A Question About Offensive Language

First off let me say outright that I do not condone racism against anyone. In fact, any racism of any kind is disgusting to me. But, with that being said I think we can have a discussion and an open dialogue about language and what specifically makes something or someone racist or not racist, and insulting and not insulting. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism as...
1. believing that one race is better than another race
2. a political organization or doctrine that uses racism as it's main driving force and
3. racial prejudice or discrimination.
(I am paraphrasing but it's essentially the same)

So now that we have established what racism is and what you have to do to be racist or to act in a racist way, I don't think the societal attitude towards racism is inline with the dictionary definition of racism. We have a society, in the USA anyway, in which the use of the word ****** is a social taboo and you should never say it. But, is the use of the n-word so bad or is it the context behind the use of the word that makes it bad. I mean I just wrote it and I in no way used it in a derogatory way so what can truly makes words offensive? I think it's the context. I don't think that just saying the word makes it bad or racist but rather the intent or the meaning behind the use of the word that makes it racist. In, fact I think this for any word that is considered a slander. The use of the word doesn't make it offensive, it's the context.

So what do you all think, is a word in it of itself offensive or does the context behind the use of the word make it offense or not.

 

I thought this thread was going to be about offensive language.

For me offensive language is slang that refers to body parts and body orifices primarily.

Slang which refers to races derogatorily is also offensive, sure, but just part of a bigger picture.

 

It is about offensive language. The question I am trying to answer is whether word in it of themselves are insulting or if the context behind the use of the word makes it insulting. I was simply starting out talking about racism because I am bringing up the N-word and people would lose their **** and accuse me of racism if I didn't bring it up.

 

Are we allowed to say Negro in this forum?

 

as long as it's not in a way that is derogatory or offensive I see no reason why not.

 

Ok thanks @MDG045 .

Negro is the only N-word that I use, and I use it strictly as a factual indicator of race meaning a person of central and southern African racial origin.

It comes from the Latin word which is spelled the same way and which in Latin it simply means the color black. Although in Latin the word takes gender, with Negra being female and Negro being male, sort of the same as Latina and Latino in Spanish, which has similar grammar rules.

 

I find it funny how people are perfectly fine with things racist and insulting based on race if it's against whites, but any race else, full on war..
Hmmm... Are these actions themselves implying that whites are infact superior so they can take the insulting aggression and others cannot? Hmmm...

Now, saying everyone from X race is superior/inferior to everyone from Y race is stupid, that is "racism", morons.. Their are plenty of people of any race that are better at anything imaginable than some of another race..

But, if you can't be realistic about the scientifically proven facts of average general tendency differences between races, or even sexes, then you are also a moron..
Their is a reason why blacks tend not to be very successful ESPECIALLY after all the pampering and free **** the left gives them to try to "help" them, and their regressive urban culture..

Words, blacks run around calling themselves ******s all the time and then throw tantrums when anyone else says it, beyond stupid..
But they can call us crackers, white trash, or whatever else imaginative ebonic slang they can come up with, and it's no problem to most..

Not that I really care, call me whatever you want, I will laugh at you..

 

I think the current prohibition of the 'n' word lies in the fact that the word itself implies a racist context according to the media. The word 'cracker' is not considered a racial context by the media.

 

Gods - did you read what you wrote here? In one sentence, you state that doing something is stupid. In the very next paragraph you do that very, exact stupid thing. WTF? Are you damaged?

 

Barack Obama was born and lived part time in Hawaii when not being indoctrinated in Islam in Indonesia but what sends up a red flag...Obama don't surf so that makes him a hodad.

Surfers looked upon hodads being inferior to surfers so is the phrase "hodad" racist ?

 

No I didn't

 

You did.

You stated that blacks were inferior because of their regressive urban culture. It's like you painted a sign, "beware of cliff," and then just stepped off the cliff.

 

1. Taking offense at something said is different from intending to give offense.
2. Intending to offend is protected under the first amendment.
3. Taking offense at something said is perfectly fine, and you are free to take offense at clouds in the sky if that's what you want to do.

There is the possibility that I might not want to offend, while still giving offense. That's something we can work on, but that's on an individual level, and you can take that up with me if you feel slighted, but it's entirely up to me whether I care enough to not want to offend.

 

Nice try but as you can see honest intellectual discussion is far more offensive here than language.

As George Carlin said "there are no bad words, only bad intentions."

 

Definition of hodad

plural -s

1. 
   : a nonsurfer who frequents surfing beaches and pretends to be a surfer

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hodad

 

Now, what was your question again, @APACHERAT ??

 

Are ALL blacks absorbed in this regressive urban culture? No.. Not in my view of nonracist reality but I guess so in your racist view of reality..

 

You didn't say "some" black Americans - you didn't say "not all" black Americans - you said, "blacks" - an all inclusive term.
If you don't mean ALL, then stop being lazy and say what you mean.

 

Right..
Thank god I live in America because being offensive backed by reality is a whole lotta fun..

Left "I'm offended".. Me, "Har har har"

 

Reread... find: TEND ... google it
Nice try, appreciate the entertainment, better luck next time..

 

People who don't understand that generalizations are not all-encompassing don't understand how the English language works. We don't have to qualify generalizations by saying "I am making a generalization". It's up to them to learn the language.

 

See what I mean?

 

Why is it OK to call a Jewish person a Jew but not OK to call a Japanese person a Jap?

 

No, you don't understand the language. We don't have to qualify by saying "Not all".

 

Dude - all you're doing is trying to rationalize your bigotry toward black people. Be a man and own it if you're going to go down that road. *****-footing around with the semantics of "tend" is pathetic.