Why is it that, you can call us aussies, call english poms, call new zealanders kiwis, call people white, but if you call people black,  its bad, if you call aboriginals abos, its bad. It's stupid. And you can't critisize fat people, but you can thin, you can call people pale, but not dark? I mean I don't want to critisize anyone, that's not what I'm saying. It's just a bit unfair I think.
My friend has this thing, I'll post it.. lemme get it..

Ok well I tried to get it but my pc keeps crashing. i will when i go upstairs.
maybe i shouldnt have made this topic i think it makes me sound mean or something.
probably everyone would get mad.
:S

I didn't know you can't call people black or dark.  What are black people called?  What are dark people called?  "non-pale?"  I'm monumentally confused.  I understand the touchy issues with the others because of previous racism being an influence.  Skinny isn't traditionally an insult but I suppose that's changed a little but when used very specifically.  I grew up with the notion that fat people should be made fun of... peer pressure sort of thing, my parents tried to discourage it, it's easy to see why it would be touchy from that perspective.

My friend has a thing too but we never look at it or touch it together.  He keeps it to himself <--these smileys work better for me I think.  They take forever to load though.

Here I found the thing, I dunno where he got it from but yea, it may tell you what I mean in the racist sense MD, and yeah people at my school tease skinny people not fat.

You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.

You call me "Cracker", "Honkey", "Whitey" and even "The Man" and you think it's OK.

But when I call you, "black person", "Kike", "Towelhead", "Sand-black person", "Camel Jockey", "Beaner" or "Chink" you call me a racist.

You have the United Negro College Fund.

You have Martin Luther King Day.

You have Black History Month.

You have Cesar Chavez Day.

You have Yom Hashoah

You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi

You have the NAACP.

You have BET.

If we had WET(white entertainment television) we'd be racists.

If we had a White Pride Day you would call us racists.

If we had white history month, we'd be racists.

If we had an organization for only whites to "advance" our lives, we'd be racists.

If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships
you know we'd be racists.

In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.

You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists.


  You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us.

But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.

I am white.

I am proud.

But, you call me a racist.

Why is it that only whites can be racists?

Quoted from dara

...And you can't critisize fat people, but you can thin...

I agree, it is stupid, but the above is not entirely accurate.  People can and do criticise fat people, but not thin.  Why?  I think it's because thin is socially okay, unless you are annorexic, then it's a pity thing.

what i mean is like, if you call someone fat, people would get mad at you and say you were so mean etc, but if you go to someone like oh are u anorexic ahh you're too skinny, or too lanky or something, no one gets mad?
I dunno, it's just weird

The thing your friend has is American though and it deals with it from a differant perspective from a society that has differant racial and racist influences.

Although every situation is unique, I'll speak generally using "Black and White" to simplify things and put perspective of racism historically.

I've sort of thought some of the same things in the thing at one time or another but I ended up finding that although it gets blown out of proportion and can be over the top very easily, on both sides of the coin, that quite a few of the complaints people of minority groups have, by themselves, are really pretty valid aggravations.  

Also, I don't know what these three things are:
-Cesar Chavez Day.
-Yom Hashoah
-Ma'uled Al-Nabi
...but everything else on that list is a direct result of jaw dropping oppression that occured in the United States and were all very positive vehicles for people to gain economic equality and to regain some self esteem in a country that would rather have seen them raised thinking that they were inferiour, sub-human, not as good as the rest of the world, and not deserving of equal pay or voting rights or even deserving to marry outside of their race.  The attitude that Black people (for example) are inferior, was a huge success and people beleived it both black and white and have beleived it for as far back as history takes it in the US.  Marting Luther King was indeed a visionary and given the whole fear of death thing at the time it's fair to call him a hero.  I've not really ever thought of it like that until just now.


Things like the BET didn't come along until later and part of the motivation there may very well have been "in your face white boy" but ... so what?  Sure I'm just a little bit too young to remember law enforced separtation and oppression and I'm not responsible for it but what's wrong with taking the backlash... it's just blowing off steam is all.

