# There should be no warnings for straight up hate speech. They should be banned. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 6, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155 "2016-03-06T21:43:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/21 "2016-03-07T12:15:10Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > A question. > > Was the banned poster known for tap dancing up to the line when it came to “hate speech” and warned often? > > Or was it a case of run of the mill sorta asshole poster who finally committed a “hate speech” crime and was banned? > > If it is the former…I can get behind that… > > If it is the latter…well, lets just say that doesn’t sit well with me. If you are talking about the poster **IvoryTower** linked to, while I’m not a mod and can’t answer definitively, he had gotten a whole string of warnings and mod notes recently. I actually was considering putting him on the SDMB death pool because the recent action looked like it was only a matter of time. H ealso made another racal slur after that one. A question of my own. Does using racial slurs against other posters constitute hate speach? For example, the use of “pink toes?” I don’t need answers fast. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/22 "2016-03-07T12:32:16Z")
Well, other than not recognizing ‘pink toe’ as a racial slur - thanks for the google search, everyone - I’d say most likely. At a minimum it would be considered a direct insult and warnable that way, even if I skipped the ‘hate speech’ angle. In other words, it’s not recommended behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/23 "2016-03-07T13:22:52Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Well, other than not recognizing ‘pink toe’ as a racial slur - thanks for the google search, everyone - I’d say most likely. > > At a minimum it would be considered a direct insult and warnable that way, even if I skipped the ‘hate speech’ angle. > > In other words, it’s not recommended behavior. Please don’t tell me that Urban Dictionary is a tool used by mods to determine the meaning of a word or phrase. Let me quote from _Stairway to Heaven_… \* There’s a sign on the wall But she wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings \* ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/24 "2016-03-07T13:29:46Z")
I won’t say that I’ve never been to UrbanDictionary, no. But I certainly wouldn’t consider it as a definitive source. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/25 "2016-03-07T15:07:58Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Please don’t tell me that Urban Dictionary is a tool used by mods to determine the meaning of a word or phrase. Why shouldn’t we use all available information? Sometimes Urban Dictionary has misinformation, but it often gives a sense of the popular understanding of a word of phrase before it has hit standard sources. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/26 "2016-03-07T16:43:52Z")
Wow. “Pink toes”. Who knew?? And I don’t see anything wrong with using Urban Dictionary. Maybe not as the definitive source, but as one source. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/27 "2016-03-07T17:46:27Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Since you’re asking, there’s that one fellow who claims that everybody of a specific nationality is ugly, but I figure it’s just a matter of time. There is also that very pleasant person in the elections forum who seems quite adamant that all muslims are the “enemy” and should be treated as such, regardless of who they are or where they were born. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/28 "2016-03-07T18:04:46Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > On the other hand, I ain’t gonna shed a single damn tear if the mods decide to ban such a clod at the first offense. It’s _hard_ to defend really ugly speech! Well if it is obvious, sure but what if it is something that is offensive but not hate speech to one mod but hate speech to another? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/29 "2016-03-07T18:09:06Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Well if it is obvious, sure but what if it is something that is offensive but not hate speech to one mod but hate speech to another? If it’s a long time poster, there’s a discussion among the mods. Trolls are not usually that subtle. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/30 "2016-03-07T18:10:19Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I think it depends on the severity of the hate speech, myself. And, even then, I tend to support giving anyone at least one chance before pulling the trigger, if only because some people are remarkably ignorant about hate speech. I concur - in the words of Spider-Man, “everybody gets one”\*. There’s always a chance that the person will moderate their language (if not necessarily their views) in order to retain posting privileges, and that at least would represent progress. If they continue then sure, banhammer them so hard they leave a person-shaped hole in the Earth’s crust. \*It’s a Family Guy reference. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/31 "2016-03-07T18:16:43Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Since you’re asking, there’s that one fellow who claims that everybody of a specific nationality is ugly, but I figure it’s just a matter of time. That guy is even more incoherent than the recently departed diego, though. I’m having a hard time understanding if anything he says isn’t code. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/32 "2016-03-07T19:04:57Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Well if it is obvious, sure but what if it is something that is offensive but not hate speech to one mod but hate speech to another? When in doubt, we discuss the matter in the mod loop and reach a consensus. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/33 "2016-03-07T22:21:23Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > I guess the “soap and water” comment is meant to refer to the African-American woman as dirty. > > Less vaguely racist, but still quite subtle. I took it to mean protesters are dirty. Which, looking at footage of a typical protest, they often are. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/34 "2016-03-08T00:07:15Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Polychromatic = coloured. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/35 "2016-03-08T01:12:25Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Cite? The dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/36 "2016-03-08T01:31:46Z")
So “coloured” people are “of two or more colors?” Pray tell, what are the two or more colors that make a black person black. Also, cite for (the blatantly errant) use of the word _polychromatic_ as a racial epithet. It’s so simple, so…monochromatic a request, I should think a cite would be readily available. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/37 "2016-03-08T01:51:20Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > So “coloured” people are “of two or more colors?” > > Pray tell, what are the two or more colors that make a black person black. > > Also, cite for (the blatantly errant) use of the word _polychromatic_ as a racial epithet. > > It’s so simple, so…monochromatic a request, I should think a cite would be readily available. I am curious why you are pursuing this. There is no evidence that the poster in question was all that particular regarding the details of definitions in the English language and, based on its other comments in multiple posts, it was only interested in raising hackles. The Warning in this particular case was not issued based on the use of the word polychromatic, so its exact definition, in this case, is not particularly relevant. That polychromatic means “not white” is true regardless of its various denotations and connotations. It certainly conveyed to a sufficient number of posters in the thread in question the meaning that the poster desired–“not white.” So where are you going with this line of questioning? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/38 "2016-03-08T03:37:41Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > So “coloured” people are “of two or more colors?”. It could be taken to refer to multiple people, of various colors. As \*\*tomndebb \*\*says, the poster was not worried about precise definitions, he was merely indicating non-whites. What do you propose is the meaning of it? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/39 "2016-03-08T04:18:06Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Cite? Context and a basic faculty with logical reasoning. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155/40 "2016-03-08T06:59:20Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I am curious why you are pursuing this. Because, if you were to state anything at all about anything, **Stringbean** wants to be there to contradict you. Or anyone. He’s not interested in discourse. He just wants to be a pain in the ass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-should-be-no-warnings-for-straight-up-hate-speech-they-should-be-banned/748155.md?page=3)