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Thread: Faith in humanity levels dropping
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01-20-12, 10:42 AM #141Re: Faith in humanity levels dropping
Ok, so by that logic if you can call your wife/sister/mother a whore, as long as she isn't offended, then it isn't offensive, agreed? If you agree with that then does it also mean that if I call my wife/sister/mother an N, and she isn't offended, then that word isn't offensive in that connotation either?
Oversimplified? Maybe, but no more so than saying that EVERY time anyone, anyone white, or anyone not ______ use it then it MUST be racist.deathgodusmc liked this post
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01-20-12, 10:44 AM #143Re: Faith in humanity levels dropping
I think that the use of it by black people is an attempt to "own" the word, taking power away from the racists that started the use of it. It's also not the exact same word, but a derivative that's used in this context.
And for the record, "offensive" isn't how I'd describe it's effects on me. I don't find it offensive at all, being neither from the groups who historically used it, or who had it used to describe them. The effect that hearing this word from someone has on me is simply for me to immediately discount them as ignorant, hateful and yes, probably also stupid. Generally though, by the time that I've heard this word used by someone, they've already given me enough evidence of their ignorance, stupidity and unhappiness that it's not a big shock.
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01-20-12, 10:52 AM #145Re: Faith in humanity levels dropping
My wife, like most people, knows when someone is using a word to be offensive, and when they're not. If her friends called her a whore, it wouldn't be offensive, because it wouldn't be intended as an offense. If some stranger on the street used it, it's unlikely that they'd mean it in the same, jovial tone that her friends would.
Similarly, the word in question, when used by black people as a slang term, doesn't have the same meaning, by the user, as it does when white people use it. Black people are certainly capable of using it as a hate word, and then it becomes just that. Similarly, it's possible for a white person to use the slang term in exactly the same context as a black person. Of course, the word is such a minefield that most of these people would avoid using it so that it's not misread as offensive. This leaves only one group of white people using the word - hateful, racist, ignorant people, who use the word, knowing full well that it will be viewed as offensive, hateful and racist.
Language, like life, is subtle.
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01-20-12, 11:06 AM #146Re: Faith in humanity levels dropping
But you just contradicted yourself. First you say:
Similarly, it's possible for a white person to use the slang term in exactly the same context as a black person.
This leaves only one group of white people using the word - hateful, racist, ignorant people, who use the word, knowing full well that it will be viewed as offensive, hateful and racist.
While I don't totally agree with some of the crazy stuff DG is spewing I agree that social upbringing does play a part. Hell, just look at the topic we have about some school not being able to use a cougar as their mascot as it might offend middle-aged women. Do I think that is on the same level as the N word? No, but it is analogy of how different words can have different meanings to different people. Just like I can agree with you that your wife's best friend calling her a slut is totally different than me calling her a slut when I don't know her (I am not calling your wife a slut by the way). By the same token I think a white guy can say to his friend, "What up my N?" and not mean it in a hurtful or racist way, OR he can say, "I hate Ns." and it is 100% hurtful and racist.SpecOpsScott, deathgodusmc liked this post
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