Growing up, I certainly heard all the racial names involved with being white directed at me and I hated it and I reckoned that black people were more racist than whites (and to be honest, it's pretty rare to find an American delusional enough to beleive that they aren't racist) and have only once ever stood in front of someone and called them a black person.  I think now that it was more harmful that I said it once than I heard it directed at me a bunch of times... obviously there's not "nothing at all" behind this but I shouldn't speculate other than to state that I observed it more harmful put... I will speculate, if you grow up and as a result of the whole wide world, you're insecure about yourself because of your race, it's going to be very threatening to your personal sense of safety if you've just had confirmation that your (justifyably) paranoid fears were true.

Anyhow, seems like it doesn't matter at some point, and although people tend to stay, to an extent, in environments of their own race that we sooner or later have to deal with each other on a personal basis.  After everyone finally being able to put aside racially drived persecution complexes, busting through their own stereotypes and so forth (all of which is learned through situations that feel very tense at the time) everyone loves each other and has a big orgy.  Just kidding.  Anyhow, it was very difficult to face the reality that everyone else is just like me and I'm pretty certain that it's the same on the other end of it, with some people it was actually fun, but when I read something like that I reckon that it's written by someone who has'nt had any experience to grow upon other than schoolyard crap that we all go through and just hasn't had the opportunity... or hasn't been forced to confront the reality at a personal level.

The fact is that there is a United Negro College Fund, a Black History Month, that sometime large companies hire minorities to meet quotas, but... too bad I guess... it's the way it is and a person would be a fool, or filled with stupid pride, not to use it if there was something set up to give them a helping hand (such as a college scholarship) and there is indeed a need for a Black History Month unless the high schools are willing to use re-written text books.  I've never cared about Black History (or any history) and thus don't give a rats a** about Black Histroy Month one way or another... God forbid we should do something so horrible as complain about any women's awareness days or moths or whatever they have.  It sounds stupid to me often but I'm not angry about it.

White people can choose the KKK if they want... and Black people can choose to watch BET and be entertained by a programming that... well it's not good television anyway, the complaint is clearly pulling at straws in reaction to (again justified) paranioa, and the US would be a better place if this sort of attitude was just tolerated without making a huge deal about it.  I think people all around are responsible for making a big deal out of this sort of thing.

Pretty easy for me to say that while completely removed from it and halfway around the world.

As it might apply to Australia, I have the following to say:
"I've noticed that ethnic people, especially if they have an accent, have a hard time finding a job even at McDonalds... what's with that?"

I see your point about being frustrated about being called skinny.  Some people can't gain weight even when they eat twice what they need.  Is it just a way for people to get at you though?  If it is, it seems to work.

I never said they called me skinny? I was giving an example?
But like everyone is equal who cares but like at my school every trip we go on or camp or whatever, the aboriginal and torres strait islander people get it free. everyone should be treated the same or it is just racist ?
i started this post mainly to say about calling people aussies vs abos how thats dumb but i got a bit carried away lol.

Quoted from MeanDean

As it might apply to Australia, I have the following to say:
"I've noticed that ethnic people, especially if they have an accent, have a hard time finding a job even at McDonalds... what's with that?"

Maybe they want people to answer the phones and take orders and need someone who speaks clearly? I don't know why :S  

Quoted from dara

I never said they called me skinny? I was giving an example?
But like everyone is equal who cares but like at my school every trip we go on or camp or whatever, the aboriginal and torres strait islander people get it free. everyone should be treated the same or it is just racist ?
i started this post mainly to say about calling people aussies vs abos how thats dumb but i got a bit carried away lol.

You're posts get less and less obscure as the thread moves forward though
Fair point about school trips.  On an as needed basis would be a lot more fair.
You don't need to defend the people managing my McDonalds.  It's not so black and white that it warrants all or nothing Dara.  You take too much upon yourself here I think.

I do? :S
Were my posts obscure? lol.
I know two people that work in mc donalds they are both australian?

I'm also gonna use the terems 'black' and 'white' to simplify matters.

