Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 11:34:50 -0500 From: herbyn@pipeline.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1196$foo@default> Subject: Re: racism
Heggood@aol.com wrote:
>Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 17:07:39 -0500 (EST)
>From: Heggood@aol.com
>To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
>Subject: Re: racism
>Message-ID: <970329170738_854286747@emout07.mail.aol.com>
>
>john e. cavanaugh wrote:
>>> Where does evil begin? Right here, right now, just like this.
>>> Are we going to put up with it? Must we wait until the lynchings start up
>>> again, or the stormtroopers kick in the doors? Or do we start now?
>
>Being a southern born WAM (S.C. circa 1945) I am painfully aware of the
>array of words an phrases concocted to intimidate and belittle members
>of the black community and understand that they were designed to be
>hurtful and degrading.
>
>When I hear a prominent Black American such as James Earl Jones use
>the word 'nigger' to refer to himself and other members of his ethnic
>group, I gotta figure that it must be ok in today's times to use the
>word unhatefully.
so i suppose if someone overheard your wife, daughter, or loved oned
referring to themselves as a "clumsy bitch" when they, say, spilled coffee
on the floor, i therefore would have the right to walk up to her and call
her a "clumsy bitch" myself (or generalize about all women as "silly
bitches" on a public newsgroup) and not (rightly) expect you and her to be
offended?
you are clearly an intelligent person so i doubt that it is necessary to
point out the falaciousness of your argument. i believe that you
understand all too well that your analogy was misleading at best, and that
someone using the "n-word" in a self depricating manner referring to
themselves and using the word as a verbal sword designed to be (as you say
yourself) "hurtful and degrading" to ANOTHER person or another "group" of
people is hardly comparable.
>So, why is it acceptable for a black person to use the word,
>but intolerable for others?
who said it was acceptable for a black person to used the word? just
becouse black artists or actors use the word does not mean that "it is
acceptable" for them (or anyone else) to use the word. for all i know the
person that used the word on this newsgroup is black. frankly, whether he
is black or white or asian or anything else the word it patently offensive
and should not be used in this particular forum which is dedicated to cp
cultivation.
>I too am sick of racism, but it seems to me that the very ones
>who are supposed to despise it the most are doing more than
>their share to insure the wedge stays in the rail.
>
>Hey, the fellahs got caught using a word which can have extreme
>racial overtones in context. Give them a break.
it is your apologist "boys will be boys" attitude that speaks to the truly
chilling, insidious nature of hate speech and, frankly, is more troublesome
to me than the hate speech itself.
herb
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