I think this has a lot to do with frequency of use and exposure. ‘Slavishly’ is a well-known, commonly used word by both Blacks and Whites. I’ve never known anyone to be offended by its use, although I guess it’s possible. However, ‘niggardly’ and ‘niggling’ for that matter, are two words not used by many Black people at all, as far as I know. Many don’t know, or are extremely unsure what the words mean, but they do know the words make them feel uncomfortable and that’s all that matters.
I’m bi-racial and have used ‘niggling’, but I also admit to surveying my surroundings beforehand. I would never use ‘niggardly’ under any circumstances in a public, uncontrolled forum. It’s just not worth the hassle.
How would you feel if someone of color stopped you right there and demanded an apology? You see, that word, which you have repeatedly used and even bolded, could be construed as a racist remark. Are you implying that we persons of color are all criminals? Clearly, the word “connotations” is saying “con no”… accusing somebody of being an ex-con and saying no, you don’t approve of their past!
That is potentially the implication of the word in someone else’s head, so why didn’t you choose your words more carefully?
Oh crap, I just insulted imps! Twice, even! To all my imp brothers and sisters out there, my sincere apologies.
So, how do you feel about the example of David Howard losing his job after apologizing for inadvertantly using a word that sounded like another word?
Puzzled. But why should that prevent me from apologizing to them?
Apologizing if you offend somebody else, even inadvertently, even if the other person really is an oversensitive crackpot, is just elementary politeness. If you don’t agree that what you did was genuinely offensive, then you don’t have to feel ashamed of yourself or express passionate remorse, but you still should apologize politely.
In real life, as opposed to your hypothetical examples, this is generally not much of a burden because very few real-life people strain to find ridiculously far-fetched things to be offended about.
I’m getting pretty weary of all the inocuous comments that are supposedly offensive. Nothing is offensive. In fact, people choose to be offended. Sometimes justly, sometimes not. But words themselves are merely sounds. They do not, by the very nature of their phonemes, DO anything. So the correct way to discuss any issue is not to say that words are offense, but to speak about who is actually offended and why.
For once, can’t the offended stand up and defend their offense?
I’m getting pretty weary of all the inocuous comments that are supposedly offensive. Nothing is offensive. In fact, people choose to be offended. Sometimes justly, sometimes not. But words themselves are merely sounds. They do not, by the very nature of their phonemes, DO anything. So the correct way to discuss any issue is not to say that words are offense, but to speak about who is actually offended and why.
Hmm. My first impulse, being a black man myself, is to say, “Well, it’s offensive to STUPID black people.”
African Americans has too many damn syllables, by the way.
But on second thought, the Democrat in question COULD have subtly been calling the black republican an Uncle Tom, which would be offensive. So while I refuse to call the term “slavish” offensive as such, I’ll concede that it could be used in an offensive way in context.
I noticed from the OP’s link that the same white Democrat in 2002 apparently referred to the same black Republican as a “token candidate”, which also was not too well received. It’s possible that he’s just innocently happened to use some words on a couple of occasions that rub some of his audience the wrong way. But it’s also possible that he’s trying to subtly link the black Republican candidate with associations of racial subservience. I can’t tell.
Yeah, that’s whay I expressed some regret about the OP. I didn’t catch the “token” comment Hoyer made a few years ago. That kind of tipped the scales the other way for me.
Having said that, though, I still think Michael Steele is a GOP butt-kisser, when it’s convenient for him. Now that Bush’s ratings are in the basement, he’s all Mr. Independent. Ain’t buying it. And his eHarmony-style commercials suck.
This has absolutely nothing to do with his race or mine.