Woah. The Lounge is f*cked up tonight, aint it???

[SmileyBoy]

Now I admit, I posted ONE thread in answer to those inflammatory epithet threads, but I didn't intend it in a bad way, my bad.:)

But about this "bitch" debate: Look, we all just need to settle down, chill, drink a bottle of spring water and regroup ourselves.

I mean, we just need to all simmer down, here. Hopefully later, we'll all be much better.

I'll be alone in the North Dakota forum if anyone needs me.

Cheers.

[ForrestGump]

1. Quit yer bitchin'

Oops. :o

[Nikia]

2. I know

We all need to be respectful of each other or we are never going to beat Bush.

[Deja Q]

3. What, somebody here reading the word "b-word" or "n-word" will vote

Green or repuke or not at all out of anger?! I hope not!

[southerngirlwriter]

4. The only difference between tonight and all other nights

is that someone posted slurs about minorities other than women. :shrug:

[Dookus]

no

the difference is that you felt that explaining your position wasn't enough. You had to start a plethora of new threads with offensive titles just to make a point you'd made a thousand times already.

People disagree with you on this subject, and screaming hysterically about it at every opportunity will NOT win them over to your side.

There is NO valid reason for starting multiple threads like you did other than to disrupt. If this were my board you wouldn't still be here.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dookus]

11. nonsense

I'm not stalking you at all, and the claim is ridiculous. I'm posting here in the lounge, and saw ONE thread of yours on the Latest page. Believe me, I have no desire to go to Alabama, or even a forum dedicated to it.

I know you won't be silent. You've made it abundantly clear. But I wish you'd be less shrill.

[slinkerwink]

7. we refrain from using slurs against minorities because we know

it offends them, but we don't care if it offends some women here if we use sexist slurs. :shrug: There's an inconsistency in that.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. They were never meant as sexist slurs...

Doesn't the context in which it was used mean anything? And besides, the guy was calling himself a name. You called yourself bitchy and a dyke, and no one freaked out. Why is everyone freaking out because he called himself a bitch!?
Duckie

[Lizz612]

12. preach it duckie!

[southerngirlwriter]

13. He did it specifically to start a flame war.

And his thread was allowed over 140 posts. The ones using other kinds of bigotry didn't get 10.

[ProudGerman]

16. You do not know my intentions

You've never spoken to me, so you don't even have an inkling of what my intentions were. So, stop assuming things.

Unless your point is that all men are sexist pigs. But you wouldn't be saying that, now would you, because that would be sexist.

[slinkerwink]

21. oh come on----we had a big discussion over this weeks ago

were you around for that?

[ProudGerman]

27. what the hell are you talking about?

She made an assumption on my intentions. I called her on that. What does last week have anything to do with this?

[skooooo]

50. The word has a context within DU....

...and if you honestly didn't know that, then that is one thing (maybe). But I saw a lot of other people jumping in and practically getting off at the fact that some people were offended.

[skooooo]

43. your intentions were quite obvious...

duh.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

17. Um, I've been talking to him the entire time...

And that wasn't the reason at all. We were all talking about Dave Chappelle when he did it. Don't assume to know the reasons someone did something if you don't even know them. Because you can't know someone's thoughts.
Duckie

[slinkerwink]

15. because he doesn't have the right to call himself that because

he's a guy.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

22. Um, he has the right to call himself anything he wants...

He could call himself anything he wants. WHat gives you the right to say that he can or cannot do something? Are you his mother?
Duckie

[slinkerwink]

24. does he have the right to call himself the "n" word if he's not black?

[YellowRubberDuckie]

29. Yep

[slinkerwink]

31. no, he doesn't

oh, and if he supposedly has the right to do that, then he should make a post saying that he's the "n" word.

[Catholic Sensation]

36. this is becomming stupid

if you want to confront duckie and german about it, you know where they are, this is wasting other duers' time.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

39. He can do anything he wants...

You could call yourself a bastard...and no one would care. You're the only who is saying someone isn't allowed to do anything they want to themselves.
Duckie

[slinkerwink]

42. no, he can't.....he can't call himself the "n" word and then say

racist things.

