Re: A question from an 'inbred wurzel'?
Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2003 1:06 am
The sweeping generalisation is what causes so much of the heat in what should be a reasoned debate. I'm as guilty of it as anyone: you find out someone's from the country, you assume he married his sister; if he's from Liverpool, you'll accuse him of being a thief. It can be funny, if taken the right way. But it can also cause an awful lot of rancour.
Give it a little spin, and it becomes less funny and more frightening: a person is a Muslim, so he must support terrorism; they're West Indian, so they must be involved in a gang; they're foreign, so they're coming over here and taking our jobs and they're all the same . . . etc. All prejudice relies on stereotypes and sweeping generalisations, and they should be avoided.
I don't mind Magoo having a go at the Scots, and I'm sure others here who have dealt with him know he's not being serious when he insults Scousers, Pikies, Australians or whoever. As far as EJ is concerned, every Worzel remark, every allegation of being mutton-friendly, every suspicion that he doffs his cap or tugs his forelock to the local squire just reinforces his belief that he is in the right and people from towns and cities have it in for the rural life.
If we're going to reason with him, try to keep it reasoned. And please don't compare him with useful parts of the anatomy (male or female). Call him an adenoid, or an appendix if you must.
Give it a little spin, and it becomes less funny and more frightening: a person is a Muslim, so he must support terrorism; they're West Indian, so they must be involved in a gang; they're foreign, so they're coming over here and taking our jobs and they're all the same . . . etc. All prejudice relies on stereotypes and sweeping generalisations, and they should be avoided.
I don't mind Magoo having a go at the Scots, and I'm sure others here who have dealt with him know he's not being serious when he insults Scousers, Pikies, Australians or whoever. As far as EJ is concerned, every Worzel remark, every allegation of being mutton-friendly, every suspicion that he doffs his cap or tugs his forelock to the local squire just reinforces his belief that he is in the right and people from towns and cities have it in for the rural life.
If we're going to reason with him, try to keep it reasoned. And please don't compare him with useful parts of the anatomy (male or female). Call him an adenoid, or an appendix if you must.