# Embassy Bomber Killed! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 12, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196 "2011-06-12T04:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/41 "2011-06-14T20:45:07Z")
> [@pikey\_pete](#): > > dude…I want that shirt I recommend that you have it dry cleaned. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/42 "2011-06-15T06:19:43Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I think that if you’re talking about what “the Pakistani government” wants as if everyone in the government wants the same thing, you don’t know that much about Pakistan. > Most people figured he was in Pakistan, and see above. Aside from which, “Pakis” is often considered offensive. was this a serious post? If it wasn’t, ok… that was funny. If it wasn’t, do I have to pretend to care, even in the pit? Hell, this PC crap is out of hand. Paki is shorthand writing for Pakistani. That’s it. Let the asshats who find it offensive work on their senses of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/43 "2011-06-15T06:32:02Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > was this a serious post? If it wasn’t, ok… that was funny. If it wasn’t, do I have to pretend to care, even in the pit? > > Hell, this PC crap is out of hand. Paki is shorthand writing for Pakistani. That’s it. Let the asshats who find it offensive work on their senses of humor. I trust you’re okay with Jap, right? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/44 "2011-06-15T10:35:40Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Hell, this PC crap is out of hand. Sandwiched in between the bits of horrible PC oppression was a note that you’ve got Pakistan wrong. Al Qaeda has tried to murder Zardari, the president of Pakistan. They assassinated his wife. They also tried to kill his predecessor, and they’ve killed other people in the government. Why do you think the government of Pakistan is protecting bin Laden and his friends? It doesn’t make any sense. There are groups within its intelligence agency and probably the military who are sympathetic to Al Qaeda and I’m sure some of them knew bin Laden was there. That’s the problem. Not Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/45 "2011-06-15T12:41:04Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > I trust you’re okay with Jap, right? Why should Paki or Jap be any more offensive than Yank or Canuck? There is nothing inherently insulting in shortening a word. Though I see wikipedia declares that Yankee “may sometimes be considered offensive or disapproving”, that’s mainly because people are stupid. If I use “Yank” in a disparaging way then replacing it with the word “American” would not make it less disparaging. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/46 "2011-06-15T13:20:35Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Why should Paki or Jap be any more offensive than Yank or Canuck? There is nothing inherently insulting in shortening a word. Though I see wikipedia declares that Yankee “may sometimes be considered offensive or disapproving”, that’s mainly because people are stupid. If I use “Yank” in a disparaging way then replacing it with the word “American” would not make it less disparaging. For that matter why should Nigger, Spic, Jew, Homo, Fag, etc be any more offensive than Yank or Canuck? A slur is still a slur and it’s hard to redeem such words once their used as such ([it’s impossible if the slur isn’t targeted at your group](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdVwt2deY4)). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/47 "2011-06-15T13:32:44Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Why should Paki or Jap be any more offensive than Yank or Canuck? There is nothing inherently insulting in shortening a word. Though I see wikipedia declares that Yankee “may sometimes be considered offensive or disapproving”, that’s mainly because people are stupid. If I use “Yank” in a disparaging way then replacing it with the word “American” would not make it less disparaging. Fighting this is like trying to push water uphill. Once people have decided a word is offensive, there’s no argument that will convince them otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/48 "2011-06-15T13:54:02Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > For that matter why should Nigger, Spic, Jew, Homo, Fag, etc be any more offensive than Yank or Canuck? A slur is still a slur and it’s hard to redeem such words once their used as such ([it’s impossible if the slur isn’t targeted at your group](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdVwt2deY4)). “Black people/African Americans are so lazy” There, now no one can say “Black” or “African Americans” anymore. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/49 "2011-06-15T14:03:25Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > There is nothing inherently insulting in shortening a word. Not this specious reasoning again. It’s illogical: there is nothing _inherently_ insulting in _any_ bunch of syllables. “Nigger” isn’t _inherently_ insulting either. Why is “nigger” actually offensive? Because of its history. Same as those other words, whether they’re shortened or not. We had this discussion over “Jap”, which in Ireland and the UK isn’t seen as offensive. Its offensiveness in the US won. “Paki” has a long and infamous history in a part of the English-speaking world that is significant to many Pakistanis, as well as Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese and many others to whom it was used as a slur, often accompanied by violence. Just because you don’t find it offensive doesn’t mean you should bandy it around on an international messageboard. I hope you will extend the same courtesy to those of us who have a visceral reaction to its use, thanks to its abuse by racists, nazis and fascists. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/50 "2011-06-15T15:22:58Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > “Black people/African Americans are so lazy” > > There, now no one can say “Black” or “African Americans” anymore. 1. Those words are not recognized as slurs. 2. You are not even using those words as slurs yourself; you are merely airing racist beliefs. 3. I doubt you have the necessary cultural influence to change society’s perception of the words “Black/African American” into racial slurs. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196/51 "2011-06-15T15:33:28Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Not this specious reasoning again. > > It’s illogical: there is nothing _inherently_ insulting in _any_ bunch of syllables. “Nigger” isn’t _inherently_ insulting either. Why is “nigger” actually offensive? Because of its history. Same as those other words, whether they’re shortened or not. Bingo; words aren’t inherently anything. The word ‘dog’ isn’t _inherently_ dog-like either; in fact, I hear those wacky French call it a “chien.” At least the Arabs had the good sense to call it a proper name like “kalb” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/embassy-bomber-killed/585196.md?page=2)