`For 400 euros you can adopt a Greek. He`ll stay at your place, sleep late, drink coffee, have lunch and then take a nap, so you can go to work.`
Sub out "Greek" with Indian or Jew and then ask yourself how a reader could be offended reading this. Just because its in the paper, doesn't mean its right. Or that it should be quoted.
The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.
Let us all agree the "politically correct" card has been played.
The joke will now read:
For monetary compensation one may obtain a house companion that will live with you (non physical relationship), take sustenance as required and sleep when they chose while you continue with your normal routine.
"house companion" may be substituted with cat assuming animal lovers do not object.
I'd like to highlight again I do not think it's appropriate for other posters to post topics that could be read by some as negative toward certain nationalities....I think it's fair that we can all agree people come here to learn and advance the quality of life, not be hurt... even if this was not the posters intention it can still hurt people..... What do you think?
[quote user=bizaro86][quote user=Nir]To achieve a Win-Win how about agreeing on everything: - that out of around 10,000 REIN members 1 person was offended by a joke, and - that it was legit to copy and paste a few jokes for the benefit of the remaining 9,999 members Sincerely
This post is a logical fallacy, you're assuming that the vast majority who haven't posted agree with your opinion.
Is it more likely that 100% of the silent majority agree with you or that they're split?
Adam could argue that only a few posters who have said so think it's a good idea, so by the same logic more than 9000 posters were offended.
[quote user=MikeMilovick] `For 400 euros you can adopt a Greek. He`ll stay at your place, sleep late, drink coffee, have lunch and then take a nap, so you can go to work.`
Sub out "Greek" with Indian or Jew and then ask yourself how a reader could be offended reading this. Just because its in the paper, doesn't mean its right. Or that it should be quoted.
The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.
As Bizarro86 has pointed out just because certain people think it's OK and are vocal about this does not mean that the silent majority aren't hurt from it.
[quote user=invst4profit]Let us all agree the "politically correct" card has been played.
The joke will now read:
For monetary compensation one may obtain a house companion that will live with you (non physical relationship), take sustenance as required and sleep when they chose while you continue with your normal routine.
"house companion" may be substituted with cat assuming animal lovers do not object.
Adam I can respect you for vocalising your objections even though I am still contributing to that which you object to by continuing to post on this thread. The silent majority on the other hand I have no respect for what so ever.
I operate on the principal of consensus where by those that do not object to the prevailing opinion are considered to be in support of that opinion. This eliminates the need for assumptions and insures the opinion of all is known whether it be silent or vocal. Speak now or forever hold your peace.
[quote user=MikeMilovick] The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.
Mike this is clearly sexist!
Why does it have to be 'a guy from . . .', are women to be excluded from jokes, whether the butt of or otherwise.
As my late Auntie Bellum might have said 'a pox on all your houses [sic]'
I had intended to just share a joke that wasn't even mine .. it was a direct quote from the National Post. The intent was not to offend anyone person or any one nation.
It was a joke.
It is a blog where many different, often poor or uninformed opinions, can be vented. This may offend some folks in the vast sphere of people out there. This is not the intent .. but of course that could happen.
Free speech has that effect. Shall we therefore ban it ?
Are jokes about Newfies or Germans or Scottish or Jewish or Christian or men or brunettes OK .. but not about Greeks or the Irish or Muslims or women or blondes ? No jokes whatsoever ?
Please show me a link to a good joke etiquette, and I may adhere to it .. may (or may not) !
Because its a joke, I guess we should think its funny. Or because a newspaper or government deems it to be printable or acceptable then we should condone it.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission rolled into Waterloo in June on rental licensing and its discriminatory aspects. As such, I have my antennae up on these things.
I began telling the "joke" to my wife at dinner tonight. I didn't even get to the "punch line" when she cut me off saying, "Don't you think this is racist?" This is racist. Maybe something like this would have been acceptable in one of the southern United States earlier in the 20th century.
Hopefully we, collectively, have the ability to move on from that time period.
Hopefully we, collectively, have the ability to move on from that time period.
I think the post should be deleted.
I note your opinion and respect it. I also note the socialists' view from 2006 .. and happen to disagree with their view. That sets us in "the west" apart from the left leaning governments or dictatorships. We actually allow free speech and freedom of expression. It is the base for progress.
I might disagree with your view .. but I certainly welcome your right to voice it !
The process you are suggesting are based on the assumption someone who does not mention anything supports you. Is that a fair assumption?
[quote user=invst4profit]Ah yes the silent majority.
Adam I can respect you for vocalising your objections even though I am still contributing to that which you object to by continuing to post on this thread. The silent majority on the other hand I have no respect for what so ever.
I operate on the principal of consensus where by those that do not object to the prevailing opinion are considered to be in support of that opinion. This eliminates the need for assumptions and insures the opinion of all is known whether it be silent or vocal. Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Instead of nitpicking someone's writing style lets focus on the content of posts - and specifically posts that are offensive to certain ethnic communities.
Do you as a REIN member feel good allowing this type of speech to be spread through a REIN forum? I do not.
[quote user=Pheenix][quote user=MikeMilovick] The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.
Mike this is clearly sexist!
Why does it have to be 'a guy from . . .', are women to be excluded from jokes, whether the butt of or otherwise.
As my late Auntie Bellum might have said 'a pox on all your houses [sic]'
Free speech is desirable. Limitations so that speech does not single out certain ethnic communities is needed and desirable. If someone had posted a "joke" about where you are from - Germany - that you find offensive would you be happy with this? I do not think you would. And you should not have to be because it is not "no big deal" because someone else finds that "it was a joke"
Is there a reason you posted something relating to Greece as a joke instead of a German joke? I think there is and I think if you were honest with yourself you'd edit your original post, not make similar posts in the future, and apalogize to the REIN community. I know this is what I would do if I had done that.
It's OK to make mistakes - everyone does - but when made aware of them you should work to right them.
To directly answer your question the answer is NO jokes about all those communities are also not OK.
[quote user=ThomasBeyer]WOW.
I had intended to just share a joke that wasn't even mine .. it was a direct quote from the National Post. The intent was not to offend anyone person or any one nation.
It was a joke.
It is a blog where many different, often poor or uninformed opinions, can be vented. This may offend some folks in the vast sphere of people out there. This is not the intent .. but of course that could happen.
Free speech has that effect. Shall we therefore ban it ?
Are jokes about Newfies or Germans or Scottish or Jewish or Christian or men or brunettes OK .. but not about Greeks or the Irish or Muslims or women or blondes ? No jokes whatsoever ?
Please show me a link to a good joke etiquette, and I may adhere to it .. may (or may not) !
[quote user=housingrental]Free speech is desirable. Limitations so that speech does not single out certain ethnic communities is needed and desirable. If someone had posted a "joke" about where you are from - Germany - that you find offensive would you be happy with this? I do not think you would. And you should not have to be because it is not "no big deal" because someone else finds that "it was a joke"
I think humour based on ethnicity is tasteless and not funny, but I would fight for it to be legal. Limitations on free speech are a slippery slope.
Sorry I didn't properly note / get the last part of your post initially - a very deceptive and obscure reference Mr. Pheenix.
Your post is that much more offensive than initially assumed because of it.
[quote user=Pheenix][quote user=MikeMilovick] The joke doesn't say a guy from Greece, a guy from Ireland and a guy from Portugal. It says a Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese. Its racist. And should be removed.
Mike this is clearly sexist!
Why does it have to be 'a guy from . . .', are women to be excluded from jokes, whether the butt of or otherwise.
As my late Auntie Bellum might have said 'a pox on all your houses [sic]'