Havn't caught this post before, or I would have replied sooner.  This is a topic that has always intrigued me and I know how you feel, Dara.  There is always the feeling like you need to apologise for what you're saying coz it might be construed as racist.  Good on you for raising the topic.  

I think the reason that black people feel more entitled to be racist towards us is because they have suffered so much.  America had slave labour and the KKK, we had the stolen generation.  Also, the general attitude towards Aboriginals in our country is not great.  Many of their communties have major problems with alcohol.  A white person would be encouraged to go to rehab, but when they're black, it's like people don't care.

I was lucky (in that respect) to grow up in a town that has a mixed population (we actually have lots of Aborigines) and I think the more mixing that goes on, the more relaxed the attitude is towards racism.  A lot of people in my town would be called racist by city-dwellers, but here most people do it and no-one seems to notice.  

I've always found it weird that black people have names they can use, but no-one else can, like 'black person'. ['N' word edited back in - mod]
I guess it's more about getting past the colour/size/shape/odour and just being nice, but it doesn't look like that'll happen anytime soon.

I actually used the 'n' word, but it was blanked out.

Weird :S
Hey wow i posted this a year ago lol
but yeah we should get past all that, but people dwell on the past so we can't

Isn't the N word just Latin for black. I'm not excusing it but it is no less profane than than the other racial references here. I think discussing race these days poses as many challenges and problems as climbing Mt Everest in speedo's.

Quoted from roshi

I actually used the 'n' word, but it was blanked out.

Just to clarify.  I edited the word after the word being pointed out to me in PMs and after roshi posted the above, but as I had not read this post in months and didn't recall what was written, I'm editing it back.

People reported roshi for saying black person :O
god..

That picture of a girl on your siggy, Dara, boy she looks crazy.  She must be crazy for going into a show like big brother.....
But are we allowed to call her crazy, why is this not "politically incorrect"  

Because society has dictated a pattern of corrupt values to today's youth. It sickens me when people start acting disgustingly rude to persons of certain cultures with this idea that they need to avenge those who have wronged their ancestors. It's pathetic. Most of these people have no idea what "their people" have suffered throughout the course of history, and frankly, they should keep their s**t to themselves.

I also think it's disgusting that we refer to persons of different cultures and skin colours as "races". Does a Border Collie belong to a different "race" than a German Shephard? For God's sake they both belong to the same species, as we belong to our own species. Why the world is filled with such violence, oppression and hostility is beyond me. When I was a child, I remember being accused of making a "racist" remark as I was referring to the colour of the child's skin when I was retaliating against his insult. I was outraged, because I had nothing against the colour of his skin, but rather how rude he was being to me. I've never had anything against black people. Hell, one of my best mates in high school was black.

I'll continue later.

Quoted from dara

Weird :S
Hey wow i posted this a year ago lol
but yeah we should get past all that, but people dwell on the past so we can't

sorry dara didn't mean to open a can of worms but I hadn't seen this thread before and I wanted to comment.   Can I please just say I wasn't using that pesky 'n' word to offend, I just had to include it in my sentence because I was asking why they are allowed to say it and we're not.  That's all. Just wondering.

If you type 'offensive use of the word (insert N word here)' then you will see for yourself by the numerous articles available why that word is deemed offensive by most people and the word 'black' is used instead of.  

Quoted from roshi

... Can I please just say I wasn't using that pesky 'n' word to offend, I just had to include it in my sentence because I was asking why they are allowed to say it and we're not.  That's all. Just wondering.

I knew that.

I realised, after I had edited it, that you were responding to the original post, roshi.  My fault for not reading back to the beginning.

Paula's Rant.  

I have just deleted a whole page on why people who rant against those that promote their religious beliefs are hypocrites, but I deleted it.  I also deleted one post and edited another in the Australian Idol thread in TV Talk.

I will, however, point out that I spent an afternoon with "religious people" yesterday.  

We said "grace" before we ate.  We thanked God for bringing us together to celebrate a birthday milestone.  

It was a lovely day, full of fun, laughter and love.  I don't attend Church, but I admire those that have such faith that they do.  I am not a good Christian, but I admire anyone that is and is happy to share with others.  If you're not interested, tell them and 9 times out of 10 they will ease off.

