The politics of DGN

[The_Dark]

Some day... the PC movement will wipe every word out of our language that might in someway... somewhere... offend someone... our sociaty will become large clumps of bland sameness...

yeah.. sounds like my kind of place.... NOT

FC... would you really have half your strength of charactor if someone hadn't picked on you growing up?

[Fierce Critter]

Some day... the PC movement will wipe every word out of our language that might in someway... somewhere... offend someone... our sociaty will become large clumps of bland sameness...

As to that, I don't see where directly hurling invectives at others makes for such a great societal mix. Just seems childish and immature to me. Further, a society that can sit back and decide, "o.k. - this word, that word and that word are unacceptable - but go ahead and make fun of the rest" seems the utmost in elitism and separatism. "We've decided this is o.k. and that is not." Who the hell is in charge and what's their basis of comparison? Nothing but personal bigotry & opinion, far as I can see.

As for the rest...

Hoo boy. I just don't know how to respond to people who can sit there and tell me N O T H I N G bothers them. Call me human, but hey, things BOTHER me.

I just can't help but feel (as I do whenever this same subject comes up) that I'm being looked down upon and patronized - "aww, poor little unenlightened Critter is crying 'cause a big bully once called her a name" - because things that are designed to bother me - B O T H E R me. It's like if I'm not some kind of Ghandi-esque super-being, I'm to be patted on the head and sent on my way with a shake of the head. It's near infuriating.

I am who I am because of MYSELF - not because of anything anyone has done TO me, with the possible exception of my parents, family and a few select role models I've had over the years (teachers, etc.). And I am who/what I am DESPITE jerkoffs who liked to ridicule me or otherwise deride me - not BECAUSE of the insignificant specks of filth they are/were.

Nevertheless, I do not feel like I'm some kind of hapless lesser being because things people say about myself and others bothers me. Did I say it causes me to act one way or another? No. But bothered I have been, bothered I am, and bothered I will continue to be.

This kind of thing bothers me particularly because of what I've seen it do to people I know, love and respect. To have to see my father - an incredible, incredible man - have to work silently while the jerkoffs he worked with called him dumb polack because a back injury caused him to have to switch from working machinery to pushing a broom to feed 6 kids - to work silently and not stand up for himself because of the risk of losing that meager income - it bothers me. To have to hear over and over and over and over how being fat makes someone "obviously" weak-willed and lazy, when I know that's not necessarily the case - it bothers me. To have to see friends, relatives and loved ones put up with this sort of thing on a LIFELONG basis and be judged due to the mostly inaccurate stereotype these sorts of "harmless remarks" foster - it BOTHERS me.

If you think it stops at "harmless remarks" you're so missing the truth. Sometimes, it causes a whole group of people to be judged unfairly as a whole based on one single aspect of who they are - I've seen it happen, and it's all kinds of unfair.

I've seen the results of lifelong "picking" on people. Not everyone comes through that sort of thing unscathed or "stronger". I've seen good people whittled down to shoe-staring shells because they were convinced they were NOTHING due to the constant barrage of slander spat their way.

No, that's not me. I found my resolve seemingly overnight in my early 20's. But it had nothing to do with having been picked on as a child or later in life. My strength comes from many sources, none of which were the worthless scum who spat invectives at me.

I think I'm going to have to respectfully agree to disagree on this one and let it go. It just doesn't seem to be a subject I can objectively argue, which is pretty rare for me.

[The_Dark]

Who the hell is in charge and what's their basis of comparison? Nothing but personal bigotry & opinion, far as I can see.

I dont know.. but I wish they would sit down and shut the fuck up. The rest of us

would like to get on with our lives and stop blaming our problems on something someone said to us when we were 9.

[DarkVampire]

Fuck PC. I dislike that with a passion. Example, myself. I'm a 1/4 Indian or as they would put it Native American. Native American lets look at the words.

Native- a person born in a specified place.

America- The new world either North America, South America or Central America.

Anyone born is this country is a native American for christ sake.

Could give off more lame samples but I'm already in a pissy mood and I'd rather not bring it to the forums.

[JaneDead]

lol...i was the only Italian at a school in Grosse Pointe where all the kids were named Ford, or their parents owned professional sports teams.  You don't think I got my fair share of slurs?  My nickname in high school was Dago for crying out loud.

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JUST "dago"? not sweating dago, smelly dago, greasy dago, wop dago, hairy dago... boy, were you missing out

(i do happen to like "mcdago" - i don't care what anyone says. i'm a mcdago too and i think it is one of the better names to be called. :laughing )

[Dollardave]

I'm also a Christian.

All kinds of creative things I've been called and accused of for that one.

