Re: Leprechaun in Alabama... amazing stuff
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shaggyback</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Goldie, I am amazed. I really am.
Here's a good litmus test for you: Take your "word of choice" about a race and say it in front of a group from that race that you dont know. How will you be received?
I take you down to South Dallas or San Antonio and let you utter "nigger" or "mojado" (spelled correctly), and you will not fare well. You will be lucky to walk away, depending on who is present.
These are not cute words to be thrown around. They are hateful words used for one purpose: to dehumanize another race so the user doesnt feel bad about what happens next.
Dont believe me? Why were Germans in WWII called Krauts? Why were VC soldiers in Vietnam called Slopes, Zipperheads, etc?
It allows the soldier to dehumanize the target and eliminate it. People are a lot easier to do bad things to, once they are not seen as human. (Think Silence of the Lambs..."IT puts the lotion on IT'S skin...")
Dont use words that hold such a negative connotation simply because you can around certain friends. Make a point NOT to use the, simply because they detract from that race's basic humanity. Dont use them because, frankly, it's just not right.
Goldie, I like you. I will continue to like you. But, be better than that.
I find it odd, that I, the white law enforcement officer (the "ultimate racist" according to some of your most recent posts), needs to remind you why you shouldnt use racial slurs. </div></div>
NEVER SAID NOR IMP;IED that tou or any LEOs were racist or the ultimate racists. Plesae dont imply that i did. What I said was that "profileing" happens way too often, and it reflects poorly on your trade, and makes the piople profiled feel second class and to use your word 'dehumanized'. There are many fine black and hispanic officers. I suppose the reason I bring it up is to play DEVILS ADVOCATE here on this site, and take a stand for a group I want to see continue to prosper and consider friends, yet often unable to or afraid to speak for themselves.
I dont use the word nigger, except occasionally when I am with close friends and they are useing it. then its fun amongst friends. they call me 'whitebread' and it doesnt bother me a bit....in fact it cracks me up. BROTHERS is a different story....I dont find that racial at all, any more than calling a hispanic, 'primo' (cousin)...those are words they chose for themselves. Mojado (spelling corrected. You know spanish well where did you study?), like nigger is one that I would choose to use only in fun with those I know well, but it to me is less racial than descriptive. One could be white, or purple for that matter, and be a mojado.
Point taken on the use for soldiers, and the litmus test. But you have to understand that words like everything else evolve and change both meanings and usage. I had a girlfriend of German origin who called herself a 'dumb kraut' when she would screw something up. Unless one is a fundalmentalist christian who believe everything was created exactly 6473 years, 7 months 4 days, 9 hours, 22 minutes and 6 seconds ago and never changes. I am not and hold that view in high contempt)but lived in Lynchburg Va, home of the Jerry Falwell, whho did. Granted these can be inflamatory words which should be used if art all with great discrimination. REMEMBER, the one I used was BROTHER, not nigger. OVERALL I tend to agree with your pooint of view.
I dont recall that quote from "Silence of the Lambs". Though it was well done I didnt care that much for the movie.
GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STORY, of the guy looking for a pot of gold. Ill bet you that if I were there when the guy was carrying on about finding the pot of gold, and I made the chittlins remark to him he would just laugh and come back with something like "nah, man, Im gonna get that gold". Context is important. Besides which my grandparents ate chittlins....I couldnt stand the stuff and left the house when they would cook them. Its more a southern or redneck thing than racial. Speaking of slurs, Isnt REDNECK a slur against a group of people? Those poor, generally uneducated, whites whose necks were burnt from picking cotton or tobacco....like my grandparents.Yet we have a "no holds barred redneck thread" which I dont see any one object to. Oh we might hurt those poor little rednecks feelings.
Most of the REDNECKS that I know are proud to be rednecks, but if some "Damn Yankee" (also a slur against a group of people)came into "Blues" (the bar where all us rednecks used to drink) and started throwing the term around he would get his ass handed to him. Context. But as i said above, I generally share your view, and am careful with how I use these terms. Again,remember the original question was about the word BROTHER. there dont seem to be many of those at NASCAR events...wonder why?
Re:context. If you while in your official capacity, stoped me for speeding and I called you a dumb flatfoot, or an asshole, you would probrably cause me a lot more trouble. But if you, Wil, and i were all watching Texas beat Alsbama, drinking beer, and carrying on, and you insulted me and I replied with "dumb flat foot, or ass hole" we would all just laugh and keep carrying on.
So Im not defending the abuseive use of words. Like firearms there are right and wrong ways to use them.
"Goldie, I like you. I will continue to like you." You dont know me, gotcha fooled
Be well, be careful,"BROTHA"
