I’m afraid I cannot argue with you any longer, as you are resorting to putting words in my mouth, actions on my part, backpedaling and clintoning and second guessing your own arguments.
As to the 1/2 breed thing- why, yes, it was every bit as good as svic, you silly- after all the centuries and eaons of racial (apologies to Collouns et al) intermixing, who is truly purebred these days, despite what characteristics might predominantly express, despite what this or that supremacist would have you believe.
In other words, I said ‘fuck off, totally-similar-to-me-and–everybody-else person’. And got you jsut like I thought I would, you towering giant of intellectual freedom.
this is li’l ol racist, ignorant, jew-baiting me, wanderin off to the rapin and lynchin and sister fuckin…
Way to miss the point. I hate to break this to you, but not everything is about you. The OP’er (remember her?) said “This term is like calling a Black–Ni***” and “I believe you should apologize to all of the Hispanic poster on this board.” MY point is that she has NO IDEA that MANGEORGE meant it as an insult, NO RIGHT to assume that he did, and NO RIGHT to demand that he apologize to every person of Hispanic descent on the board – as if she’s qualified to speak for all of them. I am NOT saying people don’t have the right to be pissed – they never check with me before getting pissed anyway, so what good would it do for me to assume I’m the Anger Police? I agree that someone around here is telling someone else what he must mean and feel, but it ain’t me.
But the OP’er did, and you are defending her. If you’re not, maybe you could be a little clearer about that.
I don’t think it was the greatest word choice in the history of communication, either, but I think that people are out of line in assuming he meant to insult anyone, because if you bothered to learn anything about the guy you’d know that’s highly unlikely to be the case. And I resent anyone wading in to say “You owe an apology to every red-headed middle-child whose name starts with “T” on this Board.” If you or the OP’er think you’ve been insulted, ask for an apology for yourself, but don’t presume to do so for an entire class of people, some of whom might not agree with you. (And, no, I’m not talking about you personally.)
[bowing so low that his hood falls off to reveal his bald spot, and his codpiece rides up his ass to reveal it’s boniness and the wondrous smallness of his pez dispenser] Thank You, Highdette of Uncle Rons High Country Travel Plaza and Cafe [/bowing]
Enh. My heart’s broken. I’m not second guessing anything I’ve said at all. Perhaps clarifying. If I found common ground in yours and my positions, I don’t think it’s backpedaling. But whatever.
Got me? 'Fraid not, sparky, I haven’t said anything I didn’t mean.
Well glory be, not everything’s about me. Listen, I misconstrued your post. I’m sorry, sorry, sorry.
I still stand by my assertion that mangeorge most likely knew that ‘wetback’ is often derogatory, and should have known better. And if he thinks that it’s okay to used ‘wetback’ to refer to Mexicans in any situation, I think he’s wrong and deserves the reaction he gets.
deb2world, why don’t you take people to task for using the terms “redneck” or “hillbilly.” I find those terms just as offensive as you and Gundy find “wetback” and I imagine others do as well.
If “wetback” is worthy of starting a pit thread, why not the words I find offensive? Is it because they are in such common usage as to be ordinary? Or is it because they are generally applied to working class, underprivileged white guys who don’t have a Jesse Jackson kind of guy yelling about how poorly they are treated? I really would like to know.
For the last oh, hour or so, I’ve had this image of this elegant, somewhat rundown ‘old fart’, saying, in a beautiful, drawn out, southern, lazy-in-the-sunshine and honey voice, saying:
‘So, thank you for your concern, and bite me at your earliest convenience.’
You fucker…
inor, I’m glad you liked it. I think you liked it, that is. By the way, in the context in which you used “old fart,” no one could possibly find it offensive.
(I’m sorry- I gets em and I can’t stands it- gotta pop em out afore i hurt myself, but dear, at this point I’m teasing)
Hita linda? I’m sooo glad you stand by what you said.
To Whom It May Concern: Mangeorge is one of the few posters whose threads I always open, knowing he won’t waste my time.
