Letter: John Patten's a pygmyist

Wednesday 13 November 1996 00:02 GMT

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John Patten's

a pygmyist

Sir, If I were a pygmy, article supporting Mr Said's "gift" to the University of Oxford would make me awfully cross ("Lucre made the spires what they are", 9 November).

Queen Victoria saw fit to graciously receive pygmies at her court. Yet Mr Patten now uses the word "pygmy" as a term of abuse for his former colleagues, friends and constituents within the university. Should this not be looked into by the Race Discrimination people?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a pygmy is a member of a dwarf race existing in Central Equatorial Africa, and is also applied to chimpanzees and other anthropomorphical apes.

ANTHONY O'CONNOR.

Finstock, Oxfordshire

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