Is It Offensive To Call An Aboriginal An 'Abo'?

There's a new TV show that started a few weeks ago here. It's called 'Can Of Worms' and its quite good.
It has a panel of three people - they can be celebrities or just average Australians (but people whose names we know) and they are asked a question (called the 'worm') and they have to say whether they agree with that question or not.

Last night, one of the people on the panel was a man called John Elliot. He's a rich bastard and I don't really know too much about him. He's about 60-70 years old.

One of the questions asked last night was whether we should acknowledge traditional land owners at official events. Elliot said that acknowledging traditional land owners was 'sheer bloody nonsense'. He then went on to say...

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/john-elliott-offends-on-can-of-worms-20110719-1hm99.html

The above link explains a little more. He apologised to the audience after he realised they were offended.
Members of the official FB page have talked about what he said and many people are angered that the comment was even allowed to go to air.

The correct term (or politically correct term, whichever you like) for an Aboriginal is 'Indigenous Australian'. But if you shorten the word Aboriginal, you get Abo - so why the offense?

You shorten Australian and you get Aussie, yet we don't complain about that being racist.

So my question is, is it offensive to call an Aboriginal an Abo?

 

Indigenous Australian? You racist!

The Aboriginal People up here around Brisbane find that term horribly offensive.

 

Is It Offensive To Call An Aboriginal An 'Abo'?

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Yes.

 

Not to me it's not. In the U.S. Italians were called WOPS, Hispanics were called *****, Japanese Japs, Germans Krauts and Portuguese like me Dagos. Everybody is so dang sensitive. I could give a rats backside what anyone calls me, except late for dinner. When I was in my 20's, I learned an important lesson from a co-worker that stayed with me all these years. I was young, thin, stupid and semi good looking at the time. This co-worker was 5'9", 345 lbs, missing one front tooth and wore glasses as thick as Coke bottle bottoms. I regret I taunted him regularly, but all he used to do was look at me and laugh. One day I asked him how come he never reacted to my very best insults? His response floored me. He said, "I know who I am and what I am, nothing you could say will ever change that and I like ME". Make, that was 30 years ago and his words stuck with me all this time.

In 2009 I went back to my home state for Christmas, 1st time in 26 years and went to look him up. He was a pastry chef before he worked with me in the Armored Truck company. When it went belly up he opened a restaurant with his brother. I tracked him down to the eatery. Unfortunately, he had passed away the year before and I never got the chance to apologize for being so rotten to him.

 

In the U.S., "Honored Guest" is an offensive term if the recipient considers it offensive. No matter what you say, if the person referred to says he's offended then you are guilty of using an offensive term.

 

Who gives a toss, you arent a minority.

 

Lets not beat around the bush, every australian knows calling an indigenous australian an "abo" is offensive. This question doesnt need to be asked and Elliot is a racist.

 

No.

It's all good.

Same as paki.

Or burnt (*)(*)(*)(*)(*).

Oh, wait.

 

Yes, and every Aussie should know it. Cut that (*)(*)(*)(*) out.

 

No more offensive than calling a Native American an Indian.

 

I am one Australia who doesn't agree with you. Abo is simply short for Aboriginal.

We used to call Italians and Greeks 'wogs' and they never complained, and then one day they decided that word was offensive.

Why it is wrong to shorten a word?

 

Can you explain why it is offensive?

 

Why not call them "native Australians?"

 

I don't know. I guess maybe some of us would call them that. I've always called them Aborginals and shortened the word to 'Abo'. Its kinda stupid when someone thinks you mean to cause offense and you don't.

 

I've always been fascinated by the Aboriginies and the concept that they call "The Dream Time." They seem a very mystic and spiritually powerful people.

Is there alot of discrimination against the Aboriginies by whites?

 

The Dream Time I don't know much about, but what I have heard about it is rather fascinating.

I am not sure if there is a lot of discrimination against them by white folk. I think that most who call them Abos are not racist, they are simply calling them by the name that was acceptable for so many years.
Racism exists, of course, but I don't know anyone who hates the Aboriginal people.

 

If it's good enough for Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson, it's good enough for me.

 

Is It Offensive To Call An Aboriginal An 'Abo'?

I'm not familiar with the term so I can't give a concrete answer but, like most words, I imagine it depends on how it is used.

 

So, if I call a black man (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*), he shouldn't take offense if I meant it in a friendly way. It doesn't really much matter how you feel about the word. It is how they feel about the word that counts and it seems they find it offensive.

 

Over the years, I've actually asked Aboriginal friends and work mates if they find the term "Abo" offensive (and that other horrible word that starts with "B").

Most of them said "yes".

Case closed for me: if they don't like that term, I want use it. Pretty simple.

 

WTF???

10char

 

We are very ignorant ya know.

 

Not really, no. But it is.

 

Abbreviations (can at times) imply less respect.

Just like Jap, and Homo.

If people are offended by those terms, why would anyone choose to use them?

 

I don't find Jap and Homo to be offensive. For me they are just shortened words and shouldn't be considered offense unless the person saying them actually means to be offensive.