Mary O'Rourkes campaign team "worked like Blacks"

**Peadar** · 09/01/2006, 3:00 PM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

surely not to take out anything offensive eh?

Some folk get offended by spelling mistakes.

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Trust the thick Irish to go in for racial stereotyping....

While we're on the subject of offensive remarks, I find this very offensive to me as an Irish person. You British lads just love a chance to get a dig in about the "thick Paddy."

**Dillo** · 09/01/2006, 7:06 PM

Mary O' Rourke's statement 'worked like blacks' is totally blown out of proportion and has given the local media here in the provincial backwaters something to dwell on. It's a saying we all use from time to time and is perfectly legitimate. There's no doubt there's connotations of slavery attached to it but at the end of the day that's the origin of black people. On a separate note, Mary is approaching 70 years of age and its about time somebody else got a bite of the cherry. One can just imagine the pensions she's on!

**John83** · 09/01/2006, 7:19 PM

Originally Posted by Dillo

...It's a saying we all use from time to time and is perfectly legitimate...

Speak for yourself. I've never even heard it before. It's no more legitimate than Enda Kenny's "****** in the woodpile". It doesn't shock me - there seems to be a big chunk of this country that's quite happy in its racism.

**klein4** · 09/01/2006, 7:26 PM

Originally Posted by Dillo

It's a saying we all use from time to time and is perfectly legitimate. There's no doubt there's connotations of slavery attached to it but at the end of the day that's the origin of black people.

thats the origins of black people?????????????????
what the hell does that mean??????????
you need to get down to the library and read yourself......a book!

**Dillo** · 09/01/2006, 7:32 PM

Originally Posted by klein4

you need to get down to the library and read yourself......a book!

Yeah i'm on my way to the library now.

**Condex** · 09/01/2006, 8:59 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Cringeworthy. Trust the thick Irish to go in for racial stereotyping....

It amazes me when I go home to see that large sections of the country are still stuck back in the 1960's - particularly in terms of naive and ill-advised comments, even if they're not ill-intended. It's difficult to hear someone naively use terms like 'darkie', when you know they just don't know any better....

Christ your everywhere like a bad a smell, judge and jury on everybody and everthing it must be a real burden to carry around being right all the time!!!

You should get down the bookies your sure to win....

**ThatGuy** · 09/01/2006, 9:13 PM

Originally Posted by Dillo

Mary O' Rourke's statement 'worked like blacks' is totally blown out of proportion and has given the local media here in the provincial backwaters something to dwell on. It's a saying we all use from time to time and is perfectly legitimate. There's no doubt there's connotations of slavery attached to it but at the end of the day that's the origin of black people. On a separate note, Mary is approaching 70 years of age and its about time somebody else got a bite of the cherry. One can just imagine the pensions she's on!

Talk about backwaters

I have never heard that phrase before, obviously it has something to do with slavery. If Mary O'Rourke is as backwards as that maybe she shouldn't be representing the people of Longford and Westmeath.

**anto1208** · 09/01/2006, 9:27 PM

the pc stand on it would be any racial stereotyping either good or bad is wrong , to say they worked like blacks imply's blacks are all good workers which of course is rubbish in reality some are good some are bad and some are in between .

while not offensive its not a phrase a politician should use in a speach , i liken it to bertie getting up and saying a my balls a itchy nothing wrong with saying it just not the right time or place to say it

is it a big deal ? ... no

should she lose her job ? hell no there are a lot worse politicians in there that need getting rid of , the few good ones need to be kept

**Dodge** · 09/01/2006, 9:53 PM

BTW she has no job to lose...

**dcfcsteve** · 09/01/2006, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Condex

Christ your everywhere like a bad a smell, judge and jury on everybody and everthing it must be a real burden to carry around being right all the time!!!

You should get down the bookies your sure to win....

Ahhh my old mate Condex. The man who's a member of an online Irish Football Forum - yet rarely seems to post on football-related matters, doesn't have a footballing avatar on his signature, and usually only appears on threads regarding race/religion. Hmmm...

I'm surprised you didn't avail of the opportunity to get a cheap unfounded dig in here against some minority ethnic group. Like you did in the debate about the recent beach-front violence in Australia. Like you did in the debate about the French riots.

You must be losing your touch with age Condex....

**dcfcsteve** · 10/01/2006, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by Dillo

It's a saying we all use from time to time and is perfectly legitimate.

Speak for yourself - I certainly don't !

Do you share a flat with Condex or something....?