Steven

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I think its great that your a Christian Steven I got alot of respect for u in that sense. I am too one time at city club some girls were talking to me and mocked me cuz I prayed. She was like do you actually pray to him. I got her number and stuff but it didn't work out. Good work tho Steven.

[Homicidalheathen]

One of my buddies just told me 'smoke fag' is gay slang for 'suck cock' so I wouldn't suggest your kid say that......no.

you mean like "phee is a phag and we should smoke him"?

someone called my son a fag once and he asked me what it meant. and i told him. later on my husband told me i should have told him it meant cigarette. i was like yeah that is all i need- for him to go to school and say "my dad smokes fags".

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[the eternal]

OK I'm the king of the never ending posts but I'm going to try to make it brief.

FOR ME! :grin

The PC movement is going to outlaw every word in the english language??

HA!!!

That's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

Here's a quick rule of thumb.

If the word you're about to say has been used to stereotype, offend, or oppress a group of people

AND

you're not a member of said group of people...

DONT USE IT.

At least not here.

We don't know your background, your history, what your friends are like,

and in many cases

we don't even know your race.

By now, most people know my orientation, but I dont even assume that most of the time when Im posting.

One friendly amendment to that:

We also shouldn't jump down people's throat when someone says one of these words.

We should look at the context, and respond appropriately. (Oh, and btw, the term faghag is a PRO-gay for str8 woman to identify themselves) THAT SAID, the term fag usually isn't used that positively, SO------

Brenda has this polite little way of always correcting people whenever they put things in the wrong forum.

It usually makes me feel a little dumb, BUT

it's always polite and always correct.

If someone uses a certain derogatory term, simply state, we don't support that language here.

Don't go crazy and call them a hateful, meanspirited, bigot.

Just tell them plain.

That should take care of it.

And HONESTLY, if they're so committed and defensive about using a slur, you have to wonder why it's so important to them.

Now to the whole smoking fags thing

Head Wreck would probably think you mean cigarettes.

That's why I prefer to say I've smoked the occasional pickle (though never a crunchy one)

Or even

I've smoked a few poles in my life.

The most accurate might be

"Yes, it's true. I like the hole AND the pole" Hard to mix that up with anything else.

FINAL THOUGHT ON "PC"

Let me tell you something. The right wing have completely highjacked political corrrectness.

EXCEPT...

where the left wing was trying to be sensitive to minority groups

The right likes to cover up and couch things they do in euphemisms.

No one gets fired any more(except on The Apprentice). They're downsized or outsourced

There's even a new term for body bags

the military's using to softpedal the deaths in Iraq, but I forgot what it was.

SO, it'll always be around.

I just hope we can step outside ourselves for one moment and see how language hurts others and ttry to be more respectful.

It's really not that hard to do.

If HR personnel learned to avoid the word "firing" to protect their own selfish interests, we can all avoid the n word so as not to remind others of their oppression.

Thank you and good night

Sincerely,

your resident half-fag kike who'll be praying and fasting when his fucked up calendar tells him it's the new year in a few weeks

[Homicidalheathen]

Very well put baby.....thanks. :grin

OK I'm the king of the never ending posts but I'm going to try to make it brief.

FOR ME!  :grin

The PC movement is going to outlaw every word in the english language??

HA!!!

That's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

Here's a quick rule of thumb.

If the word you're about to say has been used to stereotype, offend, or oppress a group of people

AND

you're not a member of said group of people...

DONT USE IT. 

At least not here.

We don't know your background, your history, what your friends are like,

and in many cases

we don't even know your race. 

By now, most people know my orientation, but I dont even assume that most of the time when Im posting.

One friendly amendment to that:

We also shouldn't jump down people's throat when someone says one of these words. 

We should look at the context, and respond appropriately.  (Oh, and btw, the term faghag is a PRO-gay for str8 woman to identify themselves)  THAT SAID, the term fag usually isn't used that positively, SO------

Brenda has this polite little way of always correcting people whenever they put things in the wrong forum. 

It usually makes me feel a little dumb, BUT

it's always polite and always correct.

If someone uses a certain derogatory term, simply state,  we don't support that language here.

Don't go crazy and call them a hateful, meanspirited, bigot.

Just tell them plain. 

That should take care of it.

And HONESTLY, if they're so committed and defensive about using a slur,  you have to wonder why it's so important to them.

 

Now to the whole smoking fags thing

Head Wreck would probably think you mean cigarettes.

That's why I prefer to say I've smoked the occasional pickle (though never a crunchy one) 

Or even 

I've smoked a few poles in my life.

The most accurate might be 

"Yes, it's true.  I like the hole AND the pole"  Hard to mix that up with anything else. 

FINAL THOUGHT ON "PC" 

Let me tell you something.  The right wing have completely highjacked political corrrectness. 

