Dave Whelan and racism ?

[cpwigan]

In the world we live in he obviously keeps putting his foot in it but does anybody think he is genuinely racist? I don't personally. I taught many Asian students for over a decade and they would refer to each other as Pakis and laugh when I said it was wrong. The world is PC crazy now.

[East Stand Faithful]

CP your post is spot on.

Whelan does love to spout and should keep it shut, but his latest statement is "Asked by the Jewish Telegraph whether he himself had ever used the term, he replied: "When I was growing up we used to call the Chinese [restaurant] 'chingalings'.
"We weren't being disrespectful. We used to say: 'We're going to eat in 'chingalings'.
"The Chinese weren't offended by that. That was the name everyone in Wigan called it."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30353141

The world has gone mad.

i dont mind the aussies calling us pommie barstewards.

I am just going to put my St Georges flag out - i will probably be arrested

[doc]

Whelan was due to be interviewed on 5Live on the Sunday after the story broke but the Press Office at the Latics wisely pulled him out at the last minute.

Personally I don't think he is racist but I don't think he has moved with the times in terms of the PC society we live in.

[Panchitta Marra]

In the world we live in he obviously keeps putting his foot in it but does anybody think he is genuinely racist? I don't personally. I taught many Asian students for over a decade and they would refer to each other as Pakis and laugh when I said it was wrong. The world is PC crazy now.

People of the same culture can also call each other by a certain name, but when another culture uses the same name to them it suddenly becomes offensive to them.

[Fujiman]

Agree with all the comments above. Actually feel sorry for him because he was just saying how it used to be. Maybe we should rewrite history for the PC brigade :conf:

[Owd Codger]

Its called having respect for other people irrespective of their colour, religion etc.

Something that ignorant people like Whelan never understand and results in their racism being exposed.

[sc74]

CPWigan, I teach, I've taught and lived all over the world.
England is the least racist place I know.
It's pathetic, see them in their own back yards and they treat less-privileged neighbours terribly.
He should just say nothing, maybe it's his age.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

Its called having respect for other people irrespective of their colour, religion etc.

Something that ignorant people like Whelan never understand and results in their racism being exposed.

So by that then I would guess anybody who has ever gone to the 'chinky' for tea is a racist or all the Australian cricket fans that call us pommie barstewards are racists.

PC gone mad and there is a huge difference in saying something that can be 'perceived' as racist and being a racist!!

[i'm spartacus]

I listened to the interview he did to the BBC and he rolled out the full range of clichéd defences; 'I have thousands of Jewish friends' etc.

The point of fact here is that it doesn't matter whether I/we think it's offensive or not, or whether some Jewish or Chinese people wouldn't find it offensive. I am neither Chinese or Jewish, therefore I am not qualified to make a statement on whether it is offensive or not


The issue is that some members of those communities clearly have been offended by it and they have voiced their concerns publicly about Whelan's comments. I think he is sincere when he says he didn't mean to cause the offence, but the fact is, he has done just that. His comments reinforced a racial stereotype, and in particular to the Jews, he used phrases that were very similar to statements made by Adolf Hitler nearly one hundred years ago. Personally, I can understand how the Jewish community could find those comments offensive, even though Whelan's ultimate goal isn't world domination. Also bearing in mind his attempt at Wigan domination has already failed.

Whoever it was in the background during the BBC interview was clearly uncomfortable with Whelan's comments, because they tried to end the interview when he started to explain his use of the word 'chink'. He would be far better off keeping his mouth shut, and let his PR department do the talking. His new comments are proof, if further proof were needed, that he cannot open his mouth without saying something stupid.

[KOOCH]

When as a youngster I often used words such as Pakis,Wogs,Chinks etc.But reflecting on my use of these words I have to ask myself do I consider myself a racist because of the words I used as a youngster because being honest about it most of the folk I grew up with used this kind of Language.But I consider myself more rounded and accepting of different cultures.People of Whelans generation were my role models as a kid and no doubt as a kid he had similar role models who would also use this kind of language.So my take on this is that Whelan probably thinks he's saying nothing wrong because this is the kind of language he's always used in the past without anyone picking up on his usage in this politically correct world we all live in.I could take offence at being called a pie eater but choose to do nothing about it.Perhaps the next time I am called a pie eater I should take offence and demand that this wording should be politically incorrect and anyone using this phrase can expect to be brought up before the beak. And in answer to the question is Whelan a racist I don't think he is.Just a different generation.