They worked like blacks-Mary O'Rourke

smarty

Just wondering if anyone else saw the nine o’clock news this evening on RTE one. There was a report on the Fianna Fáil election convention in Mullingar. Mary O’Rourke was chosen as the party candidate for Westmeath constituency in the next General Election.

During her speech which was shown on RTE news, she thanked her staff who, in her words, “worked like blacks”.

Really, the leader of the Seanad, stated that her staff “worked like blacks”. After her speech she was asked about her statement and she just shrugged it off.

I had a look at the RTE website and it only stated that she had been chosen, no mention of the comment.

I was amazed when I heard this comment being made by such a prominent politician. Is this a resignation issue?

Dampsquid

Yeah i seen it too. I'm glad to see she was booed.
I hope that hurts her in the election whenever it comes around.

Time Magazine

I think it's hilarious. It's incredible she's so stupid.

If she does resign, it's the shortest tenure ever!

Legend.

pete

http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2104499.smil 1:20 in

smarty

Dampsquid wrote:

Yeah i seen it too. I'm glad to see she was booed.
I hope that hurts her in the election whenever it comes around.

She was booed, but I don't think she realised why? Is she really that stupid.

When she was questioned she didn't appear to know what the problem was. That woman has gone way down in my estimation.

county

off with her head:rolleyes:

ronbyrne2005

tha alzeimers setting in in the old dear.

mike65

Mary just fell into the culture gap!

Mike.

leeroybrown

She has always been good for a mis-placed comment.

Captain Trips

Did anyone who objected to it here *not* understand what she meant *exactly*? Beneath the sheening gleam of political correctness?

/devils advocate

Amazotheamazing

Considering Conor Lenihan is still creeping around Dail Eireann I can't imagine anything actually happening to Mary (hmm if only there was some connection between the 2).

mike65

There is of course! (or did you already know that )

Mike.

BuffyBot

When she was questioned she didn't appear to know what the problem was. That woman has gone way down in my estimation.

She was up?

zod

Captain Trips wrote:

Did anyone who objected to it here *not* understand what she meant *exactly*? Beneath the sheening gleam of political correctness?

/devils advocate

yeah .. she was knackered

pete

Captain Trips wrote:

Did anyone who objected to it here *not* understand what she meant *exactly*? Beneath the sheening gleam of political correctness?

/devils advocate

It'd probably be hard to find a 68 year old irish person who doesn't use that phrase.

leeroybrown

Captain Trips wrote:

Did anyone who objected to it here *not* understand what she meant *exactly*? Beneath the sheening gleam of political correctness?

It think everyone knows exactly what she meant and I certainly wouldn't take any offence from it. That said it was just stupid thing for someone to say when they have been involved in politics at a high level, making speeches and dealing with the media for so long. I find it amusing but not particularly surprising that she was caught out.

A Dub in Glasgo

What did it mean?.... her staff worked like slaves?

ronbyrne2005

my old irish language teacher back in 1995 use'd to say something along the lines of "like a n1gger in a coal hole" ,never found out what he meant but it was funny because we had a colored lad in the class

Sand

Its a political blunders, shes just alienated voters for no good reason other than her own lack of cop on. TBH, shes a class of politician that should have been retired years, if not decades ago. Apparently shes waging some bitter vendetta against the TD who took her seat last time out. Pathetic.

Like Zod said, we all use phrases like "knackered" that arent politically correct. But then were not all running for election and expected to be holier than thou.

pete

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

my old irish language teacher back in 1995 use'd to say something along the lines of "like a ****** in a coal hole" ,never found out what he meant but it was funny because we had a colored lad in the class

in the woodpile

Amazotheamazing

Sand wrote:

Its a political blunders, shes just alienated voters for no good reason other than her own lack of cop on. TBH, shes a class of politician that should have been retired years, if not decades ago. Apparently shes waging some bitter vendetta against the TD who took her seat last time out. Pathetic.

Like Zod said, we all use phrases like "knackered" that arent politically correct. But then were not all running for election and expected to be holier than thou.

From a political family that should have been retired years ago.

Mountjoy Mugger

What's wrong with what she said? It's a common expression, used to describe people who work harder than normal.

Honestly, Ireland has become so PC it's farcical.

Sand

What's wrong with what she said? It's a common expression, used to describe people who work harder than normal.

