Female Greek athlete sent home for racist remark

I believe that the part about the mosquitoes is not what folks are finding racist; it’s the first part:

With so many Africans in Greece

That is implying that there are too many Africans in Greece, or that they don’t have any business being there.

Originally posted by Kastogere
Sorry had to do it for Domo,

put one hot athlete on this thread....so i offer you Another one

kinda makes me wanna go down under........

Oh my.

Hot Chick, Funny Joke, Bad Taste, Over Reaction...

My eyes went wide and my mouth literally fell open.
How rude!
I heard about this but didn't read to see what she had said.

That kind of attitude from people who are in the public eye, isn't really on, and isn't the Olympics and gentleman sport?

Silly girl, she shamed herself big time and her bad manners, her poor family.

She is not a good example of a beautiful strong and proud Grecian sports woman at all.
Very crass and disappointing, she should know better by now, surely?

Girl friends! We will not hold her against you XXX A

Good lord! I sound like an ole' duck!!!

How long will it be before Jokes are illegal. This is just crazy. She should have told a blond joke instead. Pity her countrymen don't riot on her behalf.

Just stupid! The olympic games have lost their way.

P

reply to post by defcon5


No it isn't implied.

You're inferring that. There's a massive difference.

Does anyone have what she said in the original Greek, or did she tweet it in English?

Originally posted by EyesWideShut
Hot Chick, Funny Joke, Bad Taste, Over Reaction...

Or what you said too


with the emphasis on very bad taste!

If she would have said Americans in Greece, poor cholesterol
Israelies in Greece, kosher food
etc

Then it'd been okay.

Silly world we live in.

reply to post by khimbar

I’m inferring no such thing. I as being polite when I said that it “implied” it. There is no other way to take the statement “with so many” other then to mean that you feel there “are too many”.

Don’t have the wool pulled over your eyes because she's pretty. She meant that in a racist way, and she got appropriately punished for it.

Originally posted by defcon5
reply to post by khimbar

 

I’m inferring no such thing. I as being polite when I said that it “implied” it. There is no other way to take the statement “with so many” other then to mean that you feel there “are too many”.

Don’t have to wool pulled over your eyes because she pretty. She meant that in a racists way, and she got appropriately punished for it.

Yes there is another way to take it.

If I said 'with so many cakes on this plate I'm spoiled for choice' am I saying there are too many?

And is English (if it was tweeted in English) her first language?

Originally posted by Jaellma

“With so many Africans in Greece … at least the West Nile mosquitos will eat homemade food!!!,” Papachristou wrote.

As an American, I didn't see the comment as racist or offensive, at first glance. However, after really reading her comment and giving it some thought, I realized that it was offensive and bordering on racist for two reasons.

1. "With so many Africans in Greece....at least"

Take a moment and look at the phrase "at least". Things that precede "at least" are almost never positive, but usually something bad, negative or a shortcoming. An entire continent of people, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have no value in Greece save for being food to virus ridden mosquitos. I would say that's a racist statment, whether it was intentional or not, that's what she said.

2. "West Nile mosquitos"

Also, correct me, If i'm wrong, but there is no such thing as "west nile mosquito", per se. West Nile is a virus that can infect mosquitos, regardless of the mosquitos origin. So the whole "homemade food" punch line doesn't make much sense either.

well it made me chuckle, its not THAT bad a comment,i agree a fine would be more appropriate

Originally posted by Kastogere
Sorry had to do it for Domo,

put one hot athlete on this thread....so i offer you Another one

kinda makes me wanna go down under........

All that adrenaline !!!

By God, what a fine woman.............

reply to post by defcon5

There is no other way to take the statement “with so many” other then to mean that you feel there “are too many”.

I disagree.

Many Americans have European ancestry. If there were a West Thames virus and the same joke were applied would it be OK?

We are far too touchy about race. Now she may very well be racist, but the joke wasn't and she shouldn't be barred from the Olympics because of it.

Did you really not get the mosquito jokes or were you being facetious?

reply to post by defcon5


I totally agree.

Then again, people say things, that are not meant to be racist, and are punished by those thinking they said something racist. There will always be those, playing that card,regardless if there is proof, or not.........MHO

reply to post by Domo1


I dont know Domo.......

It was in bad taste.The Olympics are supposed to be a Unity thing.

Then again,I find Don Rickles funny, and you know his jokes, crossed lots of boundaries, back in the day. Some might even say his Jokes were racist ! I am 100% sure, if he was an Olympian, he would have been booted.........

Its hard to know if some folk are playing dumb or just simply dumb.

For the folks claiming not to understand why comment was racist,

the woman was complaining that there is too many immigrants in her home country of Greece.

She has the full backing of GOLDEN DAWN

Why wait for athletes to say something? Shouldn't they all be tested for thought crimes before they are even allowed to compete? How did she get so close to competing in the Olympics???

What if she's not the only athlete who doesn't think officially sanctioned thoughts?

...

Seriously, it's an off color, iffy joke that plenty of people find funny but plenty of other people do not. So it's a case of less than 140 characters that are only kind of iffy vs a lifetime of dedication to being a top athlete and the opportunity of that lifetime.

If you can't laugh at death some of the time, you don't have a sense of humor and thus have no business thought policing comedy.

But who is surprised at the pathetic Greek response? it's just more evidence that Greece is run by a bunch of morons and cowards these days, as if we needed more.

Originally posted by lacrimaererum
Anyway, all those folks that support this racism are in good company. You are not the only folk who think this behaviour is acceptable;

2012 Olympics: Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party condemns the withdrawal of Greek athlete from the London Olympics for an anti-African tweet - @Reuters

www.breakingnews.com...

I hope you know better because that's a rather weak minded thing to say. It's an obvious example of a logical fallacy called "guilt by association."

What you're suggesting is that you can't ever take the side of any white people in a race debate because the KKK and neo nazis and whoever/whatever they call them anywhere else in the world will also want to be on her side.

Who YOU are matters. The content of YOUR OWN ideas matters. And 'association' is not at all affiliation, i.e. does not equal any shared goals, activities, or coordination of effort.

Hitler was a vegetarian, wore khaki pants, and was a big believer in a bunch of things that are still well liked and well thought of. Should vegans stop being vegans because of Hitler?

This is wrong. Politically speaking, you shouldn't be so quick to retreat from what is right and give racist political parties something to be exclusively right about. However, they won't be the only option for people looking around because there will be plenty of other people who won't be making the mistake you've made.

reply to post by khimbar


No. No it isn't at all. Africa is MULTI-RACIAL, She wasn't referring to Blacks.

Not many people will understand that fine point.

Disclaimer: I am multi-racial, am not a racist and have a sense of humor. Apparently those who sent her home did not have a sense of humor.

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by Domo1

 

I dont know Domo.......

It was in bad taste.The Olympics are supposed to be a Unity thing.

Then again,I find Don Rickles funny, and you know his jokes, crossed lots of boundaries, back in the day. Some might even say his Jokes were racist ! I am 100% sure, if he was an Olympian, he would have been booted.........

This is why I hate ATS. Now I'm going to go have to look up Don Rickles. I probably know who he is, but I am so bad with names.

I like Louis C.K. and he throws out the 'N word' on occasion. Also had a great bit about people saying 'N word' making you think of the real word. No, screw you, you say it! Don't make me think it!

I just don't think racist jokes are necessarily racist. I know how stupid that sounds, but if there is no malice I don't get the big deal. Words are words, it's the intent behind them that makes me angry at times. Not the word itself.