The post you are reporting:
I understand not promoting racism - it's part of an ethos I fully subscribe to, that of not demeaning anyone on the grounds of colour or creed; in my book, everyone is entitled to respect for private and personal beliefs. That said, that includes those such as myself whose ethnic descent is from the British Isles - I'm 100% White Anglo Saxon Protestant, born and raised in the UK (with the exception of six years in the 60s when the old man was posted to RAF Germany). I have to say that I find it offensive that I have to mind my language in order to demonstrate my belief in racial equality: I would never use the term 'nigger' against a black man because that goes against my own beliefs in the first place, but I do resent the fact that in the new remake of The Dambusters, the name of Guy Gibson's pet Labrador (Nigger) cannot be used - yes, the word is offensive in the modern context, but it surely shows how Britain has evolved since the 1940s. Likewise, Agatha Christe's book 'Ten Little Niggers' has been renamed 'Ten Little Indians' in modern reprints and for the movie that was made in the 50s/60s.
Why do we have to pussyfoot around ethnic minorities in such a wet and woolly manner? Are we not entrusted to use our own judgement calls with regard to not offending those who happen to differ from us in skin tone? It brings me back to my original point about Robertson's Golly badges - just after the turn of this century some woolly-headed liberal in Robertson's decided that it was no longer acceptable in modern Britain to continue with the marketing of their jams and marmalades by using the Golly emblem. This despite the fact that the Golly badge had been produced for decades as a succesful and iconic emblem; not once in the entire history of the Golly production run do I ever recall race riots brought on by these inoffensive, well-made badges. Racism has nothing to do with toys or similar - it's a mindset among the small-minded and ignorant, and that's where the nonsense spouted about being careful to not mention offensive words where they may be construed as inciteful has missed the point: any word or phrase taken out of context may be construed as offensive or inciteful, and that includes words or phrases beyond the racism topic.
It's not going to happen because too many cretins in London have been in charge for too long, but our society is crippled by Political Correctness taken beyond the good intentions it must have all started from. I'm not for a minute suggesting that we should go back to the days of 'Love Thy Neighbour', but surely we should all be entrusted with the basic human right of knowing what is and what isn't offensive, and thus be entrusted to use sensitive words in an appropriate manner instead of everything being legislated for?