Honestly, Ireland has become so PC it's farcical.

True, its not the crime of the century to be non-PC - its hardly like she demanded lebensraum in Connaught and the forced neutering of illegal imigrants, but O' Rourkes a fool to begin with. I cant see anyone lining up to waste time and effort defending her.

smarty

Sand wrote:

Its a political blunders, shes just alienated voters for no good reason other than her own lack of cop on.

Is it possible that statement may have been made deliberately? Go after the xenophobic vote?

Isn't she related to Conor Lenehan who made the "kebab" comment earlier this year?

meldrew

Whats more disturbing is she was nominated to run , its a bad sign for politics in this country if there was no other suitable candidates than her

damienom

She has always been good for a mis-placed comment.

Didn't good auld Mary once tell Morning Ireland that she was in the bath when she heard about the head of CIE or some semi-state transport sham resigning?

Talk about an image to leave you coughing up your corn flakes?

redspider

smarty wrote:

Is she really that stupid. When she was questioned she didn't appear to know what the problem was. That woman has gone way down in my estimation.

Well, time to wake up then!

Mary, like many politicians, are well past their best before date. And its not the first of the Lenihan clan to put their foot in it.

To be fair to her, you must remember that what she came out with was a saying that was widely used in Ireland, Britain and elsewhere without consternation for many years, and when she was brought up. So, for many people of her age-group, it is something that they would have heard used, and used themselves, in the same way that we might say today "smoking like a trooper", or as "drunk as a skunk", both of which are derogatory to the military and to skunk fans.

A complete mess though for her. However, like this and other issues, she will be completely oblivious, will try to get past it as much as she can, etc, and will plough on regardless.

I dont think she is racist by the way, but she is old-school, and old-school habits die hard.

redspider

Imposter

meldrew wrote:

Whats more disturbing is she was nominated to run , its a bad sign for politics in this country if there was no other suitable candidates than her

She had the FF nomination last general election too but Donie Cassidy (also FF) got in before her. I can't imagine FF will leave Cassidy out this time so she may not get in again. Will be interesting to see will she get her cushy Seanad number then again.

Flex

Political correctness is really going overboard in this country

Time Magazine

damienom wrote:

Didn't good auld Mary once tell Morning Ireland that she was in the bath when she heard about the head of CIE or some semi-state transport sham resigning?

Aye, she was black from working at the time so she needed a good ole scrub.

Karl Hungus

You know, I can sympathise that it's terminology that was once fairly common, and didn't have the same meaning it does today... But that was a ****ing stupid thing to say no matter how you try and justify it!

Flex wrote:

Political correctness is really going overboard in this country

Normally, I'd agree with you, but for a politician not to be sensitive to what is certainly offensive, well that's just digging your own grave.

hubbub

Seanad leader Mary O'Rourke was last night in hot water after saying some of her campaign helpers had worked "like blacks". I really doubt she had any insulting intention though if I was of african origin I may have found what she said offensive but that would probably be because I have a chip on my shoulder. Would it have sparked such a response, and no doubt the storm in a tea cup in gorvenment buildings later on today, if she had said "they worked like chinese"? I think not. Afterall black people do work hard and have a good work ethic do they not? Granted she was almost certainly referring to slavery, albeit subliminally or not, but this does not mean she advocates it which would be quite obvious to anyone with a lick of sense considering her past stance on immigrants and refugees.

Esel

Read recent posts before posting!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054872017

damienom

Did anyone hear the interview with her after the speech? Was played on Morning Ireland this morning, she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she had said anything that could have been remotely insulting or offensive. Think it was just a spur of the moment thing.

Interesting to see one or two of the more credible refugee and anti-racism groups coming out to stand up for her

redspider

Angry Banana wrote:

Aye, she was black from working at the time so she needed a good ole scrub.

:-) good one ...

"black from working" is much different than "working like a <>", but it seems like a smart way to evolve the old-saying into an acceptable modern one.

A thundering disgrace Mary. ;-)

redspider

Nevada

Who are the people who have been most offended by this remark?

Any names to attenuate to the loudest gaspers?

Seems like some subliminal messages being smuggled out of that pc deathcamp on Kildare St ala Lenihan & Rabbite

ArthurDent

She's one Pat Kenny defending herself this morning. According to the radio anyway....

