to think mumsnetters have overreacted

[mother2b]

i think that racism is worng and am very anti racism, but i also think that its things like over reacting to chinky when all the poor lady meant was to go for a chinese is what is making our world so overly PC, was a little thoughtless but wasnt meant to be racist.

i just think that its was completely blown out of all proportion!!!

I would have said that 100x and I were as one on just about every issue under the sun - except perhaps whether or not Heathcliff is romantic.

But I don't think I entirely agree with you here old thing. Points of view can be debated or otherwise thrashed out. Don't think racist insults can be robustly absorbed as part of life's rich pattern. It doesn't work like that. It is too harmful.

Look i am against predudice of any kind whether it be againt appearance, intelligence, likes/dislikes(to certain extent IYKWIM) but it was purely a slip of the tongue, i think that you are talking crap if you think im racist, i have tried to explain im not several times, i have multicultuaral friends and family that think that everybody is oversensitive when it comes to race! they are proud of who they are and will drop terrorist jokes etc just like we would drop the 'there was an english man an irish man and a scotsman' jokes

you lot are all being unreasonable!

potoroo, you have just made the point i was going to make about the shortening of names, but you put it much better than i would have But i guess that the OP was misguided by her use of the word and maybe wont use it again as she didnt realise it was offensive, if you see what i mean. It is definately not a word i would use though.

I guess by definition things kick off on here as we read something and have our say, then scroll down and realise that 50 other people said the same thing, then i guess it seems a bit like a witch hunt, but thats MN - don't ya just luv it

I think it was an over-reaction, but this is the way the world has moved on in the last twenty-odd years.

I'm in my forties, and we used to use that expression all the time. Every body did.

I agree that the expression was used thoughtlessly, but no one should imply that the poster was inherently racist by extension.

That way lies a witch hunt!

If it has drawn people's attention to unfortunate use of language then I think it was a debate worth having.

FWIW, I'm not suggesting that the original poster is racist. More like unaware of the offensive connatations of the word.

The regrettable part is that when these were pointed out, there was an attempt made to justify its use.

The defence that a Chinese friend doesn't find it offensive is laughable. There are always exceptions to the rule. It is wise to avoid language that could cause offence.

I don't think that mumsnetter have overreacted at all.

No Desi, everybody did not use that expression.

It was only used by white people about chinese people. And not by all white people by any means.

I agree with you that labelling someone racist who makes a thoughtlessly racist remark is not a good way forward.

But abandoning racist nomenclature IS a good way forward.

Quatt, I agree that racist language shouldn't be robustly absorbed. Over the last thirty years or so in this country, it has become to be understood as being hateful and prejudiced in the extreme, and a good thing too. (Though in that canny way that langauge has certain racist and homophobic words are being 'reclaimed' I notice.)

I'm just saying, not very coherently, that I have a problem with the current climate which says 'I'm offended' and everyone is supposed to instantly react immediately.
Christians are offended by Jerry Springer the Musical, Muslims are offended by the dutch cartoon, I'm offended by Huw Edwards and on and on we go.
I don't think it's a terrible thing to be offended that's all. I think it's part of living in a mixed society.

you're offended by Huw Edwards he was veRY NICE IN SCHOOL!Azzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzza oops cat!

lol

100 your i kind of see what you mean up to a point, but 'are you entitled to be not insulted' - in certain instances - yes.

You are entitled to not have racial hatred thrown at you. That's why it's illegal. Obviously being generally offended is part of life, you cannot expect and do not deserve undivided approval, you must learn to accept criticism, unkindness, rudeness.

But you do deserve to live without bullying and aggression, absolutely.

Are you so convinced it was only used by white people, Quatt?

It isn't only white people who use terms to describe other races. It's just that white people are the only ones who're no longer allowed to get away with it

Oh blahblah - i took so long to write that with dd2 trying to comb my hair with a fork that it is no longer relevant so ignore me and i'll go and put the fork away.

It wasn't a slip of the tongue. It was the word she uses and she didn't know that it could offend. Now she does.

good, so at least she knows in future that as soon as she steps out of line the whole of mumsnet is going to jump on her back!!!!

Desiderata You have explained that you are older, and that times have changed. I acknowledge that.

But your comment that "White people are no longer allowed to get away with it." is an apology and a justification for racism. It is an inherently racist remark.

You and I are so far apart in our opinions that no amount of discussion will get us close to any form of mutual understanding.

I am distressed by your post and I am not prepared to engage in this discussion any further.

It's not an orchestrated attack though. It's just lots of individuals posting. I suppose people could take the view that if 10 people have said it, they don't need to add anything. That would mean a lot of short threads though.

I can only SNORT at that last remark, Quat.

I will chose, on this occasion, not to be angry that you have just called me a racist, but don't make the mistake of doing so again.

Yes but what you 'deserve' and what you get are two totally different things aren't they? Yes it's illegal, and quite right too.

Do christians deserve to have their faith respected and not ridiculed. Should all anti-christian jokes/shows etc be banned or made illegal because they are insulting?

Oh you don't have to answer that. It's a bit of a red herring to be honest isn't it?

Des, I am in my 40s too. I did not use that expression at all; I can think of a few people who did, and probably still are.

100times: agree with you totally. Can never decide what is worse - people taking squawking, dummy-spitting offence on behalf of other people (who they haven't actually asked if they are offended) or people taking wild offence over stuff that was never meant to be offensive (such as criticising someone for asking for a black coffee.)
Sometimes people screaming "Racist" at others are really screaming "Look! Look at me! look how totally unracist I am!"
Couldn't some of this venom be more productively directed?

I agree, madamez.

I think what is worse, actually, is defending a racist word on the grounds that "everyone I know says it"

I can forgive ignorance, every time, but bull headed insistance that the term used isn't racist, despite the protestations of hundreds that it is, really makes me cross.