Goonhub
11-10-2016, 07:30 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-10-2016, 07:31 AM by atamusvaleo. Edited 1 time in total.)
(11-10-2016, 07:07 AM)Haine Wrote: words
(11-10-2016, 06:08 AM)atamusvaleo Wrote: Stuff
If someone says "I have the thing that this word refers to and it doesn't offend me personally," how is that irrational? They're sharing its effect on they themselves.
You're still a person and an observer of these actions and have all the right in the world to form an opinion on the situation and share said opinion. If we leave commentary exclusively to those who fall within a particular category then we're not getting the whole argument.
This is the same issue folks are having right now with the Redskins. Sorry, Haine, I don't recall if you live in the states or not so I'll give a brief summary of the situation I'm referring to.
There's an American football team called the Washington Redskins. "Redskin" is a derogatory term used to describe Native Americans (due to the assumed red hue of their skin). There are a great deal of folks in the Native American community who feel this is offensive and for legitimate reasons. There are also a number of those in the community who don't care or aren't bothered by it.
The word exists as a descriptor meant to single someone out and came into existence with the intention to be used as a slur, similar to nigger or spook (Please excuse my use of these words. I'm not calling anyone by them simply using them for demonstrative purposes). Now you can argue that only a small number of people are offended and it's current use isn't intended as a derogatory statement; however, the decent thing to do in a situation such as this is to simply not use the term. There is nothing gained in the use of Redskin and nothing lost in simply selecting another label that hhasn't been used in the past as a slur.
So, yes, folks can argue that they are or are not offended but putting this quite simply as I can:
Why use terminology that is negative and came about as a means of belittling people when you can simply avoid all of this trouble and nonsense by not saying it?
What do you lose in not calling someone an aspie or saying someone is sperging out? Use one of the many other words available to you in the English language. In doing so, you'll better communicate your thoughts and avoid offending people in the process.