Prince Harry - racist, daft or other?

[Bookworm]

Maybe he's just doing that to show that he his indeed descended from Phillip, what with all the doubts on who his father is. "Look, I can put my whole foot in my mouth, just like Granddad!!!"

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

And the Welsh grew out of the ground, presumably? Evolved directly from dinosaurs? Don't be ridiculous. Long before Britain was an island, it was joined to Europe and the original inhabitants of Britain, Welsh or otherwise, came from there and before that, from Africa. (I'm using the modern names for ease of understanding)

 

Oh c'mon bookworm! We are talking about the indigenous people of the island of Britain and now you want to go right back to the formation of earth when there was no island of britain but just one huge land mass of all countries!

The fact is that what are now the modern day Welsh had settled on this land long before Britain had even been named or before any invasion of this island. You originally said all Brits had been affected by blood mix of invasion, just not true.

 

You have just proven my argument. Since the term used is "Paki" and not "Pak", it is quite clear that the people using it do NOT mean to call Pakistani people pure. I don't believe I mentioned anywhere a Pakistani language? So apart from trying to impress us with a knowledge which is both common and irrelevant, what is the point of this comment? :-? If anything, you again proved yourself wrong since the word Pakistan was created 60 years ago, it does confirm that its etymology comes from the Urdu rather than the more ancient Hindustani. Except that that is not what they are being called. I have never heard anyone chanting "Pak, out" or saying "You dirty Pak [which I grant you would be oxymoronic to the extreme, when it is merely moronic], why don't you go home?" and other taunts of the kind when I have sadly heard them many a time in the other version.

 

But Prince Harry didn't use the term Paki in these forms of insults

 

You can describe someone as short, because they are, but it only becomes offensive if you say something like 'You short ####!'

 

You already recognise the word Paki means nothing more than pure in the mother tongue yet because you speak a different language, English, you decide it is actually a derogatory term.

 

You can stand by your opinion all you like, and no doubt you will, but anyone trying to justify a racial slur by giving it a false translation to make it sound like it isn't an insult is using the worst kind of sophistry possible.

 

I'm not giving it a false translation, I accept your version of the word to mean pure. Would you be offended by somebody speaking Spanish and referring to you by the English word pure?

 

Are you a d***head? Literally? No, you are not the end part of a penis. Are you a c**t? No, you are not part of female genitalia.

Yet, if I or anyone else called you - or anyone else for that matter - those words, both would be said and heard as insults. QED.

 

But they are clearly insults.

 

 

As a republican the last thing I want to do is defend the ruling class but this is quite simply ridiculous.

 

Due to the ignorance of those who made the law of this country we have situations like this where nothing was properly considered in the first place.

 

Instead of educating people that what is actually seen as an insult, by english speakers, means nothing more than like a Brit being called a Brit.

[hilaryfrances]

wel he is a "royal" alledgedly which puts him on my peoiple I do not like list.

 

I dont respect people just because they have been born, I did that trick myself. People have to earn respect and most of the Royals have not done so. I know that no sleep will not be lost over this but I think we should stop being so deferential to them. If we ignore them perhaps they will just go away and take their haughtiness with them. I have heard that the Queen can be very cutting to people who do not show her defference.

[flyingdoc]

I would say that serving his country in a war zone does entitle him to some respect.

 

The war is illegal and immoral, the troops who are fighting it deserve the full support of the people of the country, they are doing their jobs under difficult and dangerous conditions and I think they all, even the royals, deserve respect for that.

[Trilby274]

Don't know if anyone else feels the same - but I don't like the way this debate is going. I'm sure we have all heard similar arguments over the past goodness how many years (from 'rivers of blood' and even before).

 

My view hasn't changed dramatically - I still feel that an awful lot of people get very hot under the collar about a word or words very unnecessarily.

 

We have been living in a multicultural society since way before Roman times - and there have been a lot of bloodbaths along the way. Because we had a very strong navy, we (as Britons) were able to impose our will (and culture) on many other peoples. However, we did nonetheless adopt some of the traditions and cultures of those countries that came into our possession by force of arms.

 

I really do feel that a lot of the antagonism (which is almost always seen as racism) has more to do with the failure of immigrants of whatever race, colour or creed to at least make an effort to conform to the mores of this country - even to the extent of attempting to force change so that their own values are imposed on an already multicultural indigenous population.

 

I personally spent many years in various countries around the world. Some I would have liked to be a resident of, some I definitely would not. But in all cases, life was made much easier by making an attempt to learn the language and, more so, by conforming to that country's culture and beliefs. It really isn't difficult.

 

This is getting a bit rambling, so I'd better give it a rest.

[nevos]

Look at chicken tikka masala having become more of a British nation al dish than fish and chips!

 

Created in Birmingham I think.

 

 

The war is illegal and immoral, the troops who are fighting it deserve the full support of the people of the country, they are doing their jobs under difficult and dangerous conditions and I think they all, even the royals, deserve respect for that.

 

Which war?

 

Think it was cunning plan by the media to take our eye of the economy..

 

Maggie did the same deal on the Falklands, I mean it was obvious it belonged to us especially, 9 out of 10 of the population had never heard of it.

