This is going to get interesting, with the rise of the True Finns, country common sense meets the world of PC multiculturalism.
Here in Finland, the word for negro is “neekeri”, which sounds like the word “nigger” in English. It means negro, it has always has meant negro, and many elderly folks still use the word neekeri in referring to negroes (blacks), and would be offended if they were labeled as bigots for using it. Nowadays however, there is no middle ground for using a totally Finnish word “neekeri” in public language, political correctness it seems has ruled it out, a simple Finnish word is rendered obsolete by how it’s perceived by the PC crowd.
Enter Teuvo Hakkarainen, newly elected member of parliament in the True Finns party from Central Finland, mentioned the word “negro” and minarets in a Helsingin Sanomat interview, and quickly got into trouble. The entire political elite was aghast at Hakkarainen’s use of the “N” word, as well as his warning about minarets, accompanied by him mimicking the Islamic call to prayer.
True Finns party chairman, Timo Soini, had to quickly douse out the flames and read him the riot act. The Tundra Tabloids hasn’t a problem whatsoever with the word neekeri being used, as long as it’s used in the right context and not as a slur, of which the latter can be the case at times.
There needs to be a tactfulness in the way elected officials speak, but never should facts and truthfulness become a victim of political correctness. KGS
NOTE: Hakkarainen in the Helsingin Sanomat: In the future, Hakkarainen will listen to his group and only speak of dark or black, and stop using the term he learned in elementary school. “I didn’t know that it was a slur. It was natural for me.”