[ProudGerman]

45. Just for you Slink

Yes, I have called myself the "n" word before, in a room full of black guys. In fact, I was one of 2 white people in that room.

When I was younger, and I ran with a predominantly black crowd, I threw the word "nigga" around quite a bit.

[Catholic Sensation]

49. stupid title, changed to me talking about changing the title

as i said earlier, instead of people running the risk of getting their asses banned, you know where duckie, german are hanging out right now, let's continue this over there so nobody says anything that will end with a tombstoning.

[SmileyBoy]

33. I'm white, and I'll call myself a cracker if I choose.

I have black friends on my football team, and it's perfectly acceptable for conversation between us white guys and black guys for the word "nigga" to be used, as long as it's in the proper context and used in the urban "nigga" form.

[slinkerwink]

37. you can own the word "cracker" because you're white, but

you can't own racial epithets used against another minority. And "nigga" is different from the "n" word.

[SmileyBoy]

46. 1) I would never do that, and 2) I agree, yes it is.

I only called a black person a "nigger" once in my life out of anger, and only because he was a bully who constatnly beat me up in the 6th grade. That's the only time in my life I ever did something like that, and I regret it to this day. God will judge me for that.

And I was called "Towelhead" several times right after 9/11.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

47. This is really getting old...

Come talk to us about it live. You know where we are...we're here every night.
Duckie

[SmileyBoy]

23. Oh, isn't the double standard such a LOVELY thing???

I really wish *I* could use it someday...:eyes:

[slinkerwink]

26. so then minorities can't own words of hate to lessen the hate?

[Lizz612]

25. because he's a guy

:wow: just wow

[Shakespeare]

34. Wow--I'd be careful talking about use of language in terms of "rights"

That's getting into the realm of thought control--not to mention completely ignoring the rather organic nature of the English language. I'm a female, btw, lest anyone assumes otherwise.

Apropos of the entire ongoing discussion about what's appropriate and what's not--anybody who's never seen the wonderful PBS series The Story of English would probably enjoy viewing it--I think it's available for rental. It'll give you many new insights into the language.

[Pithlet]

44. That goes both ways

Couldn't it be construed as thought control to tell someone they have no right to be offended?

[Pithlet]

19. Why

are you freaking out that people are freaking out? Certainly, context matters, but I know that when I unintentionally offend someone, I apologize. I don't turn it around on them, and tell them THEY are the one with the problem.

[ForrestGump]

51. Point of fact

Women aren't a minority.

I missed the slurfest, but that's not something that most of us would tolerate or desire here...of course, the location of the line between slur and non-slur can be rather subjective, even without factoring in the alleged slurrer's intent and context. Sexism and other -isms seem a continually scourge here, sad to say, but it's also true that some of us go wookin' pa isms in aw da wong pwaces (translation: sometimes things get blown out of all proportion here...not to minimize legitimate complaints, but it's clear that sometimes they really do).

[Pithlet]

5. I missed the brouhaha

But, honestly, I don't understand why it's so hard to not use language that offends others. Or, better yet, why some people are so upset that people are offended by such language, or why they're so shocked when that happens.

[skooooo]

8. exactly!

So they have the right to offend, but if someone gets offended and expresses it, suddenly there's a problem.

[slinkerwink]

20. and then the person who got offended is called weak or told to lighten up

:eyes:

[skooooo]

35. uh huh....

It's like a fishing expedition, and when it's done on purpose, it's just mean. I guess the best thing to do is just not react, because that's what they thrive on. Too bad there are so many idiots on here who feel the need to flaunt their "right" to push other people's buttons.

And please understand, I'm mainly talking about threads that are started with the purpose to offend. Those are hard to overlook if you're just skimming through the lounge or wherever. I guess another answer is to put those people who seem to get off on this kind of thing on the ignore list -- not a happy answer, but it does solve the problem.

[SmileyBoy]

18. I find a problem in that.

If we start trying to use language that's not offensive to ANYONE at all, then eventually we'll run out of things to say to each other.

Some people here (I won't name whom) seriously need a skin-thickening. There's a line you have to draw when it comes to being PC and completely inoffensive.

