when considering behaviour that these days is seen as un PC? At junior school I was in a play called Seven Sevens are Forty-nine where some schoolchildren were marooned on a desert island, and on exploring they came across some natives repeating the title, being taught by their headmaster. I was one of the four natives, and we were 'blacked up' (which me being blonde was hilarious at the time). We didn't have any black children at our school and if we did, would it have been worse had we given them the role of the native children? Should I feel guilty for taking part in what would these days be seen as racist? Is that any different to the cricketer who was made to apologise for attending a fancy dress party in 2009 blacked up?
I think 5 years is quite recent for an adult, but also they can change a lot in 10 years...
So, I still think in between. There must be some reason we use 7 years, for inheritance, keeping records (more importantly) and so on. Seems reasonable?
The list is endless, lankeela. Most of my generation in our youth would been jailed now if things had have been so woke and ridiculously pc as it is now back then
Older people would say the same,I think, Tony. If they saw what we don't go with any more, like racism and homophobia, say.... they would think "we" were impossibly PC now. Things change...
blacking-up was already embarrassing by the time the Black and White Minstrel Show was dropped in the 1970s. Since then schoolkids needn't feel guilty, but the teachers who got them into it might like to review their actions. As for adult cricketers in the 21st century, what was he thinking? "I like black musicians, therefore it's okay to make myself up to look like one"?