Dam Busters dog's 'racial slur' gravestone altered by RAF

sauce

For those that don't know, Gibbo's dog was a black Labrador and, like most black labradors at that time, he was called the N word.

My uncle had one from 1940 onwards. It was a really common name.

Now though, history's being re written, even changing the dog's name in the film.

It's more historically important than just the dog's name though, his name was also the codeword for the destruction of the first dam.

That was a discussion in 2006 already. Nothing new. Source from 2009

Peter Jacksons film didn't make it.

a reply to: ManFromEurope

Yes, though now the audio of the original film has been altered and the dog's headstone has been changed.

It's an idiotic rewriting of history.

a reply to: SprocketUK


Loll!!! In my life time I have a dictionary of words I have to think twice

about saying.

Black dogs in my life time were often called 'Blackie' (not very imaginative

I know) but just imagine doing that now.

I was talking to someone the other day and mentioned that as a child I had

'servants' (ooop's can't say that now) had to do a quick rethink and correct

myself and say 'staff'.

Gets confusing when you get to my age!

a reply to: eletheia

I can remember my grandfather talking about his time in India and Burma. Would probably be locked up now haha.

originally posted by: SprocketUK
a reply to: eletheia

I can remember my grandfather talking about his time in India and Burma. Would probably be locked up now haha.

India was was where I spent my early years my family went out there

from the very late 1700's.

a reply to: eletheia

Cool. My grandfather went in 41 and came back in 46.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Guy Gibson was born in India so obviously knew nothing of other cultures.

Perhaps his name should change to Gal Gibson to change the past even further and make us all feel more racist / sexist / istist in the present day.

and, like most black labradors at that time, he was called the N word.

Damn, so many people were racist back then. N*gger was just thrown around without thinking that it may be very offensive to black people. Or, they didn't care.

Can't believe people were so unoriginal and racist to call a dog that. Slightly funny, but mostly sad.

originally posted by: blueman12

Damn, so many people were racist back then. N*gger was just thrown around without thinking that it may be very offensive to black people. Or, they didn't care.

Can't believe people were so unoriginal and raxist to call a dog that. Slight funny, but mostly sad.

Like I said before there was a legitimate word used back then it was Negro

(I dont know if I am allowed to use it now ) as I find it difficult keeping up

on whats in and not in.

When I left India in 1947 everybody referred to the two main religions as

Hindus and Mohammedan's . Went I revisited in 2000 I discovered that it

was now Muslim and Mohammedan was now an offensive word!!


Which brings up WHEN and WHY do words suddenly become offensive? and

WHO decides?

/SMH


Edit to add: I am fond of the drink Negroni...... which I was introduced to

while in Italy.......wonder when they are going to have to change the name

of that

a reply to: blueman12

I'm not sure it was racist so much as people not thinking about why a particular thing might not be good.

Black labs being called that was just a thing people did, like how when you are thinking of a generic dog name you might settle on Rover, or for a cat, Felix.

Either way, it seems pointless at best to pretend it wasn't what happened.

a reply to: eletheia

Yea im not sure if negro is offensive, but n*gger has definitely always been offensive.

Ahh i didn't know Mohammedan's is offensive. I was reading an older book that mentioned that term but never heard that term in real life.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Yea we shouldn't pretend it didn't happen, but it is interesting to see how ignorant folk were back then to label their dog such an offensive thing and not think twice about it.

Just goes to show you how little power black folk had back then.

I wonder what stuff we are doing today that will seem ignorant in the future.
Maybe eating factory farmed meat.

a reply to: blueman12

True, though my grandfather, who got the dog, only met his first black person when he joined up with the Indian 2nd Division in Burma.
They were West African troops.

These days he'd probably be regarded as racist for not watching his words, but he had a Sikh mate who used to come down from Birmingham a couple of times a year who he met in the war, so I don't think he could be accused of actually being racist, except towards Japanese, he wanted them all dead after seeing what they did to people they captured or conquered.

Sounds like Huck Finn's friend Jim, the run away slave he traveled with. N-word Jim was his name, Huck, Jim and the rest of his crew never gave it a thought or believed it was racial. If Jim were around today, his black friends would get no trouble calling him by that name.

Now to be as PC as possible, Jim's nickname would be "African American Jim" or maybe "Black Jim", but PC gods forgive they call him by N-word Jim unless it's by his black friends in a private conversation.

Personally I find the use of words like "White", "Black" and other color designations to describe a person's racial background as offensive. Terms like European American, African American, and Native American, seem more acceptable, but still stress a person's racial background. Other than describing a person in a police or medical report, the common use of terms like these are extremely racist by their very nature. So, if we can't talk about sex, race, etc. without offending someone, then can we even be called human beings? If the PC culture becomes extreme enough, I can see the term "human" as being an offensive word in the near future.

originally posted by: blueman12
a reply to: eletheia

Yea im not sure if negro is offensive, but n*gger has definitely always been offensive.

Ahh i didn't know Mohammedan's is offensive. I was reading an older book that mentioned that term but never heard that term in real life.

The term has been largely superseded by Muslim (formerly transliterated as Moslem) or Islamic. Mohammedan was commonly used in European literature until at least the mid-1960s.[9] Muslim is more commonly used today, and the term Mohammedan is widely considered archaic or in some cases even offensive.

Surprised me too!!! how can a word which has been recognised and

widely used for centuries suddenly become offensive...... Its this new

world sjw's objective of being offended on behalf of others!!!!

a reply to: eletheia

India was was where I spent my early years my family went out there from the very late 1700's.

Wow, fascinating family history!

Cheers

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2


FYI an interesting little tit-bit of info google Nizam of Hyderabad 1881 at the

time the worlds richest man. My great grandfather was his personal surgeon and

of his army.

a reply to: eletheia
From now on I'll imagine you with a parasol, sipping a gin sling while your punkah wallah keeps fanning you as you look out over your tea plantation.

Welcome to 1984!


“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

― George Orwell, 1984