Modern Discipline

[samclem]

Did a moderator actually edit that out? : I assumed you did it to make your point.

Yes, the moderator censored that word out of my post. Point proven, I think.

 

[donheff]

Yes, the moderator censored that word out of my post. Point proven, I think.

I guess. They missed your first use of the term which I described as offensive to no one. Maybe it will disappear too. Kinda like Russian history.

 

[johanne]

I found this story (below) to be of interest. It is worthwhile read and attempts to at least give both sides of the story.

Me, I do not use the N word and haven't for a long time because I know some will, or might, take offence. Society worldwide has pretty well made the word taboo. In NYC the authorities have recently banned it albeit is it a symbolic gesture. What I do like about the ban is that it is an 'equal opportunity' gesture and applies to all.

That part makes perfect sense to me.

No special exemption for those Blacks who consider it just fine and dandy to use it.

Anyways here is the link

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=327602007

 

[Lazarus]

I do not use the word understanding that it is highly offensive to many. I don't think that black people should use it either. If it is offensive then don't use it! No exceptions. In the end it is just a word. People calling me names do not change what I am.

 

[johanne]

If you go back in US history, the terms "mick" for Irish, "wop" for Italian, and "squarehead" for German were just as offensive and used to be offensive. Simply by the moderators letting me put these words out on the forum tells you we've gotten over this labeling in a couple of generations. Hopefully, we'll move on past the N word and our grandchildren will laugh that anyone would take offense to something so silly.

You make a good point. Frankly something I had not considered. I guess because of the dismal history of the Blacks, racial segregation, lynchings and their struggle for equality, the N word becomes taboo. But calling another nationalty or ethnic group by a derogatory term is not any better. The difference though is that nobody gets their knickers in a twist when this happens.

 

[Lazarus]

I think the difference is you can't look at my skin and know that I am of Irish background. Makes it harder to keep the steriotypes going.

 

[2B]

You make a good point. Frankly something I had not considered. I guess because of the dismal history of the Blacks, racial segregation, lynchings and their struggle for equality, the N word becomes taboo. But calling another nationalty or ethnic group by a derogatory term is not any better. The difference though is that nobody gets their knickers in a twist when this happens.

Germans had it relatively easy except during WWI and II. The Italians and Irish were subjected to over 75 years of prejudice.

I left off the Jews from my earlier post. They've had a couple of thousand years of prejudice and a whole selection of derogatory names. Then there are the Hispanics, Indians, Native Americans, Japanese, Chinese.....

Dark complexioned individuals should stop feeling so special.

 

[HFWR]

We should all join hands, and watch "Blazing Saddles"...

 

[johanne]

Germans had it relatively easy except during WWI and II. The Italians and Irish were subjected to over 75 years of prejudice.

I left off the Jews from my earlier post. They've had a couple of thousand years of prejudice and a whole selection of derogatory names. Then there are the Hispanics, Indians, Native Americans, Japanese, Chinese.....

Dark complexioned individuals should stop feeling so special.

Quite frankly it seems to me that nobody really cares whether Jews, Germans, Italians, Japanese, Chinese, etc., etc, get insulted. It must happen every day. Yet when I watch CNN (which is probably the American channel I watch most after PBS) the discussions always seem to revolve around racism, that specifically aimed at so called 'African-Americans'.

Actually the term 'African-American' is/can be awfully misleading. Is a white American originally fron South Africa (of Dutch heritage) one? What about those Americans originally from the Arabic part stretching from Morocco to Egypt? Why must one assume all Africans are, by definition, black?