Personally I cannot see anything wrong with words such as Half Caste, Coloured, Midget, Cripple or Handicapped and anyone that is offended with the term "man up" needs to take a serious look at themselves.
Yet another strike at the way we live by the PC brigade.
Are you serious? Or are you some kind of forum algorithm designed to create arguments and increase web traffic?
Yet another strike? At what point in your daily life are you forced to suffer by a imaginary collection of people?
Yes I am serious, none of the words offend me now nor would they offend me if I had mixed race parents, black skin, was four foot tall or walked on crutches. As one of the posters above said he has a friend who is a cripple (Oooo sorry) and he has no problem with being called one.
The problem with this country is the ones that are offended the most are the tree hugging liberals who have nothing better to do. The people they claim to represent do not make half as much fuss.
Algorithm then. A human couldn't possibly be this stupid.
Personally I cannot see anything wrong with words such as Half Caste, Coloured, Midget, Cripple or Handicapped and anyone that is offended with the term "man up" needs to take a serious look at themselves.
Yet another strike at the way we live by the PC brigade.
Are you serious? Or are you some kind of forum algorithm designed to create arguments and increase web traffic?
Yet another strike? At what point in your daily life are you forced to suffer by a imaginary collection of people?
Yes I am serious, none of the words offend me now nor would they offend me if I had mixed race parents, black skin, was four foot tall or walked on crutches. As one of the posters above said he has a friend who is a cripple (Oooo sorry) and he has no problem with being called one.
The problem with this country is the ones that are offended the most are the tree hugging liberals who have nothing better to do. The people they claim to represent do not make half as much fuss.
Algorithm then. A human couldn't possibly be this stupid.
Go hug a tree
Zing! We now know what really happened to Bob Monkhouse' missing joke book.
Whilst I have become aware in the last 5 years or so, that many people take offence to terms such as coloured or half caste. I'm also aware that some do not.
How are the general public meant to know "the descriptive rules" have changed & when & where are these changes announced ? (Ok slightly in jest, but also serious).
I notice 'warrior of the marmite valley' is not included. So that is ok is it? The trouble with producing lists is that anything left off is assumed ok to say, ridiculous idea.
During my induction/training for my current job (about 9 years ago) I was asked "Is it okay to phrase someone as a Gypsy"? I said yes, knowing that other phrases are inappropriate in the work place. I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
During my induction/training for my current job (about 9 years ago) I was asked "Is it okay to phrase someone as a Gypsy"? I said yes, knowing that other phrases are inappropriate in the work place. I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
That's got nothing to do with PC, that's just stupidity and ignorance from the questioner, Travellers and Gypsies are different groups. Gypsies wouldn't take kindly to be called Traveller and vice versa. In the same way I would be offended to be called Welsh or Scottish.
During my induction/training for my current job (about 9 years ago) I was asked "Is it okay to phrase someone as a Gypsy"? I said yes, knowing that other phrases are inappropriate in the work place. I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
That's got nothing to do with PC, that's just stupidity and ignorance from the questioner, Travellers and Gypsies are different groups. Gypsies wouldn't take kindly to be called Traveller and vice versa. In the same way I would be offended to be called Welsh or Scottish.
but what's offensive about being called Welsh or Scottish?
During my induction/training for my current job (about 9 years ago) I was asked "Is it okay to phrase someone as a Gypsy"? I said yes, knowing that other phrases are inappropriate in the work place. I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
That's got nothing to do with PC, that's just stupidity and ignorance from the questioner, Travellers and Gypsies are different groups. Gypsies wouldn't take kindly to be called Traveller and vice versa. In the same way I would be offended to be called Welsh or Scottish.
but what's offensive about being called Welsh or Scottish?
During my induction/training for my current job (about 9 years ago) I was asked "Is it okay to phrase someone as a Gypsy"? I said yes, knowing that other phrases are inappropriate in the work place. I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
That's got nothing to do with PC, that's just stupidity and ignorance from the questioner, Travellers and Gypsies are different groups. Gypsies wouldn't take kindly to be called Traveller and vice versa. In the same way I would be offended to be called Welsh or Scottish.
but what's offensive about being called Welsh or Scottish?