**twoenz** · 10/01/2006, 1:46 AM

I see no difference in what she said and what Ron said.

If this had have been a UK politician they would have been murdered.

**Lim till i die** · 10/01/2006, 8:12 AM

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

If Mary O'Rourke is as backwards as that maybe she shouldn't be representing the people of Longford and Westmeath.

On the other hand....

Reference to slavery, boo hoo hoo, I'm sure this is what Mary O'Rourke intended and she is obviously going to try and have Ireland ethnically cleansed when she's elected to office

dcfcsteve - If in the morning we were to get a wonderful utopian society where everyone is treated on a progressive and egalitarian footing would you be in favour of free speech??

BTW I apologise unreservedly for my "rub of the green" mistake, hope you don't know any grassy areas I may have offended by implying they were connected to Ireland.

**Risteard** · 10/01/2006, 9:14 AM

A bit surprised at her saying it.
Always thought she acted with the best intentions so maybe she's just a fool.

**pete** · 10/01/2006, 10:43 AM

If O'Rourke did not intend the slavery reference she could easily have apologised the day afterwards saying that she had been told what the phrase really meant & now she knew better. Case closed.

The phrase can only have slavery refernces as its an old saying apparently & since when were black people known particularily as hard workers?

**dcfcsteve** · 10/01/2006, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

On the other hand....

Reference to slavery, boo hoo hoo, I'm sure this is what Mary O'Rourke intended and she is obviously going to try and have Ireland ethnically cleansed when she's elected to office

dcfcsteve - If in the morning we were to get a wonderful utopian society where everyone is treated on a progressive and egalitarian footing would you be in favour of free speech??

BTW I apologise unreservedly for my "rub of the green" mistake, hope you don't know any grassy areas I may have offended by implying they were connected to Ireland.

I'm all for Free Speech - but free speech doesn't entitle someone to make completely inappropriate comments regarding sections of society that are traditionally marginalised/discriminated against.

Mary O'Rourke was trying to explain to people how hard her team had worked. The English language presents numerous ways to do that. Can anyone explain to me why it was necessary, or what weight it added to her point, to bring a particular ethnic grouping into her explanation ?

If a German politician described his campaign team on the night of an election vistory as being 'drunk as the Irish', we all know there'd be a harsh reaction from within our country. And rightly so.

LimTID - The fact that the overwhelming majority of people on this thread disagree with you shows just how out-of-step you are here, even if you can't see it yourself.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 10/01/2006, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

If a German politician described his campaign team on the night of an election vistory as being 'drunk as the Irish', we all know there'd be a harsh reaction from within our country. And rightly so.

...or described his fundraising committee as being 'as crafty as a Jew'.

There'd be no laughing it off as being a backhanded compliment.

**Condex** · 10/01/2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Ahhh my old mate Condex. The man who's a member of an online Irish Football Forum - yet rarely seems to post on football-related matters, doesn't have a footballing avatar on his signature, and usually only appears on threads regarding race/religion. Hmmm...

I'm surprised you didn't avail of the opportunity to get a cheap unfounded dig in here against some minority ethnic group. Like you did in the debate about the recent beach-front violence in Australia. Like you did in the debate about the French riots.

You must be losing your touch with age Condex....

Don't worry your little ginger dreadlocks, I'll be about for another while yet

Unlike you I don't spend all my time either posting to forums/blogs or buying junk on ebay, you should get out a bit more maybe go down your local pub and meet some normal people....

**dcfcsteve** · 10/01/2006, 4:21 PM

Originally Posted by Condex

Don't worry your little ginger dreadlocks, I'll be about for another while yet

Unlike you I don't spend all my time either posting to forums/blogs or buying junk on ebay, you should get out a bit more maybe go down your local pub and meet some normal people....

Thanks for this helpful advise Condex. I'm afraid I don't really make much time to sit in my local pub - you see, I spend 3-4 hours every single Saturday afternoon going door-to-door in my area (majority Council housing), canvassing on behalf of a major political party (No - not a left-wing one. And no doubt you'll come back with the predicatble 'well aren't you great' ballax to deflect your own feck-up here).

I realise that this makes me horribly out-of-touch with regards "normal people" and their political views. Perhaps you could share with me how you manage to glean your expert indepth understanding of normal people, and then maybe I can give up the pointless task of speaking to hundreds of people on their own doorsteps every single month...?

P.S. As for the ginger dreadlocks - Chr!st, if only you knew what I looked like !