Not all religious people are in some sort of twisted sect, just like not all atheists are evil.

I think we'd all do well to remember that, including me!

To each their own, as long as they dont try to push it down others throats

Religion is only annoying when people seem so blind in their faith, like they won't even consider anything else.
Oh Paula you deleted it, it would be an enlightening read.
Like my signature people? ;P

Quoted Text

I have just deleted a whole page on why people who rant against those that promote their religious beliefs are hypocrites, but I deleted it.  I also deleted one post and edited another in the Australian Idol thread in TV Talk

Just to clarify, those posts were mine.

Quoted from dara

Like my signature people? ;P

Personally, I think the second quote is a massive generalisation. A good deed is a good deed. Anyway, who’s to say that a religious person doesn’t also do good things because of compassion or intelligence? Everyone does things for different reasons, and no one has the right to prejudge the motives behind the actions of an entire group of people.

Not all atheists do good things… and not all atheists do good things because of compassion or intelligence.

I'd agree with that, Music.

People do things and act in a certain way because they are that way inclined.
Whether they are religious or not, or what religion they are has no bearing on the matter.

I am about to have a rant regarding society and alcohol abuse
Last year and for some of this year I lived with my now friend, Helen and her Fiance, for 4 months. She was great as a housemate but he was a dirty filthy grot who is an alcoholic, chain smoker and does not know the meaning of moderation, in any form.  
He was refused Life Insurance for $600k at the age of 36 because of his huge tummy, being overweight and health issues from drinking and smoking heavily.
Two weekends ago his foreman from his last two road construction jobs had a massive coronary at the age of 38! He is alive, although the heart surgeon is not sure how or why! Apparently he felt 'funny' and got out of bed after midnight, went outside with a tightening of the chest and a pain down his right arm, and lit a smoke. Upon returning to bed his wife asked him why he was fidgeting and he told her of his symptoms and she immediately swung into action. They went to the Private Hospital at Buderim with him saying 'it's nothing' and her saying 'you are going to hospital to get checked'. His arteries were so clogged with Cholesterol the Doctor's were stunned he was still alive. After abusing his body for at least the past 20 years with a daily regime of FAST foods, Copious amounts of alcohol, heaps of cigarettes and basically abusing his body (he has a pregnant tummy also) he was given a Ginormous scare which everyone hopes has cured him of abusing his body any longer. When he was asked just how much alcohol he consumes on a normal work day...... 8-10 stubbies of beer, 3-5 Rums. He was told that to do that is binge drinking and suicidal. I remember this guy last Christmas and Helen's fiance stating that if they 'couldn't drink and smoke then what would be the point of living?' At the age of 35+years, don't these fools ever grow up? To me they are still thinking they are 20 years old fit and healthy but their bodies are suffering and protesting to the point where young men who should be vital, virile and full of life are dying. I have absolutely no sympathy for these fools. Hopefully the man's mates see this as a wake up call for them also!  
My toyboy does not drink, has never smoked, does not gamble and the only wild woman in his life is ME, I hope.
Why would anyone want to be around someone who perpetually has a bottle or glass of alcohol nearby or in his hand? The day after the foreman had his coronary, after visiting him in Hospital, Helen and her fiance went out to a pub/tavern, when it closed he insisted on going to an RSL club on the sunny coast where he proceeded to drink himself into oblivion. He was so roudy (by himself, mind) that from across the gambling floor Helen heard him shout. She knew he was about to be ejected so she went to the ladies so she would be prepared to drive them home. Sure enough he appeared in front of her soon after and said slurred 'they want me to leave Darl'. Then in telling me all this she said 'he always gets kicked out of these places'. I was stunned. She admitted then that they never go out anywhere in public where he is not asked to leave This guy... her fiance.... is a big oaf of a man who looks drunk and disheveled even when he is sober. His hair is never 'done' and he sports a permanent 3 day growth. I don't get why she, an intelligent, beautiful woman would even be remotely interested in this guy. She said he looked even worse 4 years ago when she met him He's 'cleaned up his act' since then. OMG That's my rant, just had to get it off my chest. Feel free to add any comments, cheers, Suzi

Suzi isn't this the woman who stole your car?

