zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 18, 2011 16:34:38 GMT -5
There was a very nice family who owned a family business called Gay's. Can you imagine what they went through? Totally absurd.
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Poppet
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Post by Poppet on Jan 18, 2011 20:26:30 GMT -5
I agree with whoisjongalt, the whole issue of PC is retarded and ghey.
Well, I agree with The Galt and The Gow.
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Jan 18, 2011 20:35:15 GMT -5
[/size] Imagine my surprise when my boss in London said he was going to smoke a homosexual. I said, Iain, what will your wife think about that? Whoops, he didn't mean it like that...
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formerexpat
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Post by formerexpat on Jan 18, 2011 20:57:14 GMT -5
On topic - I think people get their panties in a twist over words used without consideration of the intent of the person using them.
I'm sure most people, after realizing that you've been offended by their choice of words would apologize and let you know that they didn't know it was offensive.
I was listening to a Jay Z [rap] song years ago while at work...one that had the words "n**** what, n**** who". This song is laced with the F word, the other F word [for gay people] and many other words.
His issue: That a white boy was using the word n****. Huh?? Seriously? I'm using it while repeating the lyrics in a song. I had black friends in high school that would call ME n****, as in I was their n**** - a term of friendship. I was floored and completely thrown off...and most of all, upset because I don't have a racist bone in my body. I understood the history and derogatory nature of the "real" N word and never used that word but the shortened version coined to mean friend, I had never thought would offend a black person.
We got over that issue once we sat and talked about it but I just didn't understand it at first.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Jan 18, 2011 21:04:33 GMT -5
I try to be PC but it is hard to keep up. I didn't know the word retarded wasn't used anymore until a few years ago and had to ask what it was now. My great niece has down syndrome and is not typical educationally. Kids are now divided between special needs and typical. We were either retarded or normal and neither was an insult just a statement of difference. Now special kids are considered normal so the others must be called typical so the special kids aren't insulted. I can buy that, don't want hurt feelings.
I do wish black Americans would make up their minds. African Americans are Americans from Africa so could be any color since many Africans aren't black.
We referred to Asians as Oriental forever before they said Oriental is rugs, Asian is people. Oriental wasn't derogatory they were just people from the Orient.
Now the short people want to be called little people. Nothing wrong with midget as a word it means miniature so why is little people any better than midget? The little people on the TV show were dwarfs so I can see why they don't like that word since it means a look that isn't standard just smaller like midget. Mixing them together to call them all little people seems wrong. My grandmother was a midget at least almost she was 4'9' before she shrunk but probably not more than 4'6" when she was older but not a dwarf or little people. I really think little people seems a much worse word but if that is what they voted on. When did they vote?
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jkapp
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Post by jkapp on Jan 19, 2011 10:30:28 GMT -5
I object to people using the deragatory word: White People. It offends me, stop using it. White people are albinos, I am not albino yet I keep getting lumped in with "white people." It is offensive.
I object to people using the deragatory word: Cracker. It offends me, stop using it. Every time I pass by the Cracker Barrel I am offended - they should be forced to change the name.
I object to people using the deragatory word: Banksters. It offends me, stop using it.
I object to people using the deragatory word: The. It offends me, stop using it.
I object to people using the deragatory word: And. It offends me, stop using it.
If everyone else gets their offensive words forcefully removed from the public arena, then mine should be rmeoved as well. Otherwise it is hypocrisy, double standards, and favoritism.
;D
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 19, 2011 10:36:05 GMT -5
Well, I'm glad that I learned the REAL word for those nuts before I hurt someone's feelings through ignorance.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 19, 2011 10:42:54 GMT -5
I think there are a lot of nuts on this board.
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Post by daennera on Jan 19, 2011 11:21:01 GMT -5
I have used ever word discussed on this thread and then some and I really don't give a damn if I offend anyone's delicate sensibilities. I'm not going to start catering my speech to the weak.
Things, people, places, etc can be and are referred to as retarded.
If you are of African descent and acting in a stereotypical fashion, I will call you a n*****.
If you are a women and acting as a stereotypical woman, I will call you a c***.
Seeing as how my peer group does not treat language any differently, I'm really surprised that anyone actually pays attention to this sort of thing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2011 11:26:10 GMT -5
My dad was taking my son fishing with a friend of his named Dick... i'm sorry to admit this, but i made him practice saying it outloud at home until he could do so without cracking a smile... i did NOT want him to embarass himself/us by laughing at the guy's name... but there are no little 'Dick's running around that i know of... (you know what i mean...) so its not one he runs into often...
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Post by soon2bmomof3 on Jan 19, 2011 13:39:06 GMT -5
My dad used to point during presentations/meetings with his middle finger. I'm not sure if it was a cultural thing or what, but I told him to use his pointer finger instead.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 19, 2011 13:52:09 GMT -5
Bilaganna Belasana.
