I didn’t ask about the racist phrase.
Yes.
Then what makes you think I was talking to you?
But to answer your question, yes.
Why?
ETA:
Because your post immediately followed mine and you did not specify or quote who you were responding to so the assumption is you are talking to the person “above” you in the thread.
Sorry if I got that wrong but it would behoove you to be more clear who you are responding to.
Your first link is broken for me. As to the second:
Carney, a white man, said it about himself. Palin said it about an African American. Racially charged words tend to be more offensive when used to refer to a member of the race in question, especially when used by someone who is not a member of that race.
Do you really not understand how this works?
I’ve heard the phrase used by many people over the years and never heard anyone suggest it was racist before today.
Nobody called Carlos Santana racist when he told Georgia to stop shuckin’ and jivin’ about illegal immigration last year.
Believe me, I don’t want to defend Sarah Palin at all, but this phrase is not racist, IMO.
Can we at least all agree that Mitt Romney is a jive-ass honky?
Yes. Yes we can.
For the same reason “gay” and “fag” aren’t acceptable insults. Here’san open letter from a guy with Downs Syndrome to Ann Coulter in response to her use of the words “retard” and “retarded” as insults.
I apologize if it wasn’t clear that my reference to the “racist phrase” and “Palin” in post 20 had nothing to do with the word “retard” and “Ann Coulter.”
It’s not the same.
The dictionary definitions of “gay” (happy) and “fag” (cigarette) originally had nothing to do with the negative connotations they have today.
“Retarded” has a distinct meaning. “Slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress”
A person with, say, Downs Syndrome is, in fact, retarded.
Can it be used in a pejorative way? Sure. Context is everything.
That said if you call a person “mentally deficient” you are saying the same thing as “retarded”. To say one is “better” than the other is to make an unwarranted distinction.
People getting bent out of shape about the use of “retarded” is merely political correctness run amok for no effect.
Are you saying the word “gay” has a negative connotation today? Is being “gay” considered a bad thing?
I will note that I am waiting for Sarah Palin to blast Coulter over her use of the word “retarded”:
Not holding my breath waiting for consistency from Palin though.
Context is everything. (NSFW - language)
Can’t say it better than that.
Lotta whitesplaining going on here…
A continuation of that same bit above which I think further illustrates the point (fast forwarded to relevant part).
The Special Olympics has been running a campaign since 2008 to end the use of the r-word. Here’s what they have to say
The federal government has replaced the term “mental retardation” with “intellectual disabilities”. You may find the distinction unwarranted, but talk to a person with intellectual disabilities who has been called a “retard” or to the families of such people, and they will have a different opinion. Back in 1986 I worked on legislation affecting the intellectually disabled, and even over 25 years ago it was very clear which terms were appropriate and respectful.
A person with black skin and African roots is, in fact, by the dictionary definition, a negroid. I’m pretty sure you understand, though, that it’s unacceptable in this modern world to call black people “negroids.”
Have you ever thought that using the word “retarded” or “retard” to mean “stupid” as an insult may be offensive to people with learning disabilities? Similarly, using the word “gay” to mean “stupid” is offensive to gay people.
You’re right, though, it is about context. Saying “Refrigeration will retard bacterial growth” is fine. Saying “The president’s a retard” is offensive. Saying “I am a gay man” is fine. Saying “That’s gay” in reference to something that’s unappealing is offensive.
And, yeah, Carlin might be funny, but it doesn’t make him an authority. I’m pretty sure Chris Rock has spoken extensively on race relations, and I’ve laughed heartily at his material, but I’m not going to apply his stand-up routine to my life in the real world.
I think you should think real hard before ever directing the phrase “shuck and jive” toward a black person in real life. What *you *think is racist, and what *they *think is racist just might not be the same. Food for thought.
Sarah Palin thanks all of you for continuing to keep her relevant.
For serious.
Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter exist, as far as I can tell, solely to piss off liberals. It is a job they do well. I am sort of tired – no, I am deathly tired – of the Internet blowing up in outrage every time Palin or Coulter say something else offensive, which they do on a regular basis, because again, it is their job.
“Shuck and jive” does not seem particularly racist to me, although I’m sure that Sarah Palin is absolutely thrilled that some people think it is, so her stupid commentary gets passed around and heard by thousands more people than it would have originally. “Retarded” is in fact an offensive term, as I’m sure Ann Coulter is well aware.
Is it November yet?