The Black Museum

C_steam · 30-12-2005, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Crime Museum's nickname 'racist'

An Asian officer has complained that using the name "Black Museum" for the Metropolitan Police's famous archive of crime artefacts is racist.
Pc Zahid Malik, from Nottinghamshire Police, said the use of the word black in an article in the police magazine The Sharp End was questionable.

The editor of the publication responded to Pc Malik's letter saying: "There was no intention to offend."

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4569006.stm

Anthony Butcher · 30-12-2005, 05:51 PM

He should get the sack for wasting police time....

Aardvark · 30-12-2005, 06:02 PM

The problem is that the English language has grown up over hundreds of years. The full Oxford English Dictionary will tell you how old the word black is, but you can bet, given the preponderance of place names that contain it, it has Saxon origins. It was used originally to include reference to very dark - we know the night is not black, for instance, but will still use the word. Blackheath means very dark heath since heath plants are green and the soil is brown; it's a metaphor.

Black is about darkness, not race. Again 'black', when describing persons of colour, invariably means dark brown. It has been used as such for centuries. Most dark brown people, and a lot of beige and fawn coloured ones as well, describe themselves as 'black' even though they clearly aren't.

Racists have chosen to make an issue of the colour of a person's skin; the response is this rather silly political correctness that effectively panders to racists since it proves that they are getting under peoples' skin, literally. People such as the complainant are actually exacerbating the situation since they highlight something that is genuinely irrelevant and offend large numbers of 'white' (pinkish, yellow) people.

Black, being to do with dark and the night has connotations of bad. Light has connotations of good. I doubt very much whether our language is the only one to have evolved this way. I wonder what the Hindi/Urdu expressions for criminals and crime are. I'll have a look over the next few days and see what I can discover. I bet the museum of crime in India isn't about 'white' anything.

IceDragon · 30-12-2005, 07:14 PM

What about the Black Watch, Blackbird, Black Magic chocolate, Blackpool, Blackburn? Maybe the next target will be Tony Blackburn, rounded up because he has a racist name?

mkpdavies · 30-12-2005, 07:22 PM

I agree, the guy should be sacked.

Not only for wasting police time, but for showing such an appalling lack of sense and judgement, that entrusting him with law enforcement, would be like entrusting John Prescott with a cake shop.

John Page · 30-12-2005, 09:27 PM

Black mark to PC Malik.

John Page

IceDragon · 31-12-2005, 06:15 PM

it shows how sensitive they are.

How can the police actually expect any degree of public confidence, particularly if a member of the public is in contact with an ethnic constable. I would feel that every word was being scrutinised.

spaman · 01-01-2006, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceDragon

What about the Black Watch, Blackbird, Black Magic chocolate, Blackpool, Blackburn? Maybe the next target will be Tony Blackburn, rounded up because he has a racist name?

So we could actually say that idiots who raise such tripe are responsible for 'black thoughts' - and that anyone taking it further are, yes idiots, but let's coin a precise phrase here, can we call them 'black idea pusher' - or even 'black perpetrator' :wink:

kernow · 01-01-2006, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaman

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceDragon

What about the Black Watch, Blackbird, Black Magic chocolate, Blackpool, Blackburn? Maybe the next target will be Tony Blackburn, rounded up because he has a racist name?

So we could actually say that idiots who raise such tripe are responsible for 'black thoughts' - and that anyone taking it further are, yes idiots, but let's coin a precise phrase here, can we call them 'black idea pusher' - or even 'black perpetrator' :wink:

Will you be upset if I give you a Black Look

spaman · 01-01-2006, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kernow

Quote:

Originally Posted by spaman

Quote:

Originally Posted by IceDragon

What about the Black Watch, Blackbird, Black Magic chocolate, Blackpool, Blackburn? Maybe the next target will be Tony Blackburn, rounded up because he has a racist name?

So we could actually say that idiots who raise such tripe are responsible for 'black thoughts' - and that anyone taking it further are, yes idiots, but let's coin a precise phrase here, can we call them 'black idea pusher' - or even 'black perpetrator' :wink:

Will you be upset if I give you a Black Look

I hope it was clear I wasn't referring to IceDragon when speaking about tripe..... but to the original story and the complainer in that...

30-12-2005, 07:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 32,059 Party: Libertarian Party	I agree, the guy should be sacked. Not only for wasting police time, but for showing such an appalling lack of sense and judgement, that entrusting him with law enforcement, would be like entrusting John Prescott with a cake shop. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Lib Dems

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30-12-2005, 05:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Anthony Butcher Administrator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Long Ashton, Bristol Posts: 10,315 Party: None	He should get the sack for wasting police time....

30-12-2005, 06:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
Aardvark Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oxonia Posts: 4,253	The problem is that the English language has grown up over hundreds of years. The full Oxford English Dictionary will tell you how old the word black is, but you can bet, given the preponderance of place names that contain it, it has Saxon origins. It was used originally to include reference to very dark - we know the night is not black, for instance, but will still use the word. Blackheath means very dark heath since heath plants are green and the soil is brown; it's a metaphor. Black is about darkness, not race. Again 'black', when describing persons of colour, invariably means dark brown. It has been used as such for centuries. Most dark brown people, and a lot of beige and fawn coloured ones as well, describe themselves as 'black' even though they clearly aren't. Racists have chosen to make an issue of the colour of a person's skin; the response is this rather silly political correctness that effectively panders to racists since it proves that they are getting under peoples' skin, literally. People such as the complainant are actually exacerbating the situation since they highlight something that is genuinely irrelevant and offend large numbers of 'white' (pinkish, yellow) people. Black, being to do with dark and the night has connotations of bad. Light has connotations of good. I doubt very much whether our language is the only one to have evolved this way. I wonder what the Hindi/Urdu expressions for criminals and crime are. I'll have a look over the next few days and see what I can discover. I bet the museum of crime in India isn't about 'white' anything.

30-12-2005, 07:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
IceDragon Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,048	What about the Black Watch, Blackbird, Black Magic chocolate, Blackpool, Blackburn? Maybe the next target will be Tony Blackburn, rounded up because he has a racist name?

30-12-2005, 09:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
John Page Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Welwyn Hatfield (Herts.) Posts: 1,878	Black mark to PC Malik. John Page

31-12-2005, 06:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
IceDragon Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,048	it shows how sensitive they are. How can the police actually expect any degree of public confidence, particularly if a member of the public is in contact with an ethnic constable. I would feel that every word was being scrutinised.