The angst is killin’ me…killin’ me I tells ya’…must be de’ white mans burden…
Well, that would be an ideal world, wouldn’t it? Especially if it worked both ways. Unfortunately, it’s nowhere like an ideal world and if you think that addressing nationalities, ethnic groups (I mean, what kind of label is “ethnic group” - I’d find this bloody insulting) and terrorist groups by names they like is going to go any way towards people getting on with each other, you’ve got another thing coming.[/quote]
I agree with myury. “It would be an ideal world” sounds like an irrelevant point of view IMOHO. In no way can it logically justify lack of respect towards others. It sounds like this: “The world is not a fair place so why bother respecting each other? If you do, the world will still be unfair so why bother?”
Even the most fudamental disagreements can be resolved through respect. That’s why the problems remain and people die; no respect.
Dangermouse, what happened here? Correct me if I’m wrong, how do you go from starting this thread and writing this:
[quote=“Dangermouse”]Let’s have a nice sanitised, colourless, bland environment to post in, incase we just happen to offend someone, somewhere on this earth.
Fairness for all, I think. [/quote]And end up posting this:[quote=“Dangermouse”]I’m sick of people telling me what I can and can’t say.
I can’t say “black board,” “Black sheep,” “Nitty Gritty,” “ragdoll,” and various other words for fear of them being offensive to people who take them out of context. [/quote] And this: [quote=“Dangermouse”]I for one don’t like being called a Limey. [/quote]
Ouch! 
You started this thread Sir.
Thanks. That underscores my point, exactly.
Just a couple of comments;
Somebody, way up there early, said:
It just reminds me of my college days. I was a freshman at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA in the late fall of 1979 when Iranian students in Iran captured those 50 American hostages. At the time there were a large number of foreign students attending LSU, and a fair number of them were from Iran. I don’t remember if it was before or after the hostage taking, but concomitant with the Iranian Islamic Revolution some Iranian students demonstrated against the Shah on the parade ground.
My rommate, who was a good friend from high school, and many other classmates, angrily referred to Iranians–and by extension, ALL students from the Middle East, and even India!-- as:
‘Ragheads’
‘Towelheads’
and
‘Sand-N i g g e r s’
I thought it was pretty stupid of my fellow redneck coon-ass hicks to use words like that, but… what kin ya do? 
One other thought to consider in this debate… All this talk about whether a slur is more about a person’s “race” or “nationality”… does it really matter? Isn’t a slur a slur?
What’s the difference between “race” and “nationality” anyway? In my life I’ve heard references to “the British race”, “the Yellow Race” (by Mr. James Soong), etc. As far as science is concerened, notions of “race” are completely man-made.
There is no basis in biology for classifying humans into subcategories called “race.”
…and anyone who disagrees with that is a Single-God-loving Cylon!!!
(sorry)
b.t.w. – In my first draft, before I stretched out the “N” word, this system altered my original text as:
‘Sand-person of a minority group’ ! 
If that ain’t techno-PC censorship, then what is?
Peter-Paul -
[quote]"…and anyone who disagrees with that is a Single-God-loving Cylon!!!
(sorry)[/quote]
…huh?
When I first wrote “raghead,” about five minutes later I went to change it but JdSmith had already quoted me so I left it at that.
I usually type as I think which makes for conversational writing. To different people, different words have different meanings and connotations regardless of the affect it has on a wider audience.
One of the words which quite possibly has a different meaning to you as compared with me and another group of people I used to associate with is “raghead.” While this may be offensive to all the people of the middle East who wear cloths as headwear, this label was only used to describe one group particular of people.
The word “raghead” was used in a mocking, insulting fasion.
[quote]Look, I agree with most of what you said, however, I don’t see the logic behind the above leap. I’m now thinking this thead is more of a vent rather than a serious proposal.
[/quote]
I was being sarcastic in the first post.
I wish it was, but PC is now an industry where millions is spent every year.
Well perhaps it’s regional. I’ve heard many a time an Aussie cricket commentator refer to Pakistani players as “pakis” on TV and radio.
It’s not automatically an ethnic slur. Paki when I was a a child in my area was a way to refer to Pakistanis as a collective group in a non-derogatory way. It has only become nationally unacceptable in recent years.
You also have to remember that it does refer to pakistanis as nationals. Indians are referred to as Indians and Pakistanis are referred to as Pakistanis. Also, pakistanis and Indians hate each other with a passion in many parts of the UK with riots between the two groups having been a common occurence. They are completely different.
Now, if you really want to see expressions of racial hatred I suggest you spend some time witnessing the banter between these two groups.
Why isn’t this thread locked?
why should it be?
Because it’s author is trying to gain support and find reasonable support to use RACIST terms.
I don’t know about that. It seems there is a discussion about the terms themselves; those terms are not being directed at anyone, are they?
Free speech
discussion
good
In any event, not “my” forum. Take it to admin if you feel that strongly about it.
I was meaning to bring this up a while ago but didn’t. In Australia,.the work Paki certaintly isn’t used in a derogatory sence, in fact our tri nations cricket generally have the “Poms pitted agains the Aussies and Pakkis” etc, Pakki is a shortened form of Pakistan, as Aussie is of Australian. I’m pretty sure the Pakkis weren’t taking the piss out’ve themselves when they held up ‘Pakis pulverise soft Aussie openers’ banners during Kim Hughes’ infamous spell as Captain in the 80’s. Things haven’t changed if you take a look around the grounds in the 2000’s either.