Nevyn

It was very cleverly done. With those few words she has gotten her renomination to the Senate on every radio and in every paper producing a lot of copy.

In a week when Rabbitte's mask slipped a little and he spoke of curtailing the Poles and other Eastern Europeans from entering Ireland, FF will be furious with Mary O'Rourke's faux pas. While not the most serious or offensive comment, it was the height of stupidity and certainly means they cannot go on the offensive.

They should use this as an opportunity/excuse to give her the bullet.

Litcagral

ArthurDent wrote:

She's one Pat Kenny defending herself this morning. According to the radio anyway....

She seems to have come out of it quite well on radio IMO. She also used the example of "working like a Trojan" and its not generally offensive.

Litcagral

Litcagral wrote:

She also used the example of "working like a Trojan" and its not generally offensive.

True, but not that many Trojans around to get offended...

oscarBravo

Litcagral wrote:

She also used the example of "working like a Trojan"...

The correct term is "Trojan work for the diocese."

patzer117

Thaedydal wrote:

It was very cleverly done. With those few words she has gotten her renomination to the Senate on every radio and in every paper producing a lot of copy.

If it was indeed done for this motive then it was a spectacularly slick political move. I'm of the opinion however that it was done by accident.

I don't see how it is considered offensive however, as she obviously didn't mean any offense by it, doesn't have any racist tendencies and in now way made out that blacks were somehow inferior because of it. If she clearly wasn't trying to be malicious, why would people want to make it out as racist? IMO it's the people who are raging over the comment that are trying to make it political controversy, but they are unwittingly playing into her hands.

tbh

Karl Hungus wrote:

You know, I can sympathise that it's terminology that was once fairly common, and didn't have the same meaning it does today... .

I agree with everything else you said Karl, but the fact is that it has exactly the same meaning today as it always has, it's just society has moved on. Imagine an MP saying that Charles Kennedy "drank like the Irish?"

not cool, not funny IMO.

Caimin

rubadub

Sand wrote:

Like Zod said, we all use phrases like "knackered" that arent politically correct. But then were not all running for election and expected to be holier than thou.

an old tired out horse is sent to the knackers yard for rendering, the phrase "knackered" means so worn out and tired that you are fit for the knackers yard. I dont see anything offensive about it. To call a traveller or other person a knacker is another thing, but only recently enough, just like Tarantino managed to make "gimp" into a new insult all on its own, wikipedia actually has a new definition for it put up by ingnorant film fans.

She is an idiot for saying it, esp. as it is related to slavery. Still, probably better than saying "no thanks to my team who hung around like a bunch of lazy blacks". She may have got into more trouble if she said they "worked like whites".

stevenmu

Probably a pointless question as these PC uproars tend to have little basis in reality, but does anyone know of any black people who were actually offended by this ?

Nevyn

None have come out and stated that at all.
Infact two groups have said they are not offended and one staed that the portrayal of such immagrants as hardworking was a good thing.

The Irish Refugee Council has described the remark as "ill-advised", but acknowledged that the Fianna Fáil politician had been "very brave and courageous" on refugee issues.

Ill advised or nicely done ?

Heinrich

stevenmu wrote:

Probably a pointless question as these PC uproars tend to have little basis in reality, but does anyone know of any black people who were actually offended by this ?

They are queuing outside Leinster House at this very moment!


It's true that we are becomming far too PC in this fair isle of ours! I do not think that the expression originally referred to people with naturally dark skin but rather those poor chaps who were mining coal...

tbh

stevenmu wrote:

Probably a pointless question as these PC uproars tend to have little basis in reality, but does anyone know of any black people who were actually offended by this ?

Why should it only be offensive if black people are offended by it? I'm white, and I found it - maybe not offensive, but certainly surprising.

hubbub

****e!

hubbub

I really doubt she had any insulting intention though if I was of african origin I may have found what she said offensive but that would probably be because I have a chip on my shoulder. Would it have sparked such a response, and no doubt the storm in a tea cup in gorvenment buildings later on today, if she had said "they worked like chinese"? I think not. Afterall black people do work hard and have a good work ethic do they not? Granted she was almost certainly referring to slavery, albeit subliminally or not, but this does not mean she advocates it which would be quite obvious to anyone with a lick of sense considering her past stance on immigrants and refugees.