Gardeners Are Racist! Or Is It April 1st?

You start the march, we'll follow.

 

As you say, it's divisive, and neither of the writers should be bringing it up in this fashion, to nit pick where it isn't necessary. (Yes, I know it was the media that brought it up but it wouldn't have occurred if it hadnt' been pushed their way.) I am just as guilty because I thought my post would be taken in the way it was intended - to make fun of the ridiculous!

The problem with it is that it's not language that we typically use that is being used in any way racial. It's someone interpreting it in their own way and tying it to what they say is racial. That, to me, smacks of racialism! We should not be deterred from using gardeners' language just because someone wishes to think it's racial - when it isn't.

It's perfectly OK for academics to note it for their own little internal games but not to disseminate to the public where they know it would stir up trouble. When they do that they should expect to be ridiculed.

In a similar vein: when I was running my business the Local Authority Equal Opportunities dept. (is it really necessary?) was offering shop window stickers to those who could demonstrate that they didn't discriminate. They asked me where I had displayed my Equal Opportunities Statement and were shocked when I told them that I didn't have one.

They told me that I should have one and I asked them why. "To demonstrate that you are an equal opportunities employer." When I asked them how a piece of paper can demonstrate that, they were a bit stuck for an answer. I was already known for having the most ethnically, religiously and sexually diverse employees in the town with promotion based solely on ability (I'd been trading there for over 40 years) and that my customer base reflected that situation.

It became quite funny when one of my customers, who was of African origin and in a wheelchair, suggested that we threw them off the premises for being offensive. They left the premises amidst gales of laughter from staff and customers.

Whoops! I said I wasn't going to get involved in serious discussion on GC (outside of gardening) but my fingers ran away with me. Sorry about that! 'Nuff said!

 

I think the greenery must have confused him - I mean, they all look the same don't they

 

Dhanyabad

I agree . Latin taxonomy is very good in understanding plant groupings but traditional local names bear more relevance in their descriptiveness. Our @Zigs is the GC expert on local names

 

That's not racist but it is animalist!