Comments | gabbycat: A Vocabulary Lesson

gabbycat

A Vocabulary Lesson

Mar 13, 2006 08:42

Auntie is incensed my children. What are they teaching in schools these days, besides rabid nationalism. Auntie has a little word association game planned for you all. What do the following words all have in common: nigger, spic, wop, mick, jap, slant eye, wet back, kraut, kike, dike, fag, frog,camel jockey? That's right children! They make the ( Read more... )

Comments 8

drowned_ophelia March 13 2006, 18:43:16 UTC

Hear hear! I thought the USA was supposed to be a paragon of idealism, of anti-racism and progressiveness. Why is it, then, that we feel the need to fling racism everywhere?

If this nation would just admit it's full of a lot of xenophobic racists, perhaps I wouldn't be so upset over it all. But, of course, we can't admit to our shortcomings. Heavens, no!

poopy_macpoop March 13 2006, 23:23:45 UTC

I wasn't going to reply to this. Then it ate me up for the last three hours. So, a couple things.

1. They should have real camel jockeys. I'd watch that. Well, maybe for a lap, not, like a three day trek through the desert or something. I ain't got that kind of time ( ... )

gabbycat March 14 2006, 16:26:38 UTC

Words mean what people want them to mean? Then I can call red, blue, and cats clouds.

I am not focusing on just the words here. The hate behind the words was my point. I do include the term frog, it is meant to demean.

I disagree with people needing dehumanization. We need to recognize, that we are all human, and act accordingly.

poopy_macpoop March 14 2006, 16:40:11 UTC

Words mean what people want them to mean?

You've paraphrased me to make a funny joke. But you've lost my intent. I said, words mean what people believe them to mean. The listeners, not just the speaker. You could say "clouds" for red, white, and cats, but you'd have to convince me of what you meant for it to mean anything.

So when I say "frog" without any malice, and the people who hear me say it know I'm saying it without any malice, who gets hurt?

That said, I am at least putting a moratorium on using it, while I do a little research. Up until yesterday I was absolutely sure it was in the Canuck/Limey ballpark, not a legitimate racial slur, which, by the way, make me cringe to hear them.

Anyhoo, this is a pretty heated argument about linguistics, which is interesting. I'm going to quit now, though, because, in the main, I agree with you completely. People shouldn't use words to hurt other people, especially arbitrarily. People shouldn't hate their fellow people without, at the very least, a lot of careful consideration. That's ( ... )

gabbycat March 16 2006, 01:04:42 UTC

A lively debate is good for the spleen.

jmpierce March 16 2006, 13:28:55 UTC

blackperson just put up a rant the other day, very well-written and insightful, regarding the n-word. Here's a link. It's very worth reading and very well-written, though I find it somewhat uncomfortable and ironic the way she herself uses some words that make me flinch in the very same rant in which she explains so eloquently how fucked up another racial slur is.

So if you can swallow her own racial slurring with a grain of salt, it's a really good read.

And, I agree with your post 100%. Very well-said.

jmpierce March 16 2006, 13:30:28 UTC

I just realized it's friend's locked. Drat. Well, she's worth friending if you feel so inclined, she's extremely intelligent and funny as hell. But if you'd just like to see that post I'm willing to email it to you. I really think everyone should read it and it's unfortunate she friends-locked it.

gabbycat March 16 2006, 23:43:26 UTC

I may try to friend her if you don't think she'd mind