Plenty, if you were English.
I'm not Welsh or Scottish, I'm English. I respect the Welsh and Scottish but that is not what I am so being called that wouldn't sit well with me.
The last time I heard anyone use the terms half-caste or coloured was about 1978.
The word is black. Not really that hard.
I've heard half-caste and coloured In much more recent times, innocently as well usually. I was brought up thinking coloured was better than black and im 28.
What gives anyone the right to decide what words can and can't be used (in a descriptive manner) I do not know.
Will someone suddenly decide us white people need to be called pink people from now some point?
The last time I heard anyone use the terms half-caste or coloured was about 1978.
The word is black. Not really that hard.
Not 1978. I've used it up till about 10 years ago if not less. I just don't remember reading it was wrong. I hope to think I'm not offensive. It was only when in the company of an American who couldn't believe someone had called a kid coloured that i knew it was now wrong. So was made aware.
During my induction/training for my current job (about 9 years ago) I was asked "Is it okay to phrase someone as a Gypsy"? I said yes, knowing that other phrases are inappropriate in the work place. I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
That's got nothing to do with PC, that's just stupidity and ignorance from the questioner, Travellers and Gypsies are different groups. Gypsies wouldn't take kindly to be called Traveller and vice versa. In the same way I would be offended to be called Welsh or Scottish.
but what's offensive about being called Welsh or Scottish?
Plenty, if you were English.
I'm not Welsh or Scottish, I'm English. I respect the Welsh and Scottish but that is not what I am so being called that wouldn't sit well with me.
I'm English but if mistaken for a Scot I would hardly be offended.
The last time I heard anyone use the terms half-caste or coloured was about 1978.
The word is black. Not really that hard.
Not 1978. I've used it up till about 10 years ago if not less. I just don't remember reading it was wrong. I hope to think I'm not offensive. It was only when in the company of an American who couldn't believe someone had called a kid coloured that i knew it was now wrong. So was made aware.
The 1978 part was ever so slightly tongue in cheek!
These are terms that were widely used in the past, but are now generally understood (not by all it seems) to be an inadequate way of describing black people.
As our society becomes more integrated and we mix more with black people we start to understand why some descriptions are insensitive to them.
I have seen a black ex work colleague react extremely angrily to being called "coloured" by someone, pointing out to them that he was "Black, not f====g multi-coloured."
In addition, it is understandable how the term 'half-caste' is also offensive, given that the word caste is a derivative of the Spanish word for 'pure' meaning that by using half-caste you are effectively saying that the person in question is only half pure because they are not 100% white.
These may, of course, seem like semantics but it is not important how the person using the term feels, it is important how the person on the end of it feels.
The last time I heard anyone use the terms half-caste or coloured was about 1978.
The word is black. Not really that hard.
Not 1978. I've used it up till about 10 years ago if not less. I just don't remember reading it was wrong. I hope to think I'm not offensive. It was only when in the company of an American who couldn't believe someone had called a kid coloured that i knew it was now wrong. So was made aware.
The 1978 part was ever so slightly tongue in cheek!
These are terms that were widely used in the past, but are now generally understood (not by all it seems) to be an inadequate way of describing black people.
As our society becomes more integrated and we mix more with black people we start to understand why some descriptions are insensitive to them.
I have seen a black ex work colleague react extremely angrily to being called "coloured" by someone, pointing out to them that he was "Black, not f====g multi-coloured."
In addition, it is understandable how the term 'half-caste' is also offensive, given that the word caste is a derivative of the Spanish word for 'pure' meaning that by using half-caste you are effectively saying that the person in question is only half pure because they are not 100% white.
These may, of course, seem like semantics but it is not important how the person using the term feels, it is important how the person on the end of it feels.
Tell me Ormy - after a thoroughly sensible post about race like that one, how do you get on in the enlightened paradise that is HM Penal Colony Australia?