I made the same point up above. “Paki” is only a racist term in the U.K. It is frequently used in Pakistan and is not a racist term there, or in many other parts of the world.
This thread has derailed.
The OP’s original complaint (or vent) was concerning someone objecting to his use of “raghead” not “paki”.
Mr. myury, we can’t be starting threads about everything. It’s ok to re-route a discussion. Besides, I think Dangermouse made clear that under his sets of connotations, he doesn’t intend to hurt anyone.
This said, I would refer to namahottie’s post above and have to agree that Dangermouse is not agreeable. Either he is annoyed or not, sick of being told what to say and what not to say, some people may be hurt by some words. Namahottie’s first post in this thread was a concise bit of common sense and it sure did go unread. :s
Now we better not get her pissed off too DM. No one needs that. 
[quote]Because it’s author is trying to gain support and find reasonable support to use RACIST terms.
[/quote]
No I’m not.
[quote]This thread has derailed.
The OP’s original complaint (or vent) was concerning someone objecting to his use of “raghead” not “paki”.
[/quote]
It doesn’t matter. Discussions flow and progress
I wasn’t going to, but I think that I had better explain that my original use of the word in question was because it is/was commonly used by members of the military when I did my short stint - and indeed it was used by myself. The use of this word was as an automatic responce towards the people who did the bombings in London.
Now this isn’t intended to be a lame excuse, however I hope you can see from my point of view some justification for my using of this word.
Ragheads were the people we shot at, not the general label of people of middle eastern descent. I do, however, realise that this term has wider derogatory intentions and encompassess a much larger group in most walks of life.
The reason why I deem this word to be acceptable - (not on this forum but in a different set of circumstances) is because by petty name calling, insults and general piss taking there becomes an ease in dealing with dangers or personal emotions.
I can explain this further; when I later joined the police, the things we said about car accident victims, murdered people and dead bodies - a weekly occurence - would make Joe public enraged. But they were joked about because if there was no humour, no name calling and nobody to aim at, you would eventually go mad.
I must also point out that if had I accidently let the term raghead slip whilst on duty, I would have quickly been shown the door to the Inspectors office for a smart dressing down and maybe even further disciplinary action.
Throughout this discussion I have tried to point out that where some people find something to be offensive, others don’t. Where some things are acceptable, others aren’t and peculiar situations and variations often preceed the general accepted rules regarded by the majority of people. In reality, it’s a big world and no one set of rules or disciplines can cover everybody.
Now I usually speak as I find. I hope that you can respect that I will speak out on controversial issues and will say what I think without beating around the [color=olive]b[/color]ush.
No one on this forum was supposed to be offended by anything mentioned by me here.
I have been trying to push the limits of controversy as far as possible without crossing the line.
I may also point out that I have posted within the guidelines of this forum. If anyone doesn’t like what they are reading then the use of the IGNORE BUTTON is advised. I won’t be offended.
Thanks,
Adam.
[quote=“Dangermouse”]If anyone doesn’t like what they are reading then the use of the IGNORE BUTTON is advised. I won’t be offended.
Thanks,
Adam.[/quote]
I don’t have a clue what you posted DM. You are on my ignore list. Not worthy man I tell you, not worthy. 
I’ve lost count of the North Americans here in Taiwan who have asked me if I find being called a kiwi offensive. The idea had never entered my head before I started teaching American English. Kiwi=fruit was something I would have never considered.
We don’t contract the fruit’s name and we call it kiwifruit. It is interesting though that the fruit was previously called a Chinese gooseberry.
I’m not sure being named after a bird with a big beak that can’t fly is demeaning but anyway if you’ve see the kiwi bird in the wild you’re incredibly lucky.
Most aussies usually call us something else anyway. It involves sheep. One forumosan has it as a log-in name. He’s a completely different nationality though.
As from Pommy. That’s the way we spell it down under, not Pomme. We may have been incorrect in assuming it was Prisoner of Mother England. However you’re still there on the overcrowded island(seems familiar) and we’re not. :raspberry: Prisoner was a good TV programme.
snopes.com/language/acronyms/pommy.htm debunks our theory though and suggests it’s much the same as limey and your(as in OP’s) spelling is right(Pomme) and dwellers down under are wrong. It seems the British are named after a Pomegranate due to skin complexion. Now see antipodeans have been calling the English prisoners of our mother country with mostly envy and a website has ruined that envy for some of us. Some people obviously consider being named after a fruit degrading. The other possiblility is it is rhyming slang- which is probably due to the fact that a lot of the English prisoners sent to Australia were from London’s Eastend(Cockneys).
As for Paki, nope, not offensive paki.com
Though the name of this restaurant has me wondering if it’s genuinely Indian. diningout.com.au/show_place. … ce_id=8173
I didn’t see Septic or Seppo on the original list. I probably could go on about omissions but my present emissions are stopping me.
If raghead is an acceptable term, then why all the fuss about foreigners being called “big noses”? Some Muslims wear cloth on their heads and some foreigners have big noses. If one is supposedly unoffensive, then in the same vein, so should the other, right?
Oh…then there’s that little thing called “context.”
Do people find “big nose” offensive? I wasn’t aware that it was intended to be an insult. :s
I do. But I also find “foreigner” to be offensively used in Taiwan. I suppose the closest analogy I can come up with would be a woman with large breasts being pointed at and called “Big tits!”
Like school on Sunday: No class.