leashyourkids wrote:
See, HG? You are a deep MF'er. You summed it up very well.
I agree with all you said, and I disagree completely with dolphin.
Anyone is free to take offense to whatever they want, but you are also free to be ridiculed. Saying "the p-word" (lol) isn't the same as saying the "n-word." It's the most powerful word in American English, and it's due in large part to its use and the history of black-white relations in our country. MANY ethnicities have racial stereotypes, but only blacks were brought over as legal slaves, who were considered to be 3/5 of a person, fought for their freedom, and then still didn't have the rights of a white person until very recently (and some would say still don't). That word is a reminder of that awful history and of everything that comes with it. It is used solely to dehumanize and tell someone that they are worth less than you because of the color of their skin. If "the p-word" does similar things to you, then you might have some issues. Europeans had their struggles in America, but it's not even worth mentioning in the same context as blacks and the vitriolic words (still) used to describe them.
I understand what you're saying, and in general, I'd agree, but it's hard to persuasively tell people they don't have the right to be pissed about being called a certain word (or, in a wider context, being treated a certain way). It assumes too much and can be needlessly divisive (especially in a time of economic anxiety). It also sets up this weird hierarchy of suffering that people base their moral judgments on and then use conformity, rather than reasoned argument, to support those judgements. Bunch of mafuckers, them people.
They absolutely have the right to be offended by whatever they want, as I mentioned. They just shouldn't be surprised when people roll their eyes. Take dolphin, for example (who I give a lot of shit to but do sincerely like)... From what I know about dolphin, he is a well-to-do downtown lawyer who has a pretty good life that allowed him a lot of opportunity. He is of Polish ancestry, but - as far as I know - he's not off the boat (as my in-laws are), and he was probably viewed as a good little white Catholic boy growing up who had a bright future... and yet he has the gumption to act as though someone calling him "the p-word" resonates the same as when black people are called the "n-word"? My issue isn't as much with people getting offended about "the n-word" as it is people of the white upper crust trying to act as though they can be viewed as a "victim" in any context, including slang used to describe them. I have a better word - "drama queen". (again, that isn't specific to dolphin, but it's laughable that anyone who has had such a lucky life - myself included - would compare their derogatory slang to that of African Americans).
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
I didn't realize that was on par with the other word being discussed. 