[Pithlet]

28. That's not what I'm saying

What I'm saying is that when anyone, intentionally or othewise, uses an offensive term, people are sometimes going to be offended, for various reasons. The shock and outrage at those who were offended makes no sense to me.

[slinkerwink]

30. so then when you have people complaining about a racist slur,

you call them PC?

[skooooo]

40. There's a difference..

...between expressing something within the context of another discussion, and purposefully posting something that you know will offend others, and doing it on purpose....and continuing it....and laughing when people get offended, and then whining about your right to offend.

[VelmaD]

41. This is SO not about being thin-skinned

Hell, it's the people who are thick-skinned but still angry and offended who jump into this fight. I'ts about not being intentionally offensive.

If you really think that if we don't use offensive language then we'll run out of things to say...then you need to buy a freakin' thesaurus.

[slinkerwink]

48. offensive slurs are only a small part of the great big english language...

I'm sure I can still communicate without using offensive slurs ;-) like "Pass the salt, please"

[Zomby Woof]

62. Hey Velma

Why'd you go and change your avatar on me?? :D

When I see a heart that says "Get Bent", I know it means BUSINESS.

That being said, music rules, and so do you. :loveya:

(I'll get used to the avatar change - after all, I change mine 10 or 12 times a month).

[Ladyhawk]

53. I totally agree.

I could use some skin-thickening when it comes to certain things, but language isn't one of them.

Once I went into a mostly male forum and complained about the testosterone level: guys slobbering over female anatomy and such. Really, it was their forum and if they wanted to post pictures of scantily-clad women, it was their right. The fact that I was "offended" by their "objectifying" women seems silly to me now. This whole "bitch" controversy seems silly to me, too.

I get turned off by self-righteousness. And from my point of view, that is what's going on here. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe something's wrong with me because I'm not offended by the word "bitch" or the word "prick" or the word "fuck." To me, it's all about context. There are no bad words, only words used badly.

[SmileyBoy]

56. Exactly!!!

Like Mr. Garrison said in the 162 Shits episode of South Park:

"Look, it's all about context..."

[Dookus]

58. LadyHawk

gets the Dookus Award of the Day for exceptional achievement in posting.

[SmileyBoy]

60. I concur.

It's EXACTLY how I feel.

[Pithlet]

61. I'm not offended by those words, either.

However, I'm not one to judge whether others should or shouldn't be. If someone is offended, then that person has a right to say so. I don't understand the browbeating of those offended by commonly offensive terms.

I can understand thinking somone has a thin skin. But all this handwringing about the "vocal minority ruining all our fun" is ludicrous.

[VelmaD]

63. Congrats Ladyhawk...now all the guys...

are gonna heap praise on you for agreeing with them and they can feel all justified in thinking some of the rest of us are just thin-skinned or over-sensitive or "bitches".

[ForrestGump]

55. As a Macintosh user, I resent you labeling me PC. You chip-ist!!!

[SmileyBoy]

59. You filthy Mac-cer!!!

:7:7:7:7:7:7

[ForrestGump]

64. You...uh...Generic Non-Offensive Bad Word!

[camero]

6. I pretty much stay away today

and all hell breaks loose. Go figure.

[Shakespeare]

14. I think everybody needs a time out.

However, I doubt there are enough corners available in the lounge to accomodate all parties in need of the time out. ;-)

[Duckiesplaything]

32. How long till this thread gets locked....

Isn't this just a continuation of the ones that have already been locked?........
Tick tock......better get your thoughts in quick......

[SmileyBoy]

38. I agree. Personally, I've delved into uncharted territory.

Let's just try to wrap this up...

[NoPasaran]

54. Yeah, go over to GD

and participate in the draft hysteria!

[SmileyBoy]

57. Oh Jesus, don't remind me. I'm draft fodder myself.

But luckily, I'm a Turkish Citizen.:)

[SmileyBoy]

52. OK, let me clear some things up:

1) I NEVER use offensive racial/sexist slurs, and I only used one in hostility once in my life when I was very young for reasons stated above by me.

2) I NEVER use the word "bitch" in the context of defaming females. The furthest extent to which I use that word is to imitate Dave Chappelle.

3) It takes a HELL OF A LOT to get me offended by something, and I think it's a very healthy way to go about things.