September's Bells and Schools Thread

[Blarg]

Exactly. It's not fair nor kind to attribute harmful intent casually. Even worse when that is taken as a flimsy pretext for one's own attacks. Such attacks are by definition overcompensating, but peculiar to some of the fondest celebrants of political correctness is the degree to which they are willing to aggress against others when they find a real or imagined infraction. The delight I've seen some PC types exhibit over the chance to leap in and bludgeon some hapless stranger has been repugnant.

[Kimbell175113]

If you had a sister with a bum leg would you still use the word 'lame'?

[wdcbooks]

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If you had a sister with a bum leg would you still use the word 'lame'?

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My brother is crazy and I haven't foresworn calling other people crazy, or wacko, or insane. I understand their meaning and intent, even if it could be taken as insensitivity towards the mentally ill.

[tuq]

By the way this discussion happening today is pretty ironic (I think that's proper use of the word "irony", Alanis has effed it up for generations).

My parents hate Jerry Lewis. Can't stand him. The story they tell is it was in the late 60s and they were living in NYC and watching the telethon. Jerry gets one of his Kids out on stage and when he wanted her to leave but she couldn't figure that out he said something to her like "run along, fat girl" or something really terrible that was obviously intended to get laughs at her expense.

Yeah, they brought that up every Labor Day and never donated to his cause after that...

[Jamougha]

I use 'retarded' quite often regarding poker players and plays. It seems about as precise and pithy a word as I can think of. If someone finds it offensive then they're probably just gay.

[LooseCaller]

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I use 'retarded' quite often regarding poker players and plays. It seems about as precise and pithy a word as I can think of. If someone finds it offensive then they're probably just gay.

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i feel like this mentality accurately expresses the way i feel about word choice around close friends. (they know i am not a hateful or bigoted person, so i feel free to use offensive words because my friends will understand the intent).

around new people, you can very quickly judge whether or not somoene will be bothered by the use of the word "retarded," "gay," "bitch," and on down the line. use discretion based on that judgment. it's pretty simple to avoid offending people as long as you hold back a little until you know them better.

this is really a natural extension of the fact that while you might tell your best friend his hair cut is horrible or call him a complete idiot for not liking a certain movie, you wouldn't say the same kind of negative comments to a person in the first 15 minutes after you meet them.

i say the f-word entirely too frequently and i still avoid using it when im visiting my grandparents.

[Shadowrun]

So i made a pretty rash trip to DC (11 hrs one way) with my roommate and a friend.

Trip was nice, i had no idea how awesome those kids from Georgetown have it.

[Blarg]

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[ QUOTE ]
I use 'retarded' quite often regarding poker players and plays. It seems about as precise and pithy a word as I can think of. If someone finds it offensive then they're probably just gay.

[/ QUOTE ]

i feel like this mentality accurately expresses the way i feel about word choice around close friends. (they know i am not a hateful or bigoted person, so i feel free to use offensive words because my friends will understand the intent).

around new people, you can very quickly judge whether or not somoene will be bothered by the use of the word "retarded," "gay," "bitch," and on down the line. use discretion based on that judgment. it's pretty simple to avoid offending people as long as you hold back a little until you know them better.


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What mitigates against this being as easy as you say is that some people whip out the political correctness gambit very opportunistically, especially when mad. People who have cursed around you and said all kinds of things may sometimes instantly change to prudes if they think they can get some mileage off it. I've seen this with women more than men, who will sometimes try to swing the "fairer sex" crap in. I've had more than one try this with me, and my response has been something along the lines of, "As many times as I've heard you say eff this or that, it's a little late to get all delicate now."

People won't avoid trying stuff just because it's stupid.

[Blarg]

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If you had a sister with a bum leg would you still use the word 'lame'?

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Probably not. But I wouldn't get holier than thou about it either.

[katyseagull]

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If you had a sister with a bum leg would you still use the word 'lame'?

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Probably not.

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See I probably would. I no longer know what's appropriate and what isn't. Do you think it's possible I spend too much time on a message board? I don't see anything wrong with the words "lame" "retarded" "crazy" or "insane". They have permeated my vocabulary and daily life. I thought they were accepted. I seriously think I need sensitivity training. it's like i've become very lax and crude since discovering the internet.

The whole reason I asked the question in the first place is that I called someone retarded today. Well to be precise, I didn't call HER retarded, I called her excuses retarded. It did not go over well.