Are the words 'Jungle Drums' racist?

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/6aba9h9

/// The innocuous remark at a public meeting was seized upon by an equality campaigner – and the ensuing race row has lasted six months at a cost to the taxpayer of tens of thousands of pounds.///

I just cannot believe this tens of thousands of pounds wasted over someone referring to gossip as the 'Jungle Drums'

Well you might say being 'Right Wing' I would say this, but 'Right' 'Left' or in the 'Middle', can anyone put up an argument why these words are racist, or not racist in the least?

[squarebear]

This is nonsense. How can "jungle drums" be racist? No race is even mentioned.

[McMouse]

No more racist than "smoke signals" is to Native Americans.

[dotty.]

i was going to say the same as mcmouse, it means there's trouble brewing

[jackthehat]

<<John Thomson, deputy leader of the Tory-run council, admitted that ‘it may be political ­correctness’ but insisted: ‘The law makes it clear that what matters is not the intention of the person who uses the phrase but whether anybody is offended by it.’>>

<<Mrs Carr, 50, who lives with her husband Owen, 54, in Warminster, Wiltshire, claimed Mrs Farquhar’s initial apology was inadequate and that watchdog members needed training on ‘equality and diversity issues’.
‘The remark was racist and my complaint is valid,’ she said yesterday. ‘People need to think before they say things that could cause offence.’>>

Pretty self-explanatory.
Although I will wait with interest to hear quite what explanation the Council come up with.

[secsee1]

What are the powers that be thinking about? how can "Jungle Drums" be racist that is the same as saying "heard on the grapevine" is racist against all wine producing nations, If brains were gunpowder these time & money wasting idiots wouldn't have enough to blow their hats off.

[dotty.]

No, juhgle drums means communication sent to cause an uprising or as i said trouble brewing. If someone on the inner jungle diversity committe in outer miu miu land told his council that he'd heard somnething on Twitter would his co-council members think he was being racist about yuppies?

[jackthehat]

That's the trouble, dotty.......Yuppies aren't a race.

No doubt, the official reasoning will be that Jungle-Drums are a 'primitive' method of communication and as there is an african connection, the inference was that african/black=primitve..........or similar.

[Ankou]

wonder if she would have said 'chinese whispers' and got away with it ?

[mightyWBA]

How about "grapevine"...Is that fruitist?

[pa___ul3]

the only racist connection was made by the person complaining, Mrs Carr.

[Snafu03]

disabled people arent a race either.

Racist comments these days seemed to be defined as any comment made by one race against another that doesnt portray them in a good light. As jungle drums are a reference point back to tribal behaviour; a stereotype that someone of african origins living in todays society would be keen to disassociate from, then the comment could be constued as detrimental.

Often enough anyone white who displays basic or unintelligent behaviour is sometimes referred to as 'caveman' like; an anthropological reference to a time in the development of the human race that we wouldnt be fair to associate us with.

[dotty.]

it's all aload of over the top rubbish but it's also the cost on money terms to the tax payers of where ever it was that is annoying ( I don't care though as it wasn't here)

[kinell]

thought mud-huts were jungle drums

[dotty.]

no, jungle drums are drums that are used in a jungle, i the same drums were used in Peckham they would just be drums

[anotheoldgit]

/// No doubt, the official reasoning will be that Jungle-Drums are a 'primitive' method of communication and as there is an african connection, the inference was that african/black=primitve..........or similar. ///

Didn't Drake have a drum to warn of the advancing Spanish Armada?

English/White=primitive???? 16th century a matter of opinion.

[youngmafbog]

All part of Noo labours legacy

Now all say thank you to His Tonyness and Bottler.

[jackthehat]

You asked............I answered.

Drake didn't have benefit of any of the modern paraphenalia............

[anotheoldgit]

jackthehat

Calm down, I wasn't having a go at you.

I was only substituting your points with some of my own to hopefully make a comparison.

/// Drake didn't have benefit of any of the modern paraphenalia.///

Couldn't quite understand your point in this, but I would be happy to further the discussion if you could clarify your statement.

[flip_flop]

There is nothing remotely racist in the term Jungle Drums and anybody who is offended by the term needs to grow-up.

Mrs Carr, who is so pathetic I almost feel sorry for her, doesn't understand what the word racism means.