Racebased language — political correctness be damned

KEITH Adams’ letter on racebased language (ODT, 21.6.17) seems a bit double Dutch at first, but he asks — what is good taste, and what is good humour these days? Brought up in upland Otago I believe I have heard it all, with a fair bit of sexism chucked in as well.

Billy T. James had his following. Recently I heard a talk by Mike King, who appears to have become a reformed comedy buff. To be honest I feel more liberated, and less guarded in what I say in jest these days. I find women to be more relaxed and more amenable to a bit of a joke than over the last 40 years.

In my ’50s childhood the Irish Catholics were the butt of really vile jokes and rhymes. I could still quote them to provide examples. But yet the Irish joke became a hilarious genre, in the hands of the Irish themselves — and why not?

Our generation learned to push its boundaries and to stretch the musical and cultural genres. If I was to open my mouth and not put my foot in it, I would find the tone of voice the most important thing. The words and phrases we might hesitate to use should be used and ventilated. Political correctness be damned.

David George

Cromwell

Power

I BET the people of North Otago are feeling a bit embarrassed today. Imagine having an electricity lines company which is ‘‘not profit driven’’ but spends its money on looking after community assets (ODT, 13.6.17).

Doesn’t it know that a modern power company invests the community’s money in property development, hires lots of staff on sixfigure salaries, buys a corporate box at the rugby and borrows millions to pay pretend dividends? Clearly Network Waitaki thinks that having goodquality community infrastructure is important — how quaint and oldfashioned.

Lindsay Smith

Shiel Hill