Should MP be sacked for using " n "word

Darnsarf how right you are.

Touched a nerve?

And I Rigby will continue to post that I think the point is being laboured. And if you feel so strongly about that, you have the right to ignore my comments. No one is forcing you to agree with them or to respond.

IMO it is an offensive word that should not have been said by the MP, however I do not think she should be sacked. A reprimand and an apology should be acceptable.

I feel we walk on eggshells nowadays trying to avoid upsetting anyone. I think we should strengthen up and not be so easily offended.

Nan- there is NOTHING 'eggshelly' about this phrase. It is vile and racist and has been widely considered so for years. She is an MP and clearly should know better. Do you really think this phrase is such that people finding it offensive means they should ' strengthen up'? Do you think that is what the Conservative female MP quoted above should do? No with this phrase and others like it, people should not 'strengthen up' - those using them should stop doing it - nice bit of victim blaming - well done.

And you think her apology means anything?

The only nerve you touched Darn is the nerve that concerns the amazing amount of low level racism there is on GN

No one's "blaming the victim"! What was said was wrong. An apology was given. What do you want Rigby? A public flogging? Public self flagellation? Would anything really satisfy your demands for more and more punishment?

I wasn't talking to you Darn but to Nan I think saying people have to 'strengthen up* in the face of vile racist language is blaming the victim for not being strong enough to put up with it when it's the person who uses the language who needs to change. As for your pathetic comment, it's clear from what I've said on this thread that I think she should say more than 'sorry for any offence caused' but say why it was wrong. Saying sorry in some situations is just not enough

I just went over to mumsnet to reassure myself there is still some sanity around this matter. Thank goodness they get it, no question. There are quite a few posts quoting their 90 odd year old mothers who are shocked by this woman's use of the phrase. So I'm relieved to know that at least it's only on here that there are such casual excuses being made for racism.

Thanks for that nightowl I've been following it on MN as well - it is heartening isn't it that there is hope for the future with the next generation. Some of the contributions on this thread have been profoundly depressing.

This week we have had a meeting by MPs talking about the abuse in the form of racial, misogynistic and worse throughout the recent election campaign and before. It seems that the referendum, released and "allowed" the type of language we mistakenly had thought was gone for good. Social media is full of it.

So it seems to me that we must be extra vigilant to protect those at whom this language is directed, and simply refuse to accept it in any form and from whom it eminates.
Apologists for this sort of behaviour are in my view entirely misguided.

Depressing and shocking Rigby

And yes I agree about the mumsnetters. They can be a feisty lot but at least they seem to have sound values. Which they obviously get from their non-racist 90odd year old mums

So nothing to do with age actually.

Actually the 90odd year olds are probably their grans.

Have you seen speech from DA ( can't do a link) saying that she has had racist abuse from first becoming an MP - still maybe she should just 'strengthen up'. I'll try and do the link

www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2017/jul/12/diane-abbotts-powerful-speech-describing-mindless-online-abuse-video

See if this works

I caught some of channel 4 news this evening. The vile abuse that MPs from both main parties are subjected to is profoundly depressing. Women are the main targets, no surprise there. Black, Muslim and Jewish women are of course, even more likely to be abused or threatened.
The vile, racist and mysoginistc abuse directed at Diane Abbott throughout her political career is beyond belief.
I suppose there will be some who accuse DA of 'playing the race card'. Anything to avoid acknowledging the importance of language.

And that's exactly why I've found some of the comments on this thread so profoundly depressing , making light of the original topic being discussed. And, how the experiences of DA make the racist comment by another female MP all the worse. It's simply not enough to say oh it was awful but she said sorry or get over it or move on or strengthen up. A real eye opener about how tolerant some GNers are about racist comments and how we should react to them.

I heard Andy Murray challenge casual sexism when a reporter commented that AM was the first tennis player to ...

aM responded that he was the first male tennis player to ... last year he was congratulated on being the first tennis player to achieve x, he said, I'm the first male player, but Venus Williams has done this more than once.
It's the casual nature of sexist or racist remarks that's so dispiriting. That, and the inevitable accusations of over sensitivity or PAC gone mad to those who challenge.

Gina Miller wrote a good article

She begins by talking about her experiences especially after she brought a legal challenge against the government.

We all know what Phillips said and it isn't worth repeating here.

But because the threats were made on social media Phillips received a lesser sentence.

What Miller says that what we must do is look beyond the the medium, and only consider the content of the message, if the message is motivated by racism, bigotry and contravene existing laws against inciting sexual or racial hatred or violence, the perpetrator should face charges appropriate to their crime.

I agree.

Well the 'well bred' aristo has been given 12 weeks - there'll be plenty of apologists for him on social media

Oh give it up Rigby there has been no tolerance on GN for the phrase ,from the great majority of posters on here.
Some posters do not think it's a sacking case ( me included) but think she has learned a lesson.
Real racism is nothing like that ( not to say that she shouldn't have used that phrase ) ........time to move on?

I'm unsure about this. As a Jew (converted) I've experienced antisemitism a few times - eg teenagers shouting out "Jews" from across the street. And another time when some children said "don't speak to her, she's a Jew." Which we are.
Some Jews don't like to be called "ikey" (from Isaac.)
But I think black people have had an even harder time than Jews when it come to persecution. So I think we have to be even more sensitive to their feelings.

Ooohhhhh rar now who's had a nerve touched? I was talking about GM now by the way but clearly you haven't kept up.

I`m with you Roses.