I should imagine quite a few people complained about it.

See my newly started thread.

I missed it I think what was it about?....

I did Cinds and I commented on it.. I really didn't think it would have gotten such a hostile reaction, I must be really naive, sorry again.

It has been moved to the Troll Tank, and has been locked by Lori because it caused offence.

I must have missed it.

I was trying to reply to it when it was deleted.

I agreed with you

Thanks Lazybug, some people must just be very easily offended.

I replied to the OP, and said that the word in itself is not offensive, but it is the way it has been used, like the equally offensive "N" word that has made it offensive down the years.

I must admit I was a little surprised and shocked to see it as a thread title.

It's not often that I'm speechless, but after reading this comment, I really am

What I agreed with was the fact that it was an abbreviation of the word.

I don't agree however that it is OK to use it in any situation.

I think maybe the thread title was wrong and yes there would be many offended by the thread which is understandable.

I couldn't think of a more racist thing to say though and that P word is very offensive when used.

Can I say before this is blown out of even more proportion, I don't use the word in my vocabulary.

So why post it on a public forum then?

Think the troll tank will overflow tonight.

Growly,

I was basically asking why it was seen as offensive, and that I saw it as an abbreviated word as opposed to a racist slur is what I was trying to say.

But I find it hard to believe that anyone who lives in the UK or Ireland could possibly not know how deeply the use of that word would offend a large proportion of the population.

You said: "Irish people are referred to as Paddies, British; Brits etc may I be as daring to say that as Pakistani people have a slightly darker skin tone than ours it is more of a hoohaa?"

Which suggests to me that you understand that it is used as a racist term!

I am really at a loss as to why some people are trying to defend this thread and its title?

IP I tried to post this in the other thread but it had been locked so I'll post it here


Ok IP thanks for answering. I don't think it would have caused so much grief if the word had been used in a question as a title - for me it was the stand alone ness of the word, just seeing it there like that that made me blink.
I come from London and that word has never been used in any way but a derogatory way particularly in the 70's and it seems to be coming back into usage now.
The thing is, if you asked a lot of Londoners who have that colour skin but have no links with Pakistan if they had ever been called that word then the chances are that they will have been called a P word at some point in their lives.
It is a general word of abuse aimed at people who have that skin colour not a short form of address to people who are Pakistani.

I'm just going to interject here:  Typically, if your thread is moved to the Troll Tank OR deleted, you should NOT start a new thread about it.  The thread was closed for a reason, and all you've done by starting a new thread about it is continue the "discussion".

So far, this thread seems to be pretty civil, so I'll keep it open for the moment.  Please keep it civil.

I had a very hard time when I first arrived in this country, trying to understand the PCness.

I think the reason that this word is now offensive is like someone previously said because of the expletives (sp?) & context it was used to be used in.

I have to change my way of thinking when talking to people here to when I am speaking to people in Australia. Here terms like that are used to degrade & abuse people which I find very distasteful.

Obviously the P word is a horrible and offensive word, but some Pakistani kids who I know liked to use that word to describe themselves in a jokey way and I felt uncomfortable but hid it, now the N word has been used by some kids due to influence in the rap videos or hearing it on the streets or whatever and have used terms like that to joke with each other but not nice terms to use, it wouldn't be nice if used to insult and they would be upset but there was one time when an offensive word was used in a nasty way by one kid but the person who it was said to used that word before messing around with their mates then they cried wolf that it insulted them I did feel sorry for them in a way as it's not nice at all but I also felt it was hypocritical of them.

whereas i  oject to the word nice.

TBh I don't think they are - it is an offensive word -end of

But isn't posting a thread about a Trolltanked thread.. which you KNEW was  controversial.. highlighting the issue? I don't understand why you would do that if you feel things are being " blown out of proportion"

As Darlo said....some Pakistani kids now are using it to refer to themselves in a non offensive way. Do we tell them it's wrong?

Very insightful post Darlo ...

' i can call my family anything names i want but i'll kill any outsider that does the same'

I think that goes for most families JB whether it's a racial slur or a swear word

I think we all mature enough to know that that the "P" word when uttered by a white person,is not used in a complimentary or fun way.Forget about "shortening" of the full word etc.

black people can call each other the n word  and asian people  from pakistan can call each other the p word, that has no relevance  to  others using those words  to or about them.when used amongst   family the meaning is understood, when used by outsiders it  is open to interpretation,   and that interpretation is usually bad.it does not give us licence to bandy racist words  about willy nilly because 'they' do.

 If a word offends then no one should use it. Spot on Darlo

no, he's not spot on.

I'm confused.
You seem to be agreeing with darlo's post Jackson, and yet disagreeing with it!

i am disagreeing with the concept that because 'they'   call each other names, it gives 'us' licence to do the same.

see  my post above outlining my views..

Now you're disagreeing with yourself!

no i'm not.

 Blizzie like you i'm confused

OK, my view is that overweight people can joke about being 'fat' and can call themselves 'fat' and maybe joke with overweight friends about being 'fat', but that doesn't mean that anyone else can go around calling overweight people 'fat'.

I also feel that they should not assume that other overweight people are happy to be called 'fat' and that they should realise that 'fat' jokes, or insults, may carry on being made and offending other overweight people due to their behaviour.

Is that agreeing with you, or darlo, or both, or neither?