h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oetzi, as usual, you've gone off in all directions at once! Yes, I'll 'come clean' - that 'character' Adele the divided *is* associated with me. But I never called another researcher a derogatory name. I've tried to explain what I did say, and why, but it's all degenerated into a lot of hooey about whether or not I am racist (I'm not) and whether I called anyone a 'Paki' (I didn't - the term is unknown in NZ!) Adele is gone, because there is no point staying around to be abused andlied about. As for what the other researcher was called - why not look at what he and *his* other identities (Hoo/Member etc) have called me - and Adele! Insane, a liar, stupid, etc... even someone like Toxxin or Jordan would be tempted to react.
But, no - I didn't call him any derogatory or abusive name. Whatever he and some of his friends choose to say the term means in the USA, it doesn't mean that here in NZ.

Thanks for your honesty Dell.

What can I say. Here in the UK racism and discrimination is a big problem. It gets in the way of justice. It mops up resources that should be spent on life shattering crime.

There are organisations like The National Front who seek out minority groups. These organisations sometimes have members in key positions: in the police, in the media and worse in education.

For God's sake Dell you should have known that. Your culture in NZ is different but the fact that you made a comment felt as racist is universally condemned.

I stick to one identity. Suggest you do the same. I'm not sure what the consequences of your comments will be. You've explained your position, and personally I would apologise directly to Blicky in public and to the BBC office.

I hope all goes well. I'm sorry your upset Dell but I had to act, and I would have to again. Personalities are secondary to principals.
Fortunately Dell I don't go off half-cocked. If I enter a dispute I know the probabilities are on my side.

Take this onboard and use that motto yourself. It is a good policy.
That is the best advice I can give, if you fall, then excuse and explain and eat your pride.

Dell stick with my posts while I'm around and please join in. Please don't go haring off on your own.

Oetzi, you don't know what you are talking about. I have tried 'apologising' to Blicky on other occasions, but I am not responsible for what he chose to interpret my words as meaning. I have never been 'universally condemned' in any circumstances before, and I have been on the mass debate thread since just after it began - for more than a year.
I certainly will not apologise to the BBC office, get real! I did not say anything wrong, I did not say what he choose to tell everyone I said. He created the situation, and I will not take all the blame.
I stick to one identity now, and I didn't create the Adele identity to fool or abuse anyone.
I upset a certain man and a certain woman with my comments on abortion. That's what began all this, and I refuse to take the rap for racist comments I didn't make, and especially, I refuse to be denigrated by you!

You asked for it Dell. I will inform the NZ authorites in the UK of your statement. Your a public servant employee in education. Inform your union.

This is no way to start off the new year!

Alji

You're so right, Alji. I am just wondering where on earth all this came from! Last week, everyone was getting on fine, and now this... I certainly never had any intention of upsetting anyone - and I have never known anyone on other threads to get so personally angst ridden and abusive. Sure, I am at fault - I lost my temper. But I intended to call the offended party a phoney, which I was sure he was... nothing more! That's why I won't apologise for racism - cos I didn't do it. Oetzi can go to the authorities, for all I care.
To clarify - the Adele identity was created when the h2g2 site was wigging out and I couldn't get on - then when I was able to get back on as Della, I kept her going, again as a joke - I suppose I had better go back to being humourless. Trying to be funny has sure got me a heap of trouble.

Della it's been one of those weeks for me. I heard yesterday that my friend Pratap had died. He was 70 last July. His wife is godmother to two of my children.

Pratap came to the UK from Bombay when Enoch Powell was in full swing with his 'Rivers of Blood' speach. When he first came he had to work on the busses but when he retired he was a consultant in geriatrics.

Alji

Alji, I am sorry to hear about your friend. I hope his wife is feeling a bit better - my neighbour (80+) died a while ago, and his wife is feeling a bit lost.

"I intended to call the offended party a phoney"

Why then did you use the word "wigger"?

Della,

<>

Wrong! What began 'all this' was you attempting to insult blicky by using a racist term. Nobody has called you a racist, they just disagree with your language.

<>

Well, too bad for you. Because you did make a racist comment. Not many people will put up with that kind of crap, you know. They won't just let someone say something so nasty without saying something in return. If you want to pretend this has anything to do with abortion issues, or the fact that you are a christian and a woman, well quite frankly - snore! That is just silly and it appears that you are using that as a smokescreen to excuse your unacceptable behaviour.

<>

Why the inverted commas?

az

God this, god that, rligion is evil brainwshing, religion is good

OO: "az is your cat better".



Thankyou for giving me a good laugh Oetzi.

Goodnight.

Anytime Blick

that *was* cute, Oetzi

made me laugh too!



az

I'm a bit touched with animals.
Your both welcome as and when you please.

What?

Since when has 'wigger' been a racist term? Derogatory maybe, but certainly not racist. The word refers to white boys who think that they are, or pretend to be, "bad-ass" black boys. People such as Tim Westwood, Ali G or Vanilla Ice.


and if it's a word no-one knows and no-one uses, then how come i know it. how come a 90's scandanavian rock band, Clawfinger wrote a song about pathetic phoney gangstaz called, wait for it, 'Wigger'

It's abusive, yes, and it's racist at least in part because of the word it's derived from.

And of course the idea nobody knows what it means is stupid. But that idea, quelle surprise, came from Della. It was her pathetic and unbelievable excuse for using the word in the first place.

the word it's derived from is commonly used by black people in reference to themselves and each other as a means of disempowering the word, does that still make it a racist word when used in this way?

Well, it rather depends on whether it's being used as a term of abuse. When Della used it, it most certainly was, since it was part of a torrent of abuse she was currently engaged in.

Members of a minority can "disempower" words if they like, but if bigots use them, they're as bad as ever. Aren't they? Or is it OK to call people "q***r" or "n****r" to their face now?

but 'wigger' was the word she used, which is not a racist term. that's my point

We'll have to agree to disagree on that point, I think.

If you can't see why a term of abuse directed /exclusively/ at white people, and derived from the word "n****r", is racist, well, I don't think anything I'll be able to say here will help. Perhaps you're just one of those people who believes that only white people can be racists. I don't know.