[hilaryfrances]

anyone who is serving in the armed forces has my respect, my dad was in the army for 22 years. What I am saying is tghat they dont deserve respect just for being royal

[flyingdoc]

I agree totally - respect has to be earned not demanded - I just feel that despite some silly mistakes - he has earned it.

[hilaryfrances]

well it has just been on the news that Prince Charles calls a friend, Sooty, have these people no sence of shame, how would he like to be known as big ears?

 

on second thoughts he is!

[flyingdoc]

well it has just been on the news that Prince Charles calls a friend, Sooty,

yes and he has 2 other friends - sweep and sue.......

[hilaryfrances]

:plol

[clutchingatstraws]

Charley and Harry have had the finest education available, paid for by all of us.

 

I would have expected both of them to know how to behave regardless of context.

 

Racist jibes or not they should be role models showing leadership and respect for everyone in all circumstances.

 

How can I pull up my kids for calling someone Paki or Sooty (Which I hope I will never have to because I have educated them otherwise) When this pair of underworked, overprivilleged, alleged dog beaters do as they like and the majority of people seem to think that as they are "friends" its ok.

 

For these "friends" to complain would have been difficult when applying for promotions or next years polo club membership.

 

Power brings responsibility.

 

Not the right to do as you bl**dy well like!

[Bookworm]

Quite.

 

I remember when we lived in West Norwood and my DD was very young, and she came back from school using the word. I sat her down and explained it wasn't polite and why, and she never said it again.

 

I can just imagine many kids nowadays pulled on this same thing and replying: "But mum/dad, Prince Harry and Prince Charles do it, why is it ok for them and not me?"

[nevos]

The problem is, their life is not thier own, this was IMO why Dianna fell out with the Queen.

 

Young guys in the services are very close friends, they have to rely on each other in tough situations. It is quite normal for them to have all kinds of names for each other.

 

Most kids can teach us parents a thing or two about swearing, sex and drugs, being a father of 5, have a bit of experience in this department

[Bookworm]

I heard earlier on the radio someone saying that in his apology, Harry apparently said he "didn't know" the word was offensive.

 

The DJ commented: "Well, it's nice to see that the tens of thousands of pounds spent on the finest of education at Eton at the taxpayers' expense were not wasted, then!"

[Surfer01]

They all bring their own culture, customs etc and sooner or later, these do become an integral part of the adoptive country. Look at chicken tikka masala having become more of a British nation al dish than fish and chips!

 

The problem with a lot of immigrants is that they do not integrate with British society and adapt our culture as it is a British country with British culture.

BTW Tikka masala is a local dish and is not heard of overseas so basically it is a English dish as it was "invented" for British who wanted hotter than hot.

 

PS. I am a immigrant from Africa. and take no offence to being called various names in jest.

[hilaryfrances]

Well I am sorry but Iwould not dream of callilng my friends names because of the colour of their skin. It would not even enter my head, I am fat but nobody is rude enough to call me fatty. I find these silly nicknames racist and offensive

[Surfer01]

Unfortunately the PC brigade or the liberals have turned inoffensive words into offensive words. It is the way that they are said and if someone wants to called me "Soutie", "Jaapie" or similar in banter, so what, as it is not offensive. Calling someone by a shorten name for thier nationality, i.e. Yank, Taffy I do not consider offensive.

[gyzmo]

The point is that it was not offensive in the context that it was said. I amd damned sure that Harry would not treat this individual any less than he would treat someone else.

 

And in terms of context and the "news" of Sootygate, how can a nickname between friends be offensive?

 

I get called all sorts by my friends and I similarly with them (one by the way is a black man called Sam who insists on being called Sambo). None of us take offence as no offence was even considered in the names.

 

The only offence of caused by such stories is by those who look for it.

 

Oh, and well done to Granada for their hiding a crucifix in a, errr, church scene in Corrie St on the grounds that it would cause offence. I mean, it's not like you would expect to see a religious icon like that in a place of worship is it? Whosever that is - you are a prize T*tface.

[hilaryfrances]

er T*tface........

 

 

 

 

no offence

[gyzmo]

Well he (or she) is. How stupid can someone be to think that a crucifix in a church would be offensive?

[hilaryfrances]

yes Gyzmo, I was just joking, I just thought your reply was funny. I agree I have never heard anything so barmy in my life

[Consumer dude]

I thought love thy neighbour was great. taking the mickey out of each others differences. Opps sorry mickey..

[duckwaddler]

Why Is Ba, Ba Black Sheep Not Sung In School Any More

 

 

This is a myth started by one private school - I can assure you that ba ba black sheep is still sung in schools

 

Well I am sorry but Iwould not dream of callilng my friends names because of the colour of their skin. It would not even enter my head, I am fat but nobody is rude enough to call me fatty. I find these silly nicknames racist and offensive

 

Same here, and I can't abide racism - however racism can exist without using name calling, and as someone said about using the word Scot, it's just a shortened term for Scottish, it's the way in which something is said that then makes it racist.

 

The authorities are so busy trying to stamp out racism, (which by the way will never work for some people - if someone is a nasty judgemental racist, no amount of laws will change that) they in fact inflame the situation.