I can assure you I don’t get a kick out of posting racial slurs and wasn’t doing so to offend.
That said, as I posted earlier, my OP poorl written because I was tired and upset about something that happened outside of SDMB. I also apologized to Tom then and am going to reiterate my apology to him and I’ll include you and Tubadiva in it.
It’s also why the last few posts I use the phrase “house negro and its variants” rather than listing them.
Because we LUV u! <smooch>
Some words and phrases are simply more offensive than others. Why is that so difficult a concept for some?
It struck me earlier that you were being a trifle disingenuous with some of your remarks, Ibn Warraq. And now, reading the mod comments, it becomes belatedly clear what kind of game you’re playing here.
You’ll forgive me, I’m sure, if I decline any further participation in the thread.
Having participated in that earlier thread, and remembering clearly how often you asked him to stop this sort of behaviour, I’m quite impressed by the restraint that you’ve shown in this post.
I’m sorry you feel that way, but I can assure you that I’m not “playing” a game. In the other thread that Marley linked to I was upset because he didn’t mod someone for using a common racial slur for South Asians and Muslims.
In this thread I am simply arguing that the term Uncle Tom is as insulting as other terms that would get mod-noted.
That said, as I already said, I expressed my argument poorly and certainly if you choose to believe I’m not arguing in good faith that is your prerogative and I can see how you feel that way.
For what it’s worth thanks for explaining your feelings and being respectful.
I grew up in a black household and “uncle Tom” and “House nigger” are interchangeable.
You apparently don’t know what house nigger means, because it’s about behavior. And in fact, the exact behavior that Uncle Tomming typifies. They’re the same, one just sounds more polite because it doesn’t contain nigger.
I get the strangest feeling that I’ve been here before!
I agree that they intend the same meaning. I would not characterize either of them as “polite” or even comparatively “more polite.”
What I would do is note that one is far more charged than the other. I would expect “Uncle Tom” to anger someone; I would expect “house nigger” to provoke the person to violence. It is the old “I am resolute; you are obstinate; he is pig-headed” comparison with “house nigger” being far more insulting and inflammatory than “Uncle Tom.”
We have actually had this discussion on multiple occasions over the years with no serious resolution of the issue, which is one reason that I did not Mod Note its use in the thread that prompted this discussion.
How about a reasonable compromise? If Malcolm X registers here, you grandfather him in and allow him to use “house nigger”. But nobody else can use it.
That truly would be a zombie thread!
I think you can use Honky any time you want.
But what if Uncle Tom registers here?:dubious:
The offensiveness of a word is clearly not a function only of its meaning, or “nigger” wouldn’t be offensive in the first place, since the meaning of that word is simply a person of historical African ancestry. And yet, it’s near-universally recognized as an offensive term, not because of its direct meaning, but because of the attitudes which are so often associated with it.
This straight white male winces when he sees the N-word and wishes Ibn would stop using it here. Hey, I don’t have to open his ATMB threads. Then again, the offending word was displayed in the mouse-over.
At least he didn’t put it in the title like last time, IRRC.
I’m just stating my preferences: I understand the English is Ibn’s second language. The N-word in some circles is 20 megatons more volatile than, oh, say (vulgar expression follows: NSFW! But neither is this thread!) cocksucking motherfucking SUV driving kitty declawer! Just saying. Oh yeah. In case anybody wonders why I don’t say or type that offending word… I am a creature of habit. If I say it once in a heuristic context, I am more likely to say it inadvertently in an inappropriate context. So I don’t say it at all.
Uncle Tom is dead. Well my Uncle Tom anyway.
No, it is what he* claims* is his second language, but I doubt much of his claimed personae.
Need to remind everyone that About This Message Board is not the forum to use if you have a claim to make against a poster or you wish to air a grievance.