The last time I heard anyone use the terms half-caste or coloured was about 1978.
The word is black. Not really that hard.
Not 1978. I've used it up till about 10 years ago if not less. I just don't remember reading it was wrong. I hope to think I'm not offensive. It was only when in the company of an American who couldn't believe someone had called a kid coloured that i knew it was now wrong. So was made aware.
The 1978 part was ever so slightly tongue in cheek!
These are terms that were widely used in the past, but are now generally understood (not by all it seems) to be an inadequate way of describing black people.
As our society becomes more integrated and we mix more with black people we start to understand why some descriptions are insensitive to them.
I have seen a black ex work colleague react extremely angrily to being called "coloured" by someone, pointing out to them that he was "Black, not f====g multi-coloured."
In addition, it is understandable how the term 'half-caste' is also offensive, given that the word caste is a derivative of the Spanish word for 'pure' meaning that by using half-caste you are effectively saying that the person in question is only half pure because they are not 100% white.
These may, of course, seem like semantics but it is not important how the person using the term feels, it is important how the person on the end of it feels.
Tell me Ormy - after a thoroughly sensible post about race like that one, how do you get on in the enlightened paradise that is HM Penal Colony Australia?
Not easy, the cricket commentators over here on Channel 9 STILL refer to the Pakistani players as "Pakis" - it certainly takes some getting used to.
To be honest, its probably not much different here to how it is over there, although you are probably a bit more enlightened than us at this point.
Yeah, I found that bizarre to say the least. I kind of get the fact that the term itself isn't meant to be insulting - they just see it as a shortening of Pakistani - but it's almost universally used in a derogatory manner, so by definition it's surely designed as an insult?
Their whole attitude to race seems to be 'I'll call you what I want mate, and if you don't like it, fuck off'
Yeah, I found that bizarre to say the least. I kind of get the fact that the term itself isn't meant to be insulting - they just see it as a shortening of Pakistani - but it's almost universally used in a derogatory manner, so by definition it's surely designed as an insult?
Their whole attitude to race seems to be 'I'll call you what I want mate, and if you don't like it, fuck off'
Yep, that about sums it up.
I have tried to explain to my mates from my old cricket club that Paki is a highly derogatory term in the UK and they always come back with, "You lot call us Aussies, don't you?"
Comments
So that is ok is it?
The trouble with producing lists is that anything left off is assumed ok to say, ridiculous idea.
I got told that "Gypsy" is not acceptable and I should be using the phrase "Traveller". Personally this is where PC has gone mad.
In the same way I would be offended to be called Welsh or Scottish.
The last time I heard anyone use the terms half-caste or coloured was about 1978.
The word is black. Not really that hard.
but what's offensive about being called Welsh or Scottish?
What gives anyone the right to decide what words can and can't be used (in a descriptive manner) I do not know.
Will someone suddenly decide us white people need to be called pink people from now some point?
I'm English but if mistaken for a Scot I would hardly be offended.
These are terms that were widely used in the past, but are now generally understood (not by all it seems) to be an inadequate way of describing black people.
As our society becomes more integrated and we mix more with black people we start to understand why some descriptions are insensitive to them.
I have seen a black ex work colleague react extremely angrily to being called "coloured" by someone, pointing out to them that he was "Black, not f====g multi-coloured."
In addition, it is understandable how the term 'half-caste' is also offensive, given that the word caste is a derivative of the Spanish word for 'pure' meaning that by using half-caste you are effectively saying that the person in question is only half pure because they are not 100% white.
These may, of course, seem like semantics but it is not important how the person using the term feels, it is important how the person on the end of it feels.
Not allowed on here though. :-(
To be honest, its probably not much different here to how it is over there, although you are probably a bit more enlightened than us at this point.
Their whole attitude to race seems to be 'I'll call you what I want mate, and if you don't like it, fuck off'
I have tried to explain to my mates from my old cricket club that Paki is a highly derogatory term in the UK and they always come back with, "You lot call us Aussies, don't you?"
Which is true, but rather missing the point!