Eh, Deb, he apologized in the other thread as soon as you called him on it. His attitude in the other thread was not racist. There was no need to start an entire Pit thread for this.
Now that I am armed with the knowledge that not everything is about me and that I am far too sensitive about calling Mexicans wetbacks, I feel far more at peace with the world.
Look. I am not calling mangeorge a racist. I never did. I am defending deb2world in her questioning his use of the word, and against the omnipresent charges of rampant PC thuggery. I read mangeorge’s apology in the thread. It was perfectly civil, and admitted that he wasn’t thinking when he used that word. So <curtsy>, I humbly bow out.
Excuuuse me?!! Have you ever had an intimate friendship with someone not of your own race/ethnicity/sexual orientation?!! Of course differences are a source of humor/teasing in those relationships, and of course it often involves the use of otherwise derogatory words:
A homosexual friend often accuses me of “typical breeder thinking.”
My response to a black friend complaining about racial discrimination: “Missy, we whites aren’t prejudiced against you darkies.” (That one got looks of horror from two whites at the table who didn’t know Missy well, and peals of laughter from Missy.)
My Asian exGF and myself, when we would come across an interracial couple: “My God, they’re gonna have mongrel kids!”
Etc., etc.
Do you say such things to people you don’t know, and know well? Of course not. But don’t tell me you can never say them. And as for when, if you have a good relationship, you will know.
Calm yourself down. To answer your question, no, I don’t associate with anyone outside of my race(s), ever.
Oh, wait, except for about 95% of my friends and acquaintances.
My boyfriend is Jewish (of German/Polish descent). I call him a tight fisted Yid, he calls me a stupid spic. It’s love, baby!
**
That’s exactly what I’ve been saying. Apparently, mangeorge felt comfortable enough in these surroundings to drop that term into the discussion without any qualifiers or anything. While I’m sure longtime Dopers appreciate that mangeorge isn’t a bigot, in my opinion, he could have used some foresight. In that respect, deb2world is not in the wrong, in my opinion, in asking him what he meant by it.
Except that she didn’t ask him what he meant by it; she assumed what he meant by it and demanded an apology based on what she thought he meant.
There is nothing wrong with saying “what do you mean by X? Are you aware that many people think X is derogatory? Mmaybe it doesn’t mean what you think it means?” That’s not what DEB did. I understand that her actions would be easier for you to defend if she had just “asked him what he meant by it,” but the fact is she didn’t.
I think most of you have missed this point. I did not quite get the original post right and forgot that line so I included it in my second post. I did not intend this thread to be a whipping board, but rather one of learning. The term “wetback” is an offensive phrase. I also think that no derogatory racial terms should be used on this board and that DOES include such terms as “white trash” and “redneck”.
Go ahead and call me the PC police, I have no problem with that title. IMHO the SDMB has too culturally diverse a population to not fight the ignorance or even unthinking usage of racially offensive language.
I read mangeorge’s apology in the other thread and am impressed with his graciousness. I think the issue should be over and done with.
What is being disputed, at least as far as I am concerned, is that they are not necessarily racist.
Mangeorge made it clear he didn’t mean anything by it, that in fact he used it with the very people he was referring to, with no offense on either side. (I agree with you that he was gracious).
What I’m saying, is that it’s not a black and white issue- it depends on how the word is meant- is it meant to be hurtful? then it most definitely is. (As a side note- you know who’s gonna get hurt? The one who is not strong enough to brush it off…)
Is it not meant that way? Then, however it’s taken, it’s not meant that way.
The other issue, from where I’m sitting, is that from your op and this last post, it’s fairly evident that, had you the power, you would dictate to all and sundry what they could and could not do, say, or think. And that you would like to anyway.
In my book, this is far worse ignorance than calling someone a name.
You have your ideas of what’s right and wrong, and that’s the way it should be.
But, please allow me to also.
I speak only for myself here and, like you, I’m done with this thread.
