Swing at Woods stupid, but not racist

There was a time when you could take a swing at Tiger Woods and it would bounce off - he was too highly regarded as a top sportsman and top bloke.

In recent years his veneer of decency was unceremoniously smashed - along with his dignity - as a host of floozies and hos dobbed him in for being a womanising prat.

His now ex-wife, Elin, could have launched a line of clubs to beat Tiger with after she took to him with a 9 iron and the once-invincible Woods was cut down to mere mortal status.

He tumbled down the golf rankings as his private life went from secretly caddish to joke status.

This year he sacked his long-time kiwi caddie and mate Steve Williams.

Understandably Williams was peeved and, when he won a title with Aussie Adam Scott, let off steam with a jibe at Woods.

That earned Williams a tongue-in-cheek award at the best caddies' celebration of the year.

Apparently the party was all good humoured with lots of point-scoring, much like a celebrity roast.

Then, when asked what had prompted his response, Williams said: "I wanted to shove it right up that black a***hole (Woods)."

Now people are calling Williams' comments a racist attack on Woods.

I do not believe they are.

And if you think I am wrong check the dictionary, page 1129 of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, 9th Edition.

They do not denigrate Woods because of his race. They do not discriminate against him because of his race.

They describe him. Woods is a black man. Can't argue there. And, after 12 years with Woods, surely Williams would know if he was an a***hole or not.

Certainly that would be the most charitable way his ex wife would describe him.

So calling Woods this may not be sensible for long-term employment, but it isn't racist.

Saying that because he was black he was an a***hole would be racist.

And that is the difference.

It's a shame people - including the media - don't actually understand words before they fling out the "racism" accusation.

Williams says his comments were meant in a light way in keeping with the style of the evening and he has apologised to Woods and anyone who took racial offence at them.

It was not a clever thing to say and he will no doubt pay for that for some time to come.

But it does bring to the surface an important issue - that a lot of what people claim is racism, is not.

And, even more interestingly, a lot of things allowed in little-old-politically-correct New Zealand are blatantly racist - such as having laws based on race.

But then what is true doesn't really matter any more, all that counts is perception and the voices that bark their views the loudest.

We all know men and women have very different ways of looking at themselves and this has never been more obvious than in comments made by Labour finance big mouth David Cunliffe about Police minister Judith Collins.

Cunliffe said on radio that he thought the human race would probably die out if Judith Collins was the last woman on Earth.

What?

After an uproar began Cunliffe did apologise for his idiocy, but it doesn't alter the fact he even thought he could get sneery about other people's looks.

Ever checked out a mirror David?

If you are a worry-wart or uneasy sleeper do not read on ... for something nasty this way comes. Nasty, and very big.

It's about the size of an aircraft carrier, more than 400m wide, and is speeding towards us at a gentle 25km a second.

It is an asteroid called 2005 YU55 and is expected to pass between us and the Moon tomorrow, at a range of some 324,000km.

That's way too close to us for my liking and brings to mind movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact where the Earth faces being smooshed out of existence.

But, no doubt you'll all be pleased to know that the fly-by is offering eggheads the chance for some pretty amazing close-up study of asteroids.

They'll be peering at it, boggle-eyed, through the massive 70m Deep Space Network antenna as it zooms by.

But while the boffins are rejoicing, I'm packing death.

Anyone know the phone numbers of Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck?

Guys, I know you read this column, save me (er, the world).

I want to last through until after the staff Christmas party.

richard@richardmoore.com