Already had a lot of this conversation on my blog, but to sum up:
1) It was 3 years ago. People fuck up, they change, they're in different situations, they grow up.
2) He was in the army. A coloured guy being called a "Paki" is getting off lightly, from what I gather. He went on to pass the course with the highest marks of any of the foreign candidates who joined, so it didn't seem to affect his work or commitment.
3) The "afflicted" chap himself hasn't come forward and complained. He doesn't seem to care enough to step into the limelight, so why should we be bothered?
4) I heard the term plenty of times when I was in Bradford - and often by the South Asian community itself. It seems they're taking the term "Paki" the same way the African American crowd are taking the word "xxxxxx" (you know the one, but someone will likely complain even if I use it in this context).
5) I still argue that the use is contextual. I've heard the soundtrack - Harry's voice doesn't sound in the least spiteful or bitter or abusive. If anything, it sounds like he's using the word as an abbreviation of "Pakistani" - in which case nobody would have said a word and this issue would never have come up.
I'd say the most offence in this day and age that a person could feel if the word "Paki" was thrown at them would be if they were Indian, or Bangladeshi and just pissed off at everyone using a generic term to describe a whole bunch of nationalities.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-01-12 11:33 pm (UTC)1) It was 3 years ago. People fuck up, they change, they're in different situations, they grow up.
2) He was in the army. A coloured guy being called a "Paki" is getting off lightly, from what I gather. He went on to pass the course with the highest marks of any of the foreign candidates who joined, so it didn't seem to affect his work or commitment.
3) The "afflicted" chap himself hasn't come forward and complained. He doesn't seem to care enough to step into the limelight, so why should we be bothered?
4) I heard the term plenty of times when I was in Bradford - and often by the South Asian community itself. It seems they're taking the term "Paki" the same way the African American crowd are taking the word "xxxxxx" (you know the one, but someone will likely complain even if I use it in this context).
5) I still argue that the use is contextual. I've heard the soundtrack - Harry's voice doesn't sound in the least spiteful or bitter or abusive. If anything, it sounds like he's using the word as an abbreviation of "Pakistani" - in which case nobody would have said a word and this issue would never have come up.
I'd say the most offence in this day and age that a person could feel if the word "Paki" was thrown at them would be if they were Indian, or Bangladeshi and just pissed off at everyone using a generic term to describe a whole bunch of nationalities.