Is this racist or not?

[pugwash4x4]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howabou...

is this episode racist or not- should it have gone to court?

having lived in Wales for quite some time (as a fervant Englishman) i was quite happy to put up with the usually friendly and occasionally not so friendly and threatening words from the local populace- to me it was part and parcel of the welsh/english divide- you just don't get that het up about something so silly.

Problem with the police reacting like this is that it doesn't defuse the situation in any way- just re-enfrces trenchant positions!

[sday12]

No, it's regionalist you Scrumpy drinking Wurzel!

[RobM77]

Fairly blatant I thought. Fine in jest, but this was as part of an insult. He shouldn't get away with insulting a policeman anyway to be honest, racism or not.

[pugwash4x4]

sday12 said:

No, it's regionalist you Scrumpy drinking Wurzel!

have we met

[sleep envy]

Might be, might not be. Either way it's pretty thick saying that to a plod in Wales.

He should look at his fine as a stupidity tax.

[mchammer89]

sleep envy said:

Might be, might not be. Either way it's pretty thick saying that to a plod in Wales.

He should look at his fine as a stupidity tax.

Exactly my thoughts, complaining about being in the company of a Welshman in Wales, what a daft ste.

[Cogcog]

I suggested to my English daughrer who lives in Wales that as the speed cameras South Wales Police use on the Severn Crossing are always pointing towards the incoming English traffic (especially on 6 Nations when Wales are at home) it was racist and she could appeal her conviction claiming racism.

[Blue Meanie]

How is it racist... We're essentially the same race.

[Flanders.]

Blue Meanie said:

How is it racist... We're essentially the same race.

Talk for yourself. .

[Cas_P]

Blue Meanie said:

How is it racist... We're essentially the same race.

It's still another country. Racism isn't based solely on skin colour.

[Mr_annie_vxr]

It was intended. Targetted. Rude and based entirely around the officer being welsh.

Yes I'd say it's racism.

From his other comments about not being able to pronounce the town he lives in it tells you a lot about his attitude to the Welsh.

[Peter101]

Of course its not racism, for gods sake get a grip. the whole of the UK is pretty much made of the same gene pool. Its like someone from Portsmouth calling someone from Southampton a scummer. Is that racist??

[pugwash4x4]

Peter101 said:

Of course its not racism, for gods sake get a grip. the whole of the UK is pretty much made of the same gene pool. Its like someone from Portsmouth calling someone from Southampton a scummer. Is that racist??

this is my take- its not racism- just stupidity.

BUT you used to be able to buy T-shirts that said "i don't care who we beat just so long as we beat the english" or words to that effect. If you replace the work English with Blacks/Pakistanis etc etc then it owuldn't definitely be racist!

[Peter101]

pugwash4x4 said:

Peter101 said:

Of course its not racism, for gods sake get a grip. the whole of the UK is pretty much made of the same gene pool. Its like someone from Portsmouth calling someone from Southampton a scummer. Is that racist??

this is my take- its not racism- just stupidity.

BUT you used to be able to buy T-shirts that said "i don't care who we beat just so long as we beat the english" or words to that effect. If you replace the work English with Blacks/Pakistanis etc etc then it owuldn't definitely be racist!

This subject really riles me, the use of the word Racist seems to be used in such a wrong way. I think the over use of the word just creates more problems.

[grumbledoak]

He told them: 'I don't like you because you're Welsh, you're breathing and you're here'.

As he is the same race as they are, I cannot see how this is racist. Bigotted, rude, and stupid, but I'd imagine most Welsh coppers have been called worse than "Welsh". Not saying he should go unpunished, just that it was the wrong charge.

[Justayellowbadge]

Peter101 said:

like someone from Portsmouth calling someone from Southampton a scummer. Is that racist??

Bad example. The only difference between those 2 is that in Pompey the always grunt 'twenny' when they mean 20, whereas in Southampton no-one has learnt to count that high.

Otherwise, they are, genetically speaking, identically sub-human.

[Peter101]

Justayellowbadge said:

Peter101 said:

like someone from Portsmouth calling someone from Southampton a scummer. Is that racist??

Bad example. The only difference between those 2 is that in Pompey the always grunt 'twenny' when they mean 20, whereas in Southampton no-one has learnt to count that high.

Otherwise, they are, genetically speaking, identically sub-human.

Thats a bit harsh, lucky I don't live in either city.

[CDP]

Sounds pretty stupid to me. And if he doesn't like Welsh people why the heck doesn't he get out of Wales?

Oh well, time for the floodgates to open.

[Dracoro]

Not racist of course, xenophobic I would say, yes.

[tank slapper]

If someone said:

'I don't like you because you're Jewish, you're breathing and you're here'.

or

'I don't like you because you're black, you're breathing and you're here'.

or

'I don't like you because you're gay, you're breathing and you're here'.

Would any of those be more or less acceptable? If so why?

How about:

'I don't like you because you're a , you're breathing and you're here'.

The problem I have with this equality type law is that it seeks to emphasise on differences rather than reduce them. If you are going to put someone in front of a court for being generally unpleasant and thuggish that is one thing, but I'm not sure their motivation for being so is relevant.