BUT IT ISN’T TO THE OP. The OP thinks that treating women as equals, or respecting equal rights for homosexuals, or the humane treatment of animals is a big fucking chore.
Like I said originally, if his problem was with how we have to spell womyn with a y because men are an oppressive patriarchy, i would be right there with him.
But even the tiniest bit of concern for fellow planet dwellers seems to get in his craw, and I thought you were defending that. If I’m wrong, sorry.
Why you little…
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 7,609
You are missing the point that language usage is descriptivist, not prescriptivist. “Gay” used to have two meanings, one was “light-hearted, happy” the other was “sexually licentious”. The second meaning crowded out the first and became exclusivelly associated with gay people, and then became a synonym for “homosexual.” “Gay” is part of common usage; what you mean is that you regret that you can’t use it as an epithet, as in “That show looks stupid. It’s so gay!”
Actually, I think it’s ignorance–face it, “niggard” is not a word used in everyday speech. People who insist on using it despite its similarity to That Word are either anal-rententive pedants or crypto-bigots who groove on being able to say “NIGGARdly” in public and be able to play the wounded innocent despite knowing exactly what they are doing to provoke. I suspect it’s the latter.
Interesting. If I recall correctly I stated that Overly Political Gays bug me, and Ultra sensitive, castrate you with a rusty spoon feminists bug me. I didn’t say ANYTHING about equality. Nor did I say anything against treating gay’s the same as heteros. As for animal rights, I was ranting at the PETA type drones, not the general cause. PC has taken all these good causes and blown them up into this giant amorphous liberal cloud of causes that it’s heresy to speak out against. PC isn’t the solution to these problems, it’s just a fucking screen to hide behind so we all can feel good about ourselves.
Heresy? Crap. The thing is, you’re ranting about a very small percentage of critically offended types and pretending that everyone, or at least a large group, feels that way so you can be the bold iconoclast by pointing out how stupid it is. But in fact, practically everyone knows it’s stupid. Ranting about extreme PC is not clever, it’s not original, or brave, or shocking. Get over yourself already.
Tone down the rhetoric, man. I said what I meant. The word can no longer be used as a common descriptor because it has multiple meanings and the most common meaning is an epithet. Geez.
I think that is a very shallow way of looking at things. The word exists, it has a specific meaning, and sheeeit, if I feel like sounding super-educated today and speaking in pretentious twaddle, hell, I think I’ll just do so. Sure, the word doesn’t have to be said. But not everyone’s knee has to jerk 50 feet into the air simply because they don’t have a grip on the language. Besides, anyone who so desperately wants to call a black person a nigger will scarcely go to all the trouble to learn how to read just so they have an excuse.
Really? Well if everyone KNOWS it’s stupid then why do we allow it to persist? In fact, Not only do we allow it to continue we encourage it by constantly extending the blanket of what’s inappropriate to criticize.
No shit. Every time I hear a white man whine that they’ve become the minorities in this country I just want to … well, now that it’s been brought into the open, I want to wipe my ass with a spotted owl.
Piffle.
“Gobear,** Mr. Visible**, and Otto are gay.” There, I used the word as a common descriptor to denote “homosexual” without using it as an epithet. Calling me “gay” is fine because that is an accurate use of the adjective. Calling me “gay” to denote me as inferior, as in “Gobear is such a gaywad,” is different. It’s the same as any other word. Should we stop using “Jew” because some people like to use it as a verb that means to bargain fiercely?
Put it this way, to call someone “homosexual” is not insulting unless you think that being homosexual is insulting.
I trust you see my point.
One of the biggest reasons, IMO, that the stupidity gets extended further and further is because the stupidity that already exists sets a precedent for the critically offended types to further push the fact that they can’t handle the concept of being offended without pursuing a legal issue about it. In the hopes of shutting them up, people will let them have their way, and fear of offending anyone else, lest they decide legal action on a stupid premise is the most apropriate solution.
I’m all for the basic ideas of civil rights, but I do have a point where I think the groups are taking it from “basic human rights” to “I’m going to go out of my way to make stupid rules for everyone else because I’m too easily offended.” At that point, a good chunk of the rest of the group cringes at the thought that they are associated with that very vocal, critically offended minority within their subset.
Deagan the Wolf, what part of this statement by Skutir do you disagree with (if anything)?
What I understand Skutir to be saying is that we all have a right to choose the language we use. We all have a right to be offended by the language of others. We all have a right to express that we are offended by the language of others. These principles apply to both sides of the issue.
Right?
You don’t remember correctly:
I dunno, maybe because it’s not worth getting all huffy about? What do you care if a couple of fringe loonies insist on saying “herstory” instead of “history”? And what do you suppose you can do about it anyway, besides bitch and moan and make yourself look like an ass?
Who is “we”? Again, you’re acting as if this is some widespread movement, instead of a small group of professional victims who only get so much attention because it’s fun to ridicule them.
jarbabyj, you are overreacting
In the words of Edward R. Rooney, Dean of Students:
Thank you Grace, I think you’re wrong.
Saying “I support Gay Rights!” with “BORING” right after it, to me, is akin to the old addage “some of my best friends are black”.
Just because Deagen is so wonderful to support Gay Rights doesn’t mean there aren’t still battles to fight on this front. For those that ARE Gay and ARE suffering at the hands of people who don’t support them as equals, it’s not really a ‘BORING’ issue so much as a vital one.
Gobear … I do see your point. Would you believe that I know of a few Jews who object to being called a Jew (including my ex-boyfriend). When I asked one woman what she’d prefer to be called, she said “a person of the Jewish faith.”
Oh COME ON! Just own it! Use it! Then nobody can take it away from you. I couldn’t imagine myself ever objecting to being called a Jew (as long as it’s describing my religion).
jarbaby, I’m going to have to agree with Dog80’s opinion that you’re overreacting on this issue. How you interpret “I support Gay rights. I get it. BORING, NEXT!” is quite different from how I’m interpreting it. Personally, I see his point as being “I understand what you’re fighting for, and I support it, but would you please stop shoving it down my throat [just because I’m straight] as if I won’t ever understand the concept?”
Nah, he just wasn’t breast fed, his daddy ignored him and he hasn’t been laid yet. The result is mental masturbation until his cerebral cortex is raw and red.
Really I don’t disagree with anything He/she posted. What i’m annoyed with is the constant barrage of “Poor me i’m an oppressed minority, you evil white heterosexual males better make it up to me!” The point is, that while all the causes are good and well-intentioned, it’s gotten way the fuck out of hand. It amazes me how much a group of intelligent individuals will tolerate in the name of minding their manners and not giving offense. Sometimes these people are fucking offensive! Just as offensive, if not more than the groups that they are complining about in the first place! Just because someone was historically oppressed does NOT give them liberty to act just like their oppressors. Turn about is NOT fair play, it only encourages the behaviours all around. What’s worse, while they are being just as intolerant as any of their historical oppressors, we hand these people accolades and call them brave. BULLSHIT. Intolerance is intolerace all the way around. I’m intolerant of extremist nutballs no matter what their cause or how good it is. I admit it. The fact is, that I have not committed ANY of the atrocities that those groups are constantly barraging me with. Why is it okay to discriminate against me simply because i’m white, male and hetero? Just because my peer group was awful in the past means i can’t excersize MY right to criticize? I call bullshit on these people, clean and simple.
Okay, I’ll try one more time to bring this into the real world, and out of the realm of paranod fantasy and persecution complex…
“Constant barrage”? Where do you live that you’re subject to a “constant barrage” of such attacks? 'Cause I’m a white hetero male too, and I have not experienced anything that could remotely be described as a “constant barrage”. And I used to live in freaking Santa Cruz, California, the PC capital of the world!
In what specific way? Real world examples, please, of when you have been in any way inconvenenced by the PC police?
Such as what, exactly? What have imposition have you had to tolerate?
Right, like the time that group of black people chained you up and forced you to work in their cotton field? The time when those women tore up your voter registration card and made you stay home and cook dinner? What the fuck are you talking about?
Examples, please, of anyone beng given an accolade for intolerance?
How brave. Me, I love extremist nutballs. (Guess which smilie I’m thinking of here.)
It isn’t okay to discriminate aganst you for beng white, male, and hetero. Good thing that hasn’t happened. Or can you provide an concrete example of such descrimination?
Again, what people? 'Cause I don’t beleve they actually exist. Nobody is denying you any rights.
Your complaint, in a nutshell, is bullshit.