The N Word

[neutral]

sorry to see that everyone here has absolutely missed the point here, but some good posts anyway.
A racist term / word whatever will never ever equate to what the celebrity BB crew did.  They showed us all that racism is prevalent in people to the point where nobody actually deliberaltely tries to be a racist.  They simply are, they live their lives that way, and that is so engrained in their make up, they cant tell when their behaviour is offensive, and unfortunately often onlookers cant tell for sure unless words like "nigger" etc are used(which to my knowledge was not the case in celeb bb). Nigger is simply a racist derrogatory term, it can be as inoffensive (yet never PC) a word as calling a friend a horny f**ker or a jammy bastard in the pub.  Its the underlying meaning or action that accompanies the term. I heard of one family that split when one cousin jokingly called the other a conman, he took it to heart and a lifelong split occurred.  In the absence of commonsense or an unknown listener looking on then we must not use terms like nigger.  We need to know how to behave again.  The girl dosent sound racist but sounds like a very silly wee uneducated girl.   Somebody talked about offensive Indian behaviour on the phone.  Was it any less offensive than white anglo saxon boorishness and general Western standardism.  The way I see it standards of behaviours are so low in this country we cannot take others races or national examples as examples of poorer and boorish behaviour, we just need to luck at our neighbours our media both papers and tv and possibly if we live in Armagh ourselves.    

[Galwaybhoy]

I dont think as much notice would be taken.  Racism is wrong from any angle, what ever race you are.  Black people may have endured many years of discrimination but that dosnt give them any right to discriminate against white people.

Can you tell me one example where a black person would be able to discriminate against a white person?

Words such as Cracker, Cracka etc seem to be ok, while using words like nigger are seen as wrong.  Both words are wrong.  Shows such as Miss Black America.  If Miss White England etc was set up do you not think there would be uproar?

That didn't answer my question but any way. Things like Miss Black America, or the BBC Asian Network were setup precisely because black and Asian people were under- represented. There already is a Miss White England, they just call it Miss England.

I have no problems with things such as Miss Black America, BBC Asian Network etc, its just if a white version was made up it would be looked apon differently.  Is that not descrimination?  Maybe its not seen that way but surely it is.  And there isnt such thing as Miss White ERngland, Miss England is open to all.

[Galwaybhoy]

Well "sham" is used among some of my friends as a term of endearment.   I dont know what the hell a Heron Choker is though?

A Heron-Choker is someone from Galway City area. It has a similar backround to why Castlebar people are called Fish-Heads.

Heron-Choker: In times past when starvation hit Galway City, people used to go down to the sea or the canals/rivers in & near the City, catch Herons & choke them to death & eat them.

Fisheads: are what Covies(Westport people) call Castlebar people because during the famine you could not fish in the rivers or lakes because it was poaching, but you could fish at Sea. Westport had plenty of fish from the Sea & had the generous Lord Sligo(Browne Family) as Landlords so they had food. Castlebar was Inland & had the Notorious Lord "the Exterminator" Lucan (Binghams) as its Landlord. Castlebar & its surrounding parishs/townlands where among the most devistated by the famine & evictions {explains why local man Michael Davitt set up the land league in Castlebar}. Well back to the story, Castlebar merchants used to go to Westport to buy fish, local fishmongers/fishermen would sell the body of the fish to the fish-knowledgable Covies, sell the tails for animal feed & the heads to Castlebar people who where too hungry to care & probably did not know anyways. Castlebar is here to this very day thanks to FISHEADS. 

Dont live anywhere near the city so that might be why I never heard of the term.  Nice explanation though.

[down22]

I have no problems with things such as Miss Black America, BBC Asian Network etc, its just if a white version was made up it would be looked apon differently.  Is that not descrimination?  Maybe its not seen that way but surely it is.  And there isnt such thing as Miss White ERngland, Miss England is open to all.

The day when we don't need Miss Black America will be great (and that day will probably be sooner rather than later, as the issue of what exactly is race becomes blurrier).But these shows were set up for a reason (to level the playing field and counter discrimination). And they were needed at the time. The first black person to win Miss America only happened in 1984. That's not that long ago.

The reason that networks like BBC Asian Network are needed is that they allow people to get their foot 'in the door'. It's still not a level playing field and I'd hazard a guess that it's still easier as a white person to get a career in a major tv network.

To flip the question - do you agree with th 50/50 policing policy? Or is that discrimination against Protestants?    (And I really don't want to turn this thread into a N Ireland issue. It's just a question.)

[Galwaybhoy]

I have no problems with things such as Miss Black America, BBC Asian Network etc, its just if a white version was made up it would be looked apon differently.  Is that not descrimination?  Maybe its not seen that way but surely it is.  And there isnt such thing as Miss White ERngland, Miss England is open to all.

The day when we don't need Miss Black America will be great (and that day will probably be sooner rather than later, as the issue of what exactly is race becomes blurrier).But these shows were set up for a reason (to level the playing field and counter discrimination). And they were needed at the time. The first black person to win America only happened in 1984. That's not that long ago.

The reason that networks like BBC Asian Network are needed is that they allow people to get their foot 'in the door'. It's still not a level playing field and I'd hazard a guess that it's still easier as a white person to get a career in a major tv network.

