Ghosts Ghoules and Spooks...

[ummmm]

Northampton police have posted about ghosts ghoules and spooks on facebook regarding Haloween and have been accused of being racist.

They have now removed the post and issued an apology and reworded the post.

What is racist about that?

[jackthehat]

Spooks has 'other' connotations.........

[EvianBaby]

huh? Weird.

[snags]

Spook: offensive slang used as a disparaging term for a Black person.

[naomi24]

Perhaps it's 'ghostist'. :o)

Have you got a link?

[ummmm]

Yes, but surely if used when talking about Haloween no one could possibly link it with racism?

[Ellipsis]

Wow, the BBC must be in trouble again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spooks

[snags]

Apparently not.

[mccfluff]

spooks? really? never heard that one

[ummmm]

I haven't got a link because it's on Facebook. This is what was said though...

Northamptonshire Police
We apologise for any offence caused in our previous post, it was entirely unintentional, and to those whose comments have been deleted with the post.

Are you going out this weeked dressed up for Halloween? Operation Challenge officers will be out and about ensuring witches, ghosts and creatures from the dark stay safe as well as dealing with any ghouls that step over the line... http://www.northants....id=10809&datewant=yes

[mccfluff]

snags i must say you are looking very well for your age, have you had something done?

[jackthehat]

You would think that, wouldn't you?

Seems not....

[ummmm]

Probably just some idiots that like to leave negative feedback on the police FB page.

[jackthehat]

That is probably exactly what has happened.

[Ellipsis]

So essentially they've replaced "spooks" with "dark creatures" ...

[ummmm]

Ellipsis - I know!!! lol

[Kiki-frog]

How ridiculous. Isn't 'spooks' as an offensive term American slang anyway, and not British. Which might explain why not many people here have heard of it. (I've got a feeling it originated in the Vietnam War to refer to Viet Cong.) So why should it matter in Northants? Stupid, stupid, stupid

[naomi24]

Well, if that's the reason it's rubbish! Gawd! The mind boggles!

[EvianBaby]

The people who complained were probably the same morons who call the police the 'feds'.

[ummmm]

It's pathetic and I can't believe the police pandered to them.

What happens when we find something 'spooky'?

[EvianBaby]

Then we are clearly racist.