Humorous Remark Or Racism?

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/949230/prince-charles-racism-row-commonwealth-queen-elizabeth-anita-sethi

[gulliver1]

Prince Charles and his father, they insult anyone they want to in the world press,
and nothing is said against them. Just one mild word of critisism against Charles on Answer Bank= Answer Removed,

[maggiebee]

Total plonker, just like his father. The Queen must despair of them both.

[ladybirder]

She said to him, "My mother was born in Guyana", and he said "And where do you come from?" What's wrong with that? They are in London so perhaps he meant were you born in Guyana or in this country.

[maggiebee]

And Charles said "my father was born in Greece" and the lady said "and where were you born?"

[Deskdiary]

No, not racist.

The Card gets played too quickly and too easily by too many people.

If anybody thinks this was a racist remark, then they don't understand what racism is.

[ladybirder]

Hmm I wonder when she formed her opinion that he shouldn't become king, before or after this remark? No prizes for guessing.

[emmie]

needed to be a bit more circumspect, it wasn't meant as a racist remark, but she took it so, and there isn't a lot you can do about that

[andres]

How many people have said something and as soon as the words are out of your mouth you instantly wish you'd never said them. Then you spend hours possibly days mulling over what you said and wondering how to put things right. Another thing that frequently happens is that a coloured person is asked where do they come from? When they say --Burnley, Nelson, Blackburn etc. the questioner will then say ''No, where do you actually come from''? The woman in question could just as easily passed the remark off by saying that she had inherited her looks from her Guyanan mother . Some people are too quick to take offence these days.

[New Judge]

“…it wasn't meant as a racist remark, but she took it so, and there isn't a lot you can do about that”

Indeed there isn’t. Here’s the gem of all gems from the McPherson report into the death of Stephen Lawrence:

---
Recommendation 12 [of 70, which the government of the day accepted in full]:

Definition of a Racist incident:

That the definition should be: "A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person".
---

So it doesn’t have to be the delightful Ms Sethi that perceives an innocent remark as racist. Anybody can. And thanks to the erudite Sir William we’re all stuck with it.

[naomi24]

'Erudite' is not a word I'd use to describe Sir William. Not even close!

[Bathsheba]

I do hope the POW simply uses the well mannered "how do you do?" sometimes, which cannot offend, shirley?

~Baths~

[Mamyalynne]

I think Shirley is his biggest fan Baths ;-)

[Bathsheba]

Hope so Mamya :*
~Baths~
x x x

[New Judge]

"'Erudite' is not a word I'd use to describe Sir William. Not even close!"

It was tongue-in-cheek, naomi!

I am probably one of the few people alive who has read the McPherson report in full (at >380 pages, an exercise I do not recommend and one which I shall not be repeating). It is extremely thorough in its forensic dissection of the event and the investigations (as it ought to be as it took more than two and a half years to compile). But unfortunately its somewhat light in considering the implications that some of its recommendations had on policing and prosecutions. Many of the recommendations merely reiterate practices which should be evident anyway whilst others promote a "two-tier" justice system, with racially motivated offences enjoying privileges not enjoyed by non-racial allegations. The report has been cited as "One of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain". An understatement, if ever there was one.

[jim360]

// Definition of a Racist incident:

That the definition should be: "A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person". //

While I agree with NJ that this seems to be rather a loose definition, surely it seems difficult to find an objective definition of racism. It certainly can't be all about intent, either -- although many racists know they're racist but don't seem to care, some seem blissfully unaware of the fact despite all the evidence.

Still, an incident can't just be racist because someone says it is.

[naomi24]

NJ, //It was tongue-in-cheek, naomi! //

I know. I took that as read.

[New Judge]

It's not so much the definition, jim, because it's rarely an objective choice. It's more the "any other person" I take issue with. Any person, whether they witnessed the event or not, whether it had any influence on them or not, can declare an incident "racist". And that's plain daft. Basically, it's carte blanche to take offence.

[sp1814]

The correct response from Anita would be to giggle and say, "I don't look like I come from Manchester, and you don't look like a tampon, even though you wanted to be one - for Camilla, right?".

Then they could both chuckle.

[naomi24]

SP, that response isn’t ‘correct’. It’s preciously petty. Personally, I’d have laughed an agreed that I do have a bit of a tan. That's what's called rising above it graciously and with humour.... far more effective than petulant tit for tat lip-dragging.

[Mamyalynne]

She's got the publicity she wanted for her book, she'll be alright.