EXCEPT...

where the left wing was trying to be sensitive to minority groups

The right likes to cover up and couch things they do in euphemisms. 

No one gets fired any more(except on The Apprentice).  They're downsized or outsourced

There's even a new term for body bags

the military's using to softpedal the deaths in Iraq, but I forgot what it was.

SO, it'll always be around.

I just hope we can step outside ourselves for one moment and see how language hurts others and ttry to be more respectful. 

It's really not that hard to do.

If HR personnel learned to avoid the word "firing" to protect their own selfish interests, we can all avoid the n word so as not to remind others of their oppression.

Thank you and good night

Sincerely,

your resident half-fag kike who'll be praying and fasting when his fucked up calendar tells him it's the new year in a few weeks

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[phee]

I totally and completely agree that PC can be taken way too far... and I am by no means under the belief that one should not say certain words simply because of what they are... but if one chooses to use language that, I think that the context of where the word is being used is important.

[the eternal]

"Very well put :grin "

The comment or my pickle?

[JaneDead]

One of my buddies just told me 'smoke fag' is gay slang for 'suck cock' so I wouldn't suggest your kid say that......no.

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oh yes i knew that one that is why i was thinking it would be bad for my son to say that. :laughing

[Dollardave]

oh yes i knew that one that is why i was thinking it would be bad for my son to say that.  :laughing

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He could say my mom smokes fags tho theoretically unless u dont that is.

[the eternal]

yeah, kind of like when someone called me a son of a bitch

I said " Yeah, she is, how'd YOU know?"

[Scary Guy]

Fag means ciggerette.

Or at least it used to. I have gay friends who don't mind me saying it though. They know I don't use it towards them. When people say it it doesn't mean something/one is "gay" but that someting/one is "uncool". It has just worked its way into laughage that way. I like gay people (from a distance, no touching). Mostly because it means there are more women in the world for me. Although I don't like lesibans because that means there are less women in the world for me, so I think it kind of evens out.

[Steven]

Heathen.... amazing what you started here considering that you were only trying to get laid....

[Lilith]

I was at School Open house last night and stopped to talk to the principale for a moment, i get along real well with her, she is an outstanding woman and possibaly the best principale i have ever met.

She realyed a story to me about my oldest son. My son was walking past two black students and as he passed he said "whats up my nigga". Fortunatly she was in the hall way close buy and regonized my son was not being an ass but trying realy hard to fit in, make friend of other cultures etc.... She took all the kids into the office and had a talk explaining how certian words should not be used unless you are alread ya part of that world etc...... she also explained to the other two boys that they need to regonize that cody ment no harm and was trying to be there friend using there launguage to show he was "cool" and the kinda kid they wanted ot get to know. Which my son displayed after she explained how offensive the owrd can be comming from a person not of that race, because my son was instantly apologettice and upset as he really ment no harm. All three boys ended up being okay and udnerstanding allot about this type of thing they had to learn and i am happy they have learned this lesson in a safe way.

I am sorry guys i respect and like all of you, i honor your oppions and feelings and would never want to derail how you feel, but sometimes there are better ways to get your points across, your intent across etc.......... I think there are allot of people who are upset by this thread/ word and i think allot of those feeling might be unneccisary on some levels. . I think if every one could just understand where each other is comming from and get your point across with out attacking each other we all could learn some important lessons here just like my son had at school. Just because we are all adults here does not mean we dont need a principal once in while to explain it all to us.

lilith

[Saephyr]

My opinion...

If you PERSONALLY direct it at someone AND the result is offense then you owe that person an apology. Otherwise, let's not be so touchy. I won't say it in any form nor will I use the derogatory for 'black person' or any other racial slurs so it's just my choice ( and I think it's tacky as all hell).

You can say what you want but if you piss someone off...don't ask me to help you out man...you said it not me.

[ZhukovCodeslinger]

im not sure where this thread is going/ends since i lost interest.

Everything i say offends someone anyway... i probably offended someone with the first sentence of my post.... oh well....

[Homicidalheathen]

Moi? Start shit by trying to get laid?........? Never.....heh heh.

Heathen.... amazing what you started here considering that you were only trying to get laid....

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[Homicidalheathen]

What about bi girls?

Fag means ciggerette.

Or at least it used to.  I have gay friends who don't mind me saying it though.  They know I don't use it towards them.  When people say it it doesn't mean something/one is "gay" but that someting/one is "uncool".  It has just worked its way into laughage that way.  I like gay people (from a distance, no touching).  Mostly because it means there are more women in the world for me.  Although I don't like lesibans because that means there are less women in the world for me, so I think it kind of evens out.

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[Scary Guy]

What about bi girls?

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Bi girls are bi, and it's a term generally used towards men anyhow.