great Britain used to be known as the backbone of europe which is suprising considering how spineless and gutless our leaders have been over the last 30 years when it comes to standing up to cry babies..

another comedian that made a point about racism is rick jervaise who mentioned how the sun or mirror news paper had a front page story one day branding jade goodie a racist yet on the back they called a chineese snooker player POT NOODLE in big black print

news papers love to jump on a good racism story yet they are hardly ones to take a moral high ground

[yerself]

Are the words Mick, Paddy, Taffy and Jock racist?

[gpick24]

Just heard a rumor that a CBeebies TV presenter has been reprimanded after complaints regarding another childrens nursery rhyme.
Former weather woman and complete arachnophobe Winsey Willis has been left completely traumatised after hearing the presenter reciting Insey Winsey Spider.

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by gpick24

Just heard a rumor that a CBeebies TV presenter has been reprimanded after complaints regarding another childrens nursery rhyme.
Former weather woman and complete arachnophobe Winsey Willis has been left completely traumatised after hearing the presenter reciting Insey Winsey Spider.

Winsey Willis is her stage name I believe she is actually a Muffet...

[gpick24]

Originally Posted by mobertol

Winsey Willis is her stage name I believe she is actually a Muffet...

I thought that was her maiden name.

[accyman]

Originally Posted by yerself

Are the words Mick, Paddy, Taffy and Jock racist?

theres only one country that you cant shorten when refering to its people or people of origin and it aint china the chinks dont care what you call them as long as you buy their egg flied lice

[Accyexplorer]

33% or one third of "Britons" admit being racist
BBC News - One third of Britons 'admit being racially prejudiced'

I'd say it's probably more like 50%+ but they haven't the balls to admit it.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I wonder if that includes the ethnic people who come into this country but do not integrate.
I wonder if those who cry 'racist' at every opportunity have not created some of this.
No, of course it won't..... only white britons can be termed racist.
Calling people names is a way to stifle any healthy debate about issues that worry people...and we all know bout the BBC and left wing bias.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Accyexplorer

33% or one third of "Britons" admit being racist
BBC News - One third of Britons 'admit being racially prejudiced'

I'd say it's probably more like 50%+ but they haven't the balls to admit it.

I mentioned this way back at post #49, I certainly don't need the BBC to point the moral compass especially with their attitudes & mentality.

[accyman]

Originally Posted by yerself

Are the words Mick, Paddy, Taffy and Jock racist?

no because they havnt cried about it yet

[cashman]

Originally Posted by accyman

no because they havnt cried about it yet

Also they got a sense of humour.