No, this is my best friend Helen. I lived with her from November til mid February. My ex-surrogate daughter who I co-rented with from Feb-June this year.... Shelley stole my car!

Oh good What's with all your friends having loser partners! I can't believe anyone would be with that type of man.

I was thinking the same thing sort of... that she's makes a choice to be with him and it makes sense to be mad at her as well if she's the one you care about.  In the end we can't change anyone though... which is a bummer.

I read a lot of Internet News and go to a lot on Internet news sites including the UK websites and the US websites. I am disgusted on a daily basis by the bad grammar and dreadful spelling. Where are the word-smith's and writers of tomorrow? Does no-one implement spell check? I find many error's in the reports but the comments are woeful and full of error. Once I read one error in one comment I skip to the next comment and frequently end up skipping over half a dozen comments because of errors in ... spelling, grammar, no capitals, all capitals, no end of sentences and no paragraphs plus any other errors you can think of. I do not respect the writer's opinions in cases where they feel the need to comment and yet cannot string a coherent sentence together.
Is it just me or is the World going to Hell in a Handbag (as my best friend says!)?
I love the English language and hate to see it being massacred  

The problem is actually the internet in this instance, free news that is required to be delivered extremely quickly, proof reading and fact checking is virtually non existent. I've done bucket loads of technical and user documentation of the years and it does take a few reads to get everything right....

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.... aqua, the people who reply to these news items are the worst of the worst. I want to read people's opinions on some topics and then find I am frustrated by people who could not be bothered to make their comments enjoyable for other's to read.  

As soon as I see basic spelling and grammar errors I don't bother to read any further.

The ones that annoy me the most are the misuse of their/there/they're, your/you're and the woeful misuse of the possessive apostrophe, e.g. mistake's instead of mistakes.  

Ah, we beg to differ, Paula, if something is interesting enough I will read on, as not everybody is a full bottle in spelling, but they still may have something interesting to say.

hear hear LB.

but I understand why Paula would think like that.....her being a teacher and all, she expects more.

Quoted from Candy

... but I understand why Paula would think like that.....her being a teacher and all, she expects more.

Actually, I don't expect more.  I do, however, expect that people who write internet news reports know the basics.  It is their job, after all.

Quoted from Paula

Actually, I don't expect more.  I do, however, expect that people who write internet news reports know the basics.  It is their job, after all.

Ah, I was meaning posts and letters from people outside the media, I do agree the media should be virtually faultless when posting reports.

I am not a teacher, I didn't even finish year 10 equivalent because I was bedridden for most of it. I do, however, expect decent spelling and good grammar from people, including myself. My pet peeve is incorrect spelling and bad grammar. I am a voracious reader and do consider myself a word-smith.
Other people have other pet peeves, I expect, but this is mine and therefore I had a rant.  

I have been paying particular attention to food labels of late and I am horrified and dismayed to find so many products are from Thailand. WHAT THE?    Australia is a huge country and here we are getting Asian, mainly from Thailand, products. Yesterday I was looking for pink salmon to make fish cakes. I found Greenseas and John West were the only one's on the shelf not from Thailand. Although they are from Alaska/Canada. I would prefer to buy a product grown and canned in Alaska and Canada where I would imagine the hygiene in the factories would be higher. I am willing to bet that if you go to your pantry and fridge you will be surprised at the results that many of your packaged goods are from Asia and more likely Thailand. Why do we live in 'The Lucky Country'  and yet are importing things/food that we must have the where-with-all to produce ourselves. All this crap about the cost of growing and producing canned goods doesn't fly with me. Give me aussie grown produce. When I was growing up in Cowra we had an Edgell's factory/Cannery that most of my Mother's Family worked at. From the head Manager to the forklift driver and Box Boy. I still buy Edgell's when I feel the need but don't even have a clue where the product is grown and packaged these days.   

hmmm something else from south east asia the government should be turning around......

^^^^