Anton Du Beke

[flipnflap]

Should he go? Yes or no?

[sara3]

how very 1970s.

[sp1814]

sara3

That's exactly what I thought! Snowflake? Chalky? Whitey???

Perhaps you might hear terms like that old videos of 'Mind Your Language' or 'Love Thy Neighbour', but they're 30 years old.

Also, the 'n' word hasn't travelled to the UK to be used by young blacks in the same way that some black Americans use it.

Bizarre answer there.

[andy-hughes]

mdoo98 - some black and Asian people have 'reclaimed' the offensive words like n**ger to use it as a term of affection, but it is only appropriate one to another. If a white person did it, it would be deemed offensive.

This is what culture is all about - and trying to apply logic and rules to an organic and constantly shifting attitudes is pointless.

[Ankou]

this show is watched by over 9 million people (you know who you are !!) and 426 of them complained (probably not even viewers).

he has apologised so we move on don't we. personally i think he should apologise to his mum and dad for changing his name from tony beak.

[anotheoldgit]

For white people like me, it might 'just be a word'. But we should bear in mind that anyone who has been subjected to that word as a vicious weapon, used to threaten and abuse them and their families, is going to feel very differently about it.

-------------------

Maybe but Fiona Pilkington and her mentally retarded daughter Francecca, must have suffered much worse abuse than a single word thrown at them, but who was there to protect her? There were no specially introduced laws to stop their abuse.

It is also certain that the police would have been round to her house like a shot, if she had been either black or Asian, and had complained that the thugs were using the "P" or "N" words against her and her family.

[hc4361]

Oldgit - tell that to Errol McGowan's family. I'm sure they'll be delighted.

[sp1814]

The Fiona Pilkington story?

Exactly!

There absolutely should be laws in place to prevent that kind of tragedy, and race relations laws were developed to protect black and Asian families from that kind of abuse.

What the Pilkingtons suffered is exactly the same as what happened to many immigrants in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The Pilkingtons are one story. There were thousands of similar ones which promptedthe governments at the time to act.

[sp1814]

Perhaps that's the answer - until a certain section of the British populus can learn respect, the bullying of handicapped people should carry the same kind of punishment as racist and homophobic crimes?