[Politics] Amber Rudd used the word “coloured”

lawros left foot said:

It’s not for you(I assume you’re white coloured) or me to decide what black people can or can’t find offensive. I can remember when the words ‘****** and paki’ were used quite freely in society, as well as words like spade, sooty, wog and coon. Fortunately, these appear to have been consigned to the dustbin of history by the more intelligent amongst us.

I think the use of the word nigga in (mainly) America, is the same as homosexual people reclaiming the word queer, so that it is not seen so much as an insult, along the same lines of us singing “ You’re too ugly to be gay” when opposition fans come out with the tired old homophobic songs about our club.

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lawros left foot said:

The term’ coloured’ was used as a derogatory racist term in the US. It was also used in South Africa to describe racial groups who weren’t Black or White, therefore it is seen as derogatory to use it against any person of colour today. If you’re a White person and can’t understand why this is seen as offensive by non-White people, perhaps, just don’t use that term.
Unless, of course you want to offend.

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Lower West Stander said:

To be honest, I don’t know what does and doesn’t offend anymore. I genuinely mean that, I live in fear of offending someone without realising it.

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Bold Seagull said:

If you were picking out a person you wouldn't say, "not the white women, the coloured women next to her..." think about it, I suspect most of us wouldn't, because faux outrage or not, we know it's not a thing to say.

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lawros left foot said:

The term’ coloured’ was used as a derogatory racist term in the US. It was also used in South Africa to describe racial groups who weren’t Black or White, therefore it is seen as derogatory to use it against any person of colour today. If you’re a White person and can’t understand why this is seen as offensive by non-White people, perhaps, just don’t use that term.
Unless, of course you want to offend.

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Thunder Bolt said:

I know a lady in Yorkshire (married to a white guy), is from South Africa and her classification (if you want to call it that) is Cape Coloured.

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lawros left foot said:

The term’ coloured’ was used as a derogatory racist term in the US. It was also used in South Africa to describe racial groups who weren’t Black or White, therefore it is seen as derogatory to use it against any person of colour today.

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Deadly Danson said:

We devalue the real fight against the evil of racism if we continue to vilify people who, with all good intent (and her point was that abuse of women and black women in particular is heinous), use the wrong word. It's not a word we use nowadays, it can be offensive to some, she's said sorry and maybe that will stop others saying it. That's the end of it for me.

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Knocky's Nose said:

Not sure what angle you're coming from (and I'm saying this without any sarcasm) but would it then be okay to say to the person I'm with "not the white woman, the woman of colour next to her.."

If I said that I'd probably get a blank or confused look...

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Bold Seagull said:

Not something I find myself feeling particularly anxious about, because I can function in life without needing to call everyone who isn't white, coloured, a person of colour, a funny tinge or anything else. We are all people of colour.

I'd go to football with my grandad who is now 97 and still going to games regularly, and he'd sit counting during the warm up, 1,2,3,4,5...I'd ask 'what are you counting?', '6 coloured lads in the starting line up today'. Didn't matter they were black, mixed race, asian, or whatever else, just that there were 6 non whites in the team. Completely racist mindset beyond any equivocal doubt. Harmless, and without any hate I might add, but you can bet your life when he was hiring for his business, he would have discriminated. I pulled him up on it once or twice, and he said 'what am I meant to call them then?' and at that point, I knew what he was and there was no changing him, as much as I tried to explain what he was saying actually meant.

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Bold Seagull said:

Says more about you to think like that to be fair.

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Bold Seagull said:

Not something I find myself feeling particularly anxious about, because I can function in life without needing to call everyone who isn't white, coloured, a person of colour, a funny tinge or anything else. We are all people of colour.

I'd go to football with my grandad who is now 97 and still going to games regularly, and he'd sit counting during the warm up, 1,2,3,4,5...I'd ask 'what are you counting?', '6 coloured lads in the starting line up today'. Didn't matter they were black, mixed race, asian, or whatever else, just that there were 6 non whites in the team. Completely racist mindset beyond any equivocal doubt. Harmless, and without any hate I might add, but you can bet your life when he was hiring for his business, he would have discriminated. I pulled him up on it once or twice, and he said 'what am I meant to call them then?' and at that point, I knew what he was and there was no changing him, as much as I tried to explain what he was saying actually meant.

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Publius Ovidius said:

Wow..

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Chicken Run said:

She should resign immediately.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has apologised for using the word "coloured" in a BBC interview.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott criticised the use of the term, saying it was "outdated", "offensive" and a "revealing choice of words".
During a discussion on racism, Ms Rudd said: "It's worst of all if you're a coloured woman. I know that Diane Abbott gets a huge amount of abuse."
In her apology, Ms Rudd said she was "mortified at my clumsy language".

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Bold Seagull said:

Oh give over. You top the charts on partisanship. I suspect you shit blue rosettes.

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Nottseagull said:

The first sentence is complete bollocks. The term was used to avoid the derogatory nouns in general use at the time, and was considered softer than using the correct term of 'Negro'. As for the second sentence, why is it derogatory to use an adjective that describes non-white people? As 'coloured' is the only adjective available, it can only be considered derogatory by those who think non-whites are inferior.

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Deadly Danson said:

We devalue the real fight against the evil of racism if we continue to vilify people who, with all good intent (and her point was that abuse of women and black women in particular is heinous), use the wrong word. It's not a word we use nowadays, it can be offensive to some, she's said sorry and maybe that will stop others saying it. That's the end of it for me.

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Bold Seagull said:

Why? For most considerate people, it's pretty easy not to offend people. I wouldn't walk up to a fat person and say, good morning aren't you obese even though it might be a factual statement, why because unless you know someone, or are familiar with rhetoric a particular group of people adopt around each other, most people are able to avoid offending people unless they intend it.

Back to this case, Amber Rudd is a representative of her constituents in Parliament and is extremely well renumerated to do so. In carrying out the responsibilities of office, it really is incumbent on MPs in exercising their duties whether to the media, or the public to observe some basic aspects of common sense and knowing how to phrase things.

I suspect most people on here, regardless of whether they think the reaction is pathetic, or justified, wouldn't address a black or any other person as coloured. If you were picking out a person you wouldn't say, "not the white women, the coloured women next to her..." think about it, I suspect most of us wouldn't, because faux outrage or not, we know it's not a thing to say.

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