So it’s not a racist insult, it’s just an insult which is racist (since i already said I was talking about ethnicity, not religion) :dubious:
No, just like I’m not OK with nigger, kike, white trash, raghead or a whole bunch of racial insults.
“Jew”, on the other hand, seems to be situationally-dependent. See: jewfro, or those social media cites I just posted. Or the Jews* in this thread* who said they didn’t view it as insulting.
Didn’t use it as an adjective, used it as a prefix.
I acknowledge that it’s potentially problematic because of the “Jew XXX” construction always being so, but I don’t think it’s inherently so, because
a) antisemitism wasn’t my intent and
b) jewfro and
c) current nonpejorative usage on social media (not just by Jews, also by friends of Jews).
This is silly. You used it before a noun to clarify which sort of noun you were talking about. Whether it was attached to the word or not is immaterial: you used it in the way that’s generally considered offensive.
Disclaimer: I hate these multiple quote responses so I’m going to boil it down.
I’d ask why you feel the need to insult people at all, whether it’s for what they do or what they are. I think - at least here on the SDMB - it would be better to focus on discussion rather than insults of any kind.
I’m not questioning your honesty at all. Merely pointing out how you - like I’d wager the fraternities involved - were being unintentionally offensive. There’s no dishonesty there, merely a need for education.
On the subject of the kids at the fraternity being racist, clearly we disagree. I’m much more likely to go with the ‘idiot kids learn a lesson’ than ‘racists learn a lesson’ model of the situation.
By your admission, the Jewish fraternity is being welcomed by an established fraternity. That would imply that the party is being organized by the established fraternity and therefore your focus on the Jewish one is puzzling at best.
I had little use for Greek culture on college campuses during my time in college, myself. However, it’s clear that you’re prejudiced against it to an extent that perhaps you’re not the proper one to be judging their actions. Just a thought.
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance;188219321.]
I’d ask why you feel the need to insult people at all, whether it’s for what they do or what they are. I think - at least here on the SDMB - it would be better to focus on discussion rather than insults of any kind.
[/quote]
Show your feelings for a bunch of off-board racist fratboys - without being insulting at all? Is that really the standard you want to hold us to?
There was nothing unintentional about the frats’ offensiveness.
One is a subset of the other - they’re idiot kids, and their racism is a function of their idiocy.
The Jewish one is the reason for the party. Why wouldn’t I focus on them.
Errm, no. It’s not prejudice, it’s just judging - by their actions.
I missed your saying that. Thanks! I appreciate the consideration.
my opinion? Yes, you unintentionally offended several readers. No, that didn’t make you racist, not even “unintentionally racist”, just a little tone-deaf. Very different things.
And sorry, I see no significant difference between Jew bro, Jew-bro, and Jewbro. They are linguistically nearly the same thing, as well as being indistinguishable when spoken.
And I’ve learned I should stop using the word “thug”. Not that I use it much, but the meaning I ascribe to it appears to be obsolete.
I, for one, have not even considered the possibility that you would use it, again. It was a one-off incident.
The issue, for me, is that you used a construction that is regarded as offensive, without attaching any particular -ism to it and without assuming that you were going out of your way to be offensive, but that I wanted to be sure was not repeated by you or anyone else. Hence the phrase “not appropriate” rather than “racist” or even “horribly offensive.”
Then the statement, on that site, that “Jew’s Harp” is not offensive is wrong?
I’m sure there are people who would be offended by a “good morning sir,” too.
Clearly, the thrust of that cite, even the ADL is the the word “Jew” is not offensive. Substituting Jew for Jewish is not offensive. Adding other words to it can make it offensive, but that’s not the case here.
If using Jewish brothers is permissible. (in the context of referring to Jewish members of a fraternity obviously)
How is Jew Bros offensive?
Is Christian Bros offensive?
Atheist Bros?
Muslim Bros?
I think people see the word “Jew” and go into “find the hidden insult” mode, and insult is not always the intent of the speaker.
There’s a history of using “Jew” as an adjective before an occupation or classification of person being pejorative. These kinds of histories are what make certain words pejorative and slurs and not others. Since there’s no such history for “Christian banker” or similar, then these usages aren’t pejoratives.
So, you think it was offensive by its construction alone, but that I didn’t mean it to be offensive in the way that people who find it offensive would consider it offensive, is that about right?
Care to explain why that construction is regarded as offensive, if not for antisemitism?
The term is not limited to Jews, and is sometimes applied to the less than full standing hairstyle sometimes called a ‘Half-fro’. I’ve never heard anyone consider it hate speech.
John’s usage was clearly intended with humor, this is much ado about nothing under the circumstances.
I have been harping on this lately, but whether or not the person is racist as a state of being is not the only point and sometimes is not the point at all.
Someone else agreeing that “I’m not a racist” doesn’t get you off the hook from saying things or doing things that might have a racist effect in context.
Your principle concern shouldn’t be “does that make me a racist?” It should be “am I thinking, saying, or doing something in a way that given the total context of our society and culture might be racist and if ur is part of a system of racism that harms people should I be changing something?”
We are all racist in one way or another, but bu engaging in these constant battles with ourselves we have vastly improved our society but we have yet to stop harming people with racism so we need to keep at it.
If only it were the case that the language surrounding fraternity parties was expected to be the same as that that is appropriate for house of worship. It’s not.