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Spread the Word to End the Word (The "R-Word")

Larry Brown #43

By Larry Brown #43
in The Tailgate

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gbear

gbear

Posted
Posted

Never ending circle it may be. I believe the point is at this time that word isn't a word that should be used. It has baggage. Maybe over time we will find a better term. Maybe over time people won't care about that term and it will come back en vogue. That time isn't now.

As a side note, I think the term lacks anything resembling imagination. It kind of reminds me of one of my English teacher talking about why not to curse. "Surely there is a more expressive way to get your point across. To curse is so mundane. We can do better than that, no?" So in Mr. Barrett's honor, I give you the term "window licker.":evilg: - ok, that's probably worse as it still puts down people for something they have no control over...but at least the person saying it isn't displaying their own slowness of thought.

Seriously though, does nobody feel lessened themselves when they put other down? Granted, I felt different in highschool, but now put downs are reserved for close friends and in jest only. It's actually a way of being close. I know that sounds odd, but when one of my friends calls me the "fish belly white boy" on the basketball court, that's fine. It's not a put down...or at least I don't take it that way. It's a way of saying I'm comfortable enough with you to laugh about this WITH YOU. Anyway, that's my take.

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LaxBuddy21

LaxBuddy21

Posted
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Never ending circle it may be. I believe the point is at this time that word isn't a word that should be used. It has baggage. Maybe over time we will find a better term. Maybe over time people won't care about that term and it will come back en vogue. That time isn't now.

As a side note, I think the term lacks anything resembling imagination. It kind of reminds me of one of my English teacher talking about why not to curse. "Surely there is a more expressive way to get your point across. To curse is so mundane. We can do better than that, no?" So in Mr. Barrett's honor, I give you the term "window licker.":evilg: - ok, that's probably worse as it still puts down people for something they have no control over...but at least the person saying it isn't displaying their own slowness of thought.

Seriously though, does nobody feel lessened themselves when they put other down? Granted, I felt different in highschool, but now put downs are reserved for close friends and in jest only. It's actually a way of being close. I know that sounds odd, but when one of my friends calls me the "fish belly white boy" on the basketball court, that's fine. It's not a put down...or at least I don't take it that way. It's a way of saying I'm comfortable enough with you to laugh about this WITH YOU. Anyway, that's my take.

Oh but your friend is making fun of white people and white people have no control over the fact that they are white. You need to talk to your friend about not offending others. I might feel offended by it so he should never say anything like that again!

Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? Most of the time when I call my brother retarded its in jest because he just said something dumb. Im not going up to a mentally handicapped person and calling them a retard so everyone else should seriously suck it up and deal with it. Im sure you think Im an a-hole because of how I think and you should be able to call me whatever name you like! Im not going to get offended because it doesnt matter.

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gbear

gbear

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Lax, calling your brother that reinforces what I was saying. He's your brother. That jest is a way of bonding for those already close.

I'd say the same thing about the use of the N word. Among those close, it's a bonding by putting down in a way that the person doesn't take ubrage from you. It's a "see how close we are" statement. It is a totally different context simply because of who is saying it to whom.

The random "look at the retard" comment is solely derogitory. It's being mean to be mean and using loaded words even if you don't know they're loaded. The simple truth is that term has context. Try not to take this the wrong way, but not recognizing the power of your words is simply a sign of immaturity. The choice of words and in which context we use them is simply an exercise in wisdom and often in compassion. Take that for what it's worth coming from a guy who is raising one slightly delayed child and who may at any point be robbed of some more cognition (not that it doesn't happen to all of us as we get older).

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LaxBuddy21

LaxBuddy21

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Lax, calling your brother that reinforces what I was saying. He's your brother. That jest is a way of bonding for those already close.

I'd say the same thing about the use of the N word. Among those close, it's a bonding by putting down in a way that the person doesn't take ubrage from you. It's a "see how close we are" statement. It is a totally different context simply because of who is saying it to whom.

The random "look at the retard" comment is solely derogitory. It's being mean to be mean and using loaded words even if you don't know they're loaded. The simple truth is that term has context. Try not to take this the wrong way, but not recognizing the power of your words is simply a sign of immaturity. The choice of words and in which context we use them is simply an exercise in wisdom and often in compassion. Take that for what it's worth coming from a guy who is raising one slightly delayed child and who may at any point be robbed of some more cognition (not that it doesn't happen to all of us as we get older).

Well I dont know people that go down the street yelling "look at the retard" so I think your point is mute. I only call people I know a retard. And as far as a sign of immaturity, I think its a sign of immaturity when you get offended over ridiculous things. Mature people let things roll off their back because they dont matter.

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mbws

mbws

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Every time an "offensive" word is replaced by a kinder gentler word, before long that word becomes offensive and it has to be changed yet again to a more PC word....never ending circle.

That's true. Retarded replaced Idiot, because Idiot was offensive.

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mbws

mbws

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Well I dont know people that go down the street yelling "look at the retard" so I think your point is mute. I only call people I know a retard. And as far as a sign of immaturity, I think its a sign of immaturity when you get offended over ridiculous things. Mature people let things roll off their back because they dont matter.

I think you meant moot. Mute is dumb, literally.

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RedskinFeathers

RedskinFeathers

Posted
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I think there are certain words certain people take more offensively than others...it all depends on your situation: for some people it's handicap slurs, others it has to do with sexuality, and for some it's racial, and I guess for some people, everything bothers them.

It'd be nice if people never said anything to offend you, but I'm sure there are things you say that offend people as well.

I, personally, try not to say "retarded" because one of my good friend's sister's is mentally handicapped, however, I do say it. On the other hand, I swear like a sailor and have an extremely dirty and, at times, politically incorrect mouth, so I probably offend a lot of people when I talk.

I try not to do it in front of children and really old people though.

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PleaseBlitz

PleaseBlitz

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Someone should start a thread:

Where do you rank your ease of being offended on the classic 1-10 scale with 1 being you are offended if someone looks at you funny and 10 being you cant ever remember being offended by anything, ever.

I would say im a 9.

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Toe Jam

Toe Jam

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Posted
Someone should start a thread:

Where do you rank your ease of being offended on the classic 1-10 scale with 1 being you are offended if someone looks at you funny and 10 being you cant ever remember being offended by anything, ever.

I would say im a 9.

You posted that the wrong way.

I'm offended, asshat.:saber:

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Rdskn4Lyf21

Rdskn4Lyf21

Posted
Posted
Someone should start a thread:

Where do you rank your ease of being offended on the classic 1-10 scale with 1 being you are offended if someone looks at you funny and 10 being you cant ever remember being offended by anything, ever.

I would say im a 9.

Would people admit to being 1s? Would others knowing how offended they can get offend them?

I'd put myself at a 9.5.....

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