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Sue snack company
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??
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Profit!!
With apologies to MLK jr., I have a little dream of my own.
I have a dream that some day people will come to realize that it is possible to say or do something that offends someone else even if they did not intend to offend at all.
I have a dream that those people will recognize that and feel honest regret at having offended someone else–again–even though they did not intend offense.
I have a dream that those offended will in those cases learn to recognize that offense was not intended and be overcome with understanding and forgiveness.
It saddens me that we’re so far from what seems so simple.
I dare say it’s not an age difference between us that allowed me to hear the racist version. I think it’s more a reflection on those around you that you were shielded from that version. Here in the South, it was, and still is, not uncommon.
This was posted in Legal Briefs Newletter
Who says lawyers have no sense of humour?
I want my slice of the pie, DAMMIT!
Who wants to be my lawyer?!?
Tinker

If they win this case, I’m going to sue anyone who uses the term “Paddy-Wack”.
I guess you missed the first message in this thread, in which it was stated that they had LOST the case. The verdict was announced yesterday. The airline won.
Ed

I dare say it’s not an age difference between us that allowed me to hear the racist version. I think it’s more a reflection on those around you that you were shielded from that version. Here in the South, it was, and still is, not uncommon.
Entirely possible, and likely, given what I’ve read from other people so far on this thread. Regional differences are likely, as well, since I grew up in central Pennsylvania. And I think the only time my parents EVER used the n-word was in reference to Brazil nuts, which they both called n-----toes. Used to drive me crazy wincing whenever they did that.

Entirely possible, and likely, given what I’ve read from other people so far on this thread. Regional differences are likely, as well, since I grew up in central Pennsylvania. And I think the only time my parents EVER used the n-word was in reference to Brazil nuts, which they both called n-----toes. Used to drive me crazy wincing whenever they did that.
Don’t feel bad. My Grandma still calls them that, and she’s black.

To those who grew up with the ‘clean’ version, did you actually say ‘tiger’ or was it ‘tigger’? (And did you use the second line, ‘if he hollers, let him go’?) The version I heard was with ‘tigger’, so it was eventually obvious that it was formerly something else. Also, tigers don’t have toes, and they don’t ‘holler’. That being said, I’ve met a few people who were surprised to learn that there’s a racist version of the rhyme.
I only knew the “tiger” version - “Tigger” was a character on Winnie-the-Pooh. And I think we used he/him or it/it interchangeably. As for “hollers”, as a six year old with little actual experience of tigers in real life and the noises they make, I don’t think I even thought about it.
“Brazil nuts” was the only way I’d ever heard them referred to until I was well into my 20s.
shoot - hit “post” too quickly. I also heard a third pronunciation of “tiger” in this rhyme, from some of my buddies - “tayger”, which was a not uncommon pronunciation of the word on the Canadian Prairies at that time. Suggests to me that we only thought the rhyme was about a big cat.
I’d never heard of the “nigger” version until this case hit the news. I probably first learned the tiger version in Ohio, though I spent most of my growing up time in central Texas.

Also, tigers don’t have toes,
Criticizing blacks is like poking at a school of fish–they scatter then immediately re-group.
You think that black people are a monolithic entity?
(etc.)
Well, black people portray themselves as a monolithic entity, and that “society“ is a monolithic entity, as in, “We‘re living in a racist society“. The African-American community speaks with seemingly one voice in response to any number of issues. Let’s not smokescreen.
There’s often a lot of talk about having a “national conversation about race” and this is understood on one level to be among whole groups. “Look at history” we are told when we want to know why blacks–apparently as a group–are reacting in a certain way to a particular issue, and this implies a shared background upon which they base an identity as a group. We often hear calls for the US to issue a formal apology for slavery, but apologize to whom if blacks aren’t a group? Of course there’s diversity of opinion within the African-American community–that’s what the movie Barbershop was about for example–but then again, look at the protests that film elicited.
I’m also talking about incidents such as college students getting in tons of trouble for dressing as Tiger Woods or the Jackson 5 for Halloween. It’s not understood in terms of any other masquerade, but rather it’s associated with those old blackface minstrel shows. They were clearly demeaning, but it shouldn’t be considered demeaning to do something that simply reminds one of something demeaning. At the same time as the infamous “niggardly” case, someone was accused of racism for referring to a problem as a “tar baby”, because that reminded someone of Uncle Remus, which in turn reminded them of slavery. One of my favorite examples came when a major league ballpark awarded its daily ticket upgrade to a group of fans. They show you on the diamond vision and play the theme from “The Jeffersons” cuz you’re “movin’ on up” to better seats, but this time it was a black family and they complained of racism. (Not sure which of these cases included lawsuits or demands for dismissal as opposed to simple complaints.) Or how about complaints over recent TV ads for Three Musketeers bars, which had a black guy as one of the musketeers. That bit of casting was done in the name of diversity, but some saw racism in the association of blacks and chocolate (I think I read that one in Time Magazine).
We’re talking about a pattern here, a tendency within a specific body politic. I could have better-stated the final remark in the OP, to wit: In the course of having a national conversation about race, can the problem of frivolous lawsuits and complaints over questionable associations with racism and arrive at a more sophisticated understanding of what should or should not be considered racism?

(“Niggardly” means stingy or miserly and is derived from the Scandinavian word for miser, Nygaard
Wherever did you learn that ? Nygaard is just a proper Danish name (in Swedish it would be spelt Nygård), meaning litterally “new yard”. AFAIUnderstand it’s the same word as the the name of the Russian town Novgorod.

Wherever did you learn that ? Nygaard is just a proper Danish name (in Swedish it would be spelt Nygård), meaning litterally “new yard”. AFAIUnderstand it’s the same word as the the name of the Russian town Novgorod.
According to my handy Webster’s, it’s derived from the Scandinavian “nigard”; a stingy person.

According to my handy Webster’s, it’s derived from the Scandinavian “nigard”; a stingy person.
I must say that I have never heard any such word before. On the other hand, when I checked Merriam-Webster they confirmed its Old Norse origin and I can only say that it is definitely obsolete nowadays, at least in Swedish.
Some deep thinking made me realise what it is in current Swedish (njugg). My defence is that it has corrupted through the years and isn’t very common anymore.

To those who grew up with the ‘clean’ version, did you actually say ‘tiger’ or was it ‘tigger’? (And did you use the second line, ‘if he hollers, let him go’?) The version I heard was with ‘tigger’, so it was eventually obvious that it was formerly something else. Also, tigers don’t have toes, and they don’t ‘holler’. That being said, I’ve met a few people who were surprised to learn that there’s a racist version of the rhyme.
I didn’t find which planet Roches is from but on the Planet Earth all cats (felines) have toes and claws, aka: toe nails. Some cats are even polydactyl, i.e. 6 or more toes, a few even have 7. It is a genetic thing. Earnest Hemingway had a lot of cats and motst of them were polydactyl.
Cats, don’t 'holler,‘but cry, mew, and tirgers roar.’ so call it what you will.
Read about them at:
http://centralpets.com/pages/critterpages/mammals/cats/CAT5776.shtml
Few things are more offensive than taking offence where none is intended.
I suspect that the people involved may have gotten over it by now.
They herd n*ggers cause they got the word stuck in their nappy heads…
Wow. Really? :rolleyes: