# Getting used to racial vilification **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977 "2016-04-12T04:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Medici](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Medici](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medici)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/1 "2016-04-12T04:44:14Z")
We seem able to contemplate the full range of seven deadly sins with hardly a murmur, but at the merest hint of racial vilification we teter on the brink of nervous breakdown. Will we get over this, too? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/2 "2016-04-12T05:03:21Z")
I’m sorry, but I have no idea what that even means. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/3 "2016-04-12T05:14:31Z")
Racist language violates a strong taboo in the U.S. That’s sad, because it hints that racist beliefs and feelings are also strong. (Societies never have taboos against things they don’t want to do. They have taboos against things they’re tempted to do.) Perhaps, in time, we’ll gain wisdom, until the vilest racist language will be no more disturbing than petty nationalist language is today. (Nationalist slang is still offensive, but much less offensive than racist slang. “Frenchy,” for instance, has very little power to hurt, in contrast to…examples I’ll forbear to cite.) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/4 "2016-04-12T06:45:06Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > (Societies never have taboos against things they don’t want to do. They have taboos against things they’re tempted to do.) Huh? There are lots of things that are taboo that I think / hope / believe most members of our society have no desire to do: cannibalism, pedophilia, bestiality, murder, slavery, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/5 "2016-04-12T06:45:08Z")
People “accepted” racial vilification for centuries - largely because they had no choice in the matter. It is only in recent years that people have \*stopped \*accepting it. Is the OP interested in going back to a time when people _knew their place_? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/6 "2016-04-12T12:19:41Z")
Is the OP asking if we will ever return to a time when overt racism can be overlooked as a mere personality quirk, and cause no further reaction? I sure hope not! ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/7 "2016-04-12T12:36:36Z")
> [@Medici](#): > > We seem able to contemplate the full range of seven deadly sins with hardly a murmur, but at the merest hint of racial vilification we teter on the brink of nervous breakdown. Will we get over this, too? Do you know what the seven deadly sins actually are? Comparing them to “racial vilification” seems like apples and oranges. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/8 "2016-04-12T12:42:16Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Do you know what the seven deadly sins actually are? Comparing them to “racial vilification” seems like apples and oranges. Mmmmm, apples and oranges!! _This_ glutton asks that you spoiler such triggers. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/9 "2016-04-12T13:37:32Z")
People are too slothful these days to deal properly with racism. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/10 "2016-04-12T13:41:31Z")
> [@Medici](#): > > We seem able to contemplate the full range of seven deadly sins with hardly a murmur Really :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/11 "2016-04-12T13:41:32Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > People are too slothful these days to deal properly with racism. Does that make you wrathful? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/12 "2016-04-12T13:50:25Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Does that make you wrathful? Yes, and I’m envious of those cultures which are different. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/13 "2016-04-12T14:06:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > People are too slothful these days to deal properly with racism. How would a non-slothful person properly deal with racism? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/14 "2016-04-12T14:12:58Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > How would a non-slothful person properly deal with racism? I’m too proud to admit I can’t make heads nor tales of what the OP is on about. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/15 "2016-04-12T14:14:48Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > How would a non-slothful person properly deal with racism? Lustily? (More seriously: racism/supremacism would fall under “Pride” [because of the implication of superiority] and if acted upon under “wrath” [because of the physical or mental violence, however mild]) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/16 "2016-04-12T14:32:29Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Lustily? > (More seriously: racism/supremacism would fall under “Pride” [because of the implication of superiority] and if acted upon under “wrath” [because of the physical or mental violence, however mild]) Just curious, what’s “mental violence”? Is that like a micro-aggression or something? I thought violence was pretty much physical by nature. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/17 "2016-04-12T14:56:29Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Just curious, what’s “mental violence”? Is that like a micro-aggression or something? I thought violence was pretty much physical by nature. Matthew 5:21-22: > [@](#): > > You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. It’s quite clear that Christian doctrine lumps together both angry actions and angry words/thoughts under the sin of wrath. So I presume that “mental violence” would be wishing to hurt somebody and/or expressing that wish without physically hurting them. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/18 "2016-04-12T15:09:36Z")
> [@Medici](#): > > We seem able to contemplate the full range of seven deadly sins with hardly a murmur, but at the merest hint of racial vilification we teter on the brink of nervous breakdown. Will we get over this, too? The difference is, with the seven deadly sins you have a choice, you can always **stop** being a glutton or whatever. Racial vilification goes to something you can’t change. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/19 "2016-04-12T15:11:41Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The difference is, with the seven deadly sins you have a choice, you can always **stop** being a glutton or whatever. Racial vilification goes to something you can’t change. Am I the only one still a bit confused on the definition or “racial vilification”? Is it something that one (presumably a minority race) receives / perceives from others? Or does “racial vilification” describe the actions of racists towards members of other races, which, presumably they could change? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977/20 "2016-04-12T16:18:07Z")
I think the OP is basically just complaining that he still gets chided for using the N-word even though it’s no longer taboo to show penises or same-sex relationships on the TV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-used-to-racial-vilification/751977.md?page=2)