To flip the question - do you agree with th 50/50 policing policy? Or is that discrimination against Protestants?    (And I really don't want to turn this thread into a N Ireland issue. It's just a question.)

Yeah fair enough answer.

Yeah I see where this question can be tricky.  Its best to half a mix obviously, especially with the way things were in the north of Ireland, and not have a nearly 100% protestant force like in the RUC years ago, but I can also see where the 50/50 thing could cause problems where catholics are hired just to give it a better mix even if there not as good at the job.  Does this happen?  I dont know, I'd like to see best man for the job get it, but obviously would want catholics/nationalists in the ploice force now to stop any possible descrimination against catholic/nationalist areas (if this still happens).  I suppose what ever happens people will always shout descrimination though, its a good but tough question to answer down22.

[down22]

Yeah I see where this question can be tricky.  Its best to half a mix obviously, especially with the way things were in the north of Ireland, and not have a nearly 100% protestant force like in the RUC years ago, but I can also see where the 50/50 thing could cause problems where catholics are hired just to give it a better mix even if there not as good at the job.  Does this happen?  I dont know, I'd like to see best man for the job get it, but obviously would want catholics/nationalists in the ploice force now to stop any possible descrimination against catholic/nationalist areas (if this still happens).  I suppose what ever happens people will always shout descrimination though, its a good but tough question to answer down22.

Fair play to ya. I agree with everything above. And for the record there are times when stuff like Miss Black America does rankle with me. But then I remember I support the 50/50 policing policy (at least for now) and then I don't know where I stand. I guess I'm in the confused middle.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Chris Rock has his say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUhsCYUE0Cw&mode=related&search=

[An Fhairche Abu]

Well "sham" is used among some of my friends as a term of endearment. Cheesy  I dont know what the hell a Heron Choker is though? Huh

Amazed you never heard the term heron choker Galway Bhoy, Fishead Sam's explanation is correct I believe, the pub in the Galway Bay Hotel is even called the The Heron Choker.

I heard it shouted at the Galway team during the League Semi-final actually, by an irate Mayo fan during a "heated" exchange between players while the match was going on, as in "that's the stuff for ye heron chokers", the response "it's better to be a heron-choker than an All Ireland final choker" shut him up!

[down22]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q8LxO4wnCQ

Chris Rock's most famous routine on racism. I think's it's hilarious. But it should be noted that the reason he stopped performing it, is because he didn't want people  to think it was okay for them to use the words in day to day life.

Still the routine is awesome.

[Fishead_Sam]

Well "sham" is used among some of my friends as a term of endearment. Cheesy  I dont know what the hell a Heron Choker is though? Huh

Amazed you never heard the term heron choker Galway Bhoy, Fishead Sam's explanation is correct I believe, the pub in the Galway Bay Hotel is even called the The Heron Choker.

I heard it shouted at the Galway team during the League Semi-final actually, by an irate Mayo fan during a "heated" exchange between players while the match was going on, as in "that's the stuff for ye heron chokers", the response "it's better to be a heron-choker than an All Ireland final choker" shut him up!

An Fhairche Abu - Nice comeback alright, I saw another funny thing at that match, a middle aged Galwayman was getting very heated and making alot of grunts & comments under his breath, when a Mayo girl in her mid 20's leaned over and handed him a bottle of Water and told him it would cool him down, holding it in his hand he gave her an almighty dirty look, quick as a wisp she responded "dont worry its Mayo water its safe to drink" All around Mayo/Galway/Kildare/Donegal burst out laughing. It didn't help reduce his temperature I think it made him alot worse 

[BallyhaiseMan]

i have friends who are black,
Have i used the N Word when taking the piss?
Yes i have,just as they have called me "whitey" "cracker "  "Ghostface" etc.
No offence is taken because we are all good friends.

Id never dare use such language in the company of people that i didnt know,no matter what race they were.

[Fishead_Sam]

i have friends who are black,
Have i used the N Word when taking the piss?
Yes i have,just as they have called me "whitey" "cracker "  "Ghostface" etc.
No offence is taken because we are all good friends.

Id never dare use such language in the company of people that i didnt know,no matter what race they were.

Thats your from Cavvvannn and you would be worried that your millions under your matress would be sued out of you!!! Now that wasn't meant to be discriminatory or bigoted at all at all!!!

[Gnevin]

I think south park dealt with this best in the Dropping the N -Bomb . Its a word thats off limits but no more than several other but people can still get away with saying with out a major deal or a heart fell tear filled interview to "apologise"

[BallyhaiseMan]

i have friends who are black,
Have i used the N Word when taking the piss?
Yes i have,just as they have called me "whitey" "cracker "  "Ghostface" etc.
No offence is taken because we are all good friends.

Id never dare use such language in the company of people that i didnt know,no matter what race they were.

Thats your from Cavvvannn and you would be worried that your millions under your matress would be sued out of you!!! Now that wasn't meant to be discriminatory or bigoted at all at all!!!

*post reported to moderator for anti-Cavan racism* 

[ONeill]

I don't know if this has been mentioned on this thread but the girl who used the n word was well stitched up by the recipient of the comment. Although there's no doubt she shouldn't have said it, the girl 'CHARLIE' realised after a minute or so that she could nail this girl live on TV. It was very obvious she wasn't all that offended.