Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Money for Nothing banned in Canada?

When Negro people began demanding they be referred to by other terms, Black, Afro-American, African American, etc., I had hoped that they'd do the right thing and adopt the ugliest epithet they had (the "n" word).

I always imagined Nancy Regan having to ask that we give to the United "N-word" College Fund. Watching, powerful, wealthy, lipless white people (northern Euro, I mean) squirm every time they HAD to say it would have been awesome!

Kinda like QueerNation, NWA, or Dykes on Bikes. Though, I have to admit that I was totally freaked out at a TV show (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) using that word in its title. I got over it.

What I wish, is that all minorities could use derogatory slurs from other minorities (sorry heterosexual white guys). I sometimes envy my 1/2 Jewish- 1/2 Italian friends, and I'm super jealous of all the nasty things my black gay friends can say openly----especially the ones with disablities.
Lucky Basterds!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaFy0x_Uixo

P.S. Not directed at anyone in particular.

Lampshade, as an example, if I may, I'll use my life as a disabled person to explain my view.

In society, it's unacceptable and rude to refer to someone with a physical disability, a gimp, or retarded (ignorant people, and there are many, assume that someone in a wheelchair is mentally incapacitated to some degree ) which is correct IMO.

Now, IMO, just because I adhere to that principle for society as a whole, doesn't mean that I have to adhere to it personally. I don't believe the aforementioned words should be directed to other people (that someone may not know), because they're offensive, but my friends and family use them with me all the time. I can almost guarantee that if you were my friend, you'd do the same because I find it funny, and humor is a way that gets me/us through life. In a way, we've created a pidgin or dialect because we only talk this way amongst ourselves, so it's not offensive, and my friends and family would never talk to someone else with a disability, the same as they do with me.

Fundamentally, I just don't think it's fair to pontificate what's right or wrong for any given group of people. To a lot of people (not me), it's empowering to reclaim a word that is used to belittle them.

Very apropos to this entire discussion, here's an interesting conversation from Russian Television on political correctness. Near the end, one of the gentleman mentions, as I did, a general formulation for the use of derogatory terms, and who should have the right to use them.

Peace, my friend.

Well put Cam!

If another Marine calls me a “Jarhead” it’s a term of endearment. If a stranger, especially a Soldier, Airman or many Sailors say that, it might end up in a fight.

In line with your comment about people viewing people disabled as “mentally incapacitated” I had a run in with the “facilitator” of a human relations seminar at my last workplace over that. They showed a video of a woman, in a wheelchair, with a group of coworkers out at a restaurant. During the vignette the waitress deferred to the woman’s coworkers to order for her though she was not in any way mentally disabled. During the “facilitated” discussion following the vignette people were asked how to respond to such a situation. The universal answer, and the one the “facilitator” was looking for, was to show your indignation to the waitress and immediately correct her behavior. Having been physically disabled for 8 months following a motorcycle accident had a slightly different, though apparently unpopular, opinion. I said that it “was not my right to don my caped crusader outfit and drag my coworker out into the limelight making an example of the waitress just because her behavior made me feel uncomfortable.” I said “I would let my coworker handle the immediate situation and after all was said and done I would tell her how I felt and let her know that I would support any action she would like to take whether that be file a complaint with the manager, leave the restaurant, do nothing or anything else. The “facilitator” got red in the face and started wagging his finger at me saying “NO! NO! NO! At which point Larry, someone I’d met previously, helping him solve a UNIX problem, who was permanently in a wheelchair from a skiing accident threw his hand up in the air. The “facilitator” quickly called on him, probably seeing an out for himself. Larry said “Dean’s absolutely right! I’m never so insulted as when people think I want them to stand up for me simply because I can’t stand up myself. You should have seen the look on the “facilitator’s face, I wish I had a camera.

Self righteous people suck. Worse than that they scare the hell out of me. It’s where Nazis and Bolsheviks come from.

Ding, ding, ding, winner...

Whats that word? Oh yes, context. The complaintant missed it and the government board ignored it entirely, so now we have a silly ban.

For what its worth, I'll keep my government. I'll trade off a few silly song bans so I can keep my exellent quality, high value, universal health care.

Dean, sadly I'm not surprised by the opinion of the human relations coordinator. I would postulate that there was some sort of protocol he was following, as I have come across many guidelines for organizations that are supposed to educate or assist people, but instead they set people back.

I commend you for speaking up, and hope Larry keeps on advocating! It's all too commonplace for people to sit idly by and not question people in head positions of social services; some of whom don't have anything in common with the people they're advocating for because they sit behind a desk all day. And the most unfortunate aspect I've found, is that a lot of people with disabilities are intimidated. I for one don't fit into this category (surprise surprise) and constantly advocate on my behalf, as well as others.

Keep up the good fight, my friend . And keep a camera handy so you can videotape the next time you interject !

Well now that I’ve dragged myself into the 21st century and gotten a smart phone that’s a very good idea.

Wheelz,
How might a new visitor to this forum react to your avatar? Some will laugh. Some won't care. But somebody might be deeply hurt by it. You saying that it is ok because you are in a wheelchair (I apologize if that is not the case) to me is flawed.

Couple of quick thoughts.

1. If it is perfectly acceptable for person of one race to use a given word, but it is unacceptable for a person of a different race to use the very same word, is that not racism?

2. I can make any word you choose ("n**" or "African-American, "gay" or "F**," "honky" or "Caucasian") sound like an insult or a compliment.

(I'm Caucasian so I'm allowed to actually type the entire insulting word "honky" with impunity)

3. I have a little trouble with labeling someone who uses a racially unacceptable word as a "racist." Can we really equate someone who uses an unacceptable word with another who would chain a human being to the back of his pickup truck and drag him down a road to his death? Both may have a racial bias, but one goes far beyond the concept of bias.

4. While there has been progress (from the viewpoint of someone born in 1945, great progress), we are never going to solve our racial problems until we start talking and listening, REALLY listening, without judgment, to each other about how we feel. Can we put on the other fellas shoes and really try to understand how it feels to be him? I hope so.

5. Music, traditionally, by definition, must contain 3 things - rhythm, melody, and harmony.

"The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre."

By the traditional definition, rap is not music. The changing of the definition of music to include forms which are not music is already taking place as evidenced by some of the posts in this thread.

But, I hope those who embrace this change will understand and forgive those of us who are older, believe in the traditional definition of music, and are weary of the constant changing of the rules if we do not support what we consider the usurpation of fact.

And before you dismiss my words as "old guy" blah blah, let me remind you that rule changing is a relentless, ongoing social procedure. Before too long it will be YOUR rules that will be changing. And, while supporting some of these changes, like us, you will not be happy about many of them.

Lampshade, in all the time that I've spent in the hospital, and of all of the disabled people I have befriended, I don't know one that would be offended by it. Everyone I know would consider it as acceptable because I'm disabled, and in essence, poking fun at my own disability.

Ideally though, it's a form of freedom of expression that transcends everything. Somebody could have a NAZI swastika as an avatar, and although I wouldn't like it (and in this example, hopefully everyone would despise it), that person still has the fundamental right to do so.

Regarding my avatar specifically. If somebody would be deeply hurt by it, especially after finding out that I am disabled, then I honestly think that's pathetic and they have bigger fish to fry.

Cull the bluenoses !