It literally means White Apple, but was meant to be mean. (Can you possibly imagine school aged children being mean to each other?? Gosh - that never happens!)
I would have called the cat "Billy"
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The J
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Post by The J on Jan 19, 2011 19:27:27 GMT -5
Everyone -- a reminder that racial slurs are NOT permitted on this board. Please edit any post that has one, or I'll have to delete them.
-- The mOd of YM
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2011 19:42:03 GMT -5
I actually did some research on the terms dwarf and midget today because I am interested in words. The distinction I mentioned about proportioned is, indeed, the "difference." But "midget" became derogatory, and dwarf became descriptive, I guess, in the medical sense. A midget is just a short person; nothing more or less.
For the record, "vertically challenged" is not the politically correct word for being short. It is a joke term along with horizontally challenged, culinary challenged, and exercise challenged. It acknowledges that people have many shortcomings so we should all be "sensitive" . . . or not.
J is right . . . even using a racial slur to talk about racial slurs isn't really a good idea. Language colors who we are, rightly or wrongly. A social group such as blacks may use the n-word as they please; they have ownership of it just as my family has ownership of many family jokes. No one outside our family is allowed to call my son a "nerd," for example. From us, it is a term of affection. From others, it becomes a disparagement.
On a $$$ note, did you read that an author/publisher has rewritten HUCKLEBERRY FINN to remove all the racial slurs? When I read that, I was, of course, interested as an English teacher. But do you know the big bucks he will make? It is one of the most frequently taught books in American high schools. However, there is always a reluctance, even in schools where it is already taught, to continue to teach it because of the n-word. This guy has not only alleviated that problem, but he no doubt has a new copyright. That means the book can now sell for $10 for a paperback instead of the current $5 (and that's with a copyrighted introduction).
How come I always read these things I should have done? As an English teacher/librarian, I hate censorship. As a member of Your Money, I admire his initiative.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2011 19:49:05 GMT -5
Yeah... when Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came out i was like ... man... why didn't i think of that....
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ihearyou2
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Post by ihearyou2 on Jan 19, 2011 20:30:22 GMT -5
Midget is used in sports leagues and I think it's still fine to say.
Dwarf is used in astronomy so I'm fine with it.
Queer is popular in the gay community and in media, so that's fine.
Gay is OK if you use it as in what a loser, you're so gay.
Retarded is a no-no unless you're not referring to a person as in his growth was retarded.
There are legitimate words that can get you in touble like n****rdly and chicanery.
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Jan 19, 2011 20:37:48 GMT -5
Things, people, places, etc can be and are referred to as retarded. Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=finance&action=display&thread=1850&page=2#ixzz1BXEMk5zDThat is why it isn't used for special needs kids, people used it as a bad word not a word just to describe a limitation usually from a birth defect like down syndrome. So saying my friend's son was born retarded it now an insult even if he is a great kid doing the best he can. Mocking him by calling typical children acting badly retard or people, places and things you don't like retarded is insulting and hurts the child and the parents and others who love them. My great niece with down syndrome isn't smart but she is a great kid who is loved by many even if she is special needs.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 19, 2011 21:03:58 GMT -5
You can't use the word "gyp" anymore, either. Just thought I'd let you all know!!!!!
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verrip1
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Post by verrip1 on Jan 19, 2011 21:33:42 GMT -5
Yeah. Let's just bend over and kiss the posterior of everybody who wants to take offense to some word or other! You first. It makes me want to puke every time I hear some whiner complain about "Oh, my hairdresser's cousin's CPA's greengrocer" has a child with "X"! I refuse to hear that word in my presence!" Grow up for goodness' sake! Stop being so controlling. Stop being a
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jan 19, 2011 21:47:19 GMT -5
That just sounds so incredibly wrong to me. Why take a classic book and screw it up?? There are plenty of words in all kinds of world literature that are either not used anymore or have different meaning or might not be PC, so freaking what??
Who knows what will happen tomorrow and what will be PC and not? Are we going to start re-writing all the classics now?
I guess we might as well, since we can not come up with better way to spend our time. Pathetic!!
Lena
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Post by stantonjane on Jan 19, 2011 23:12:13 GMT -5
Well, if we're gonna get all distracted here and pontificate the relevance of 'Dick' versus 'Richard,' I will throw out how much I hate the term 'plain jane.' For obvious reasons. Thank you, and good nite.
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xia
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Post by xia on Jan 20, 2011 7:29:11 GMT -5
If the PC crap will continue much longer we will end up needing a weekly news update of what is and is not ok to say/think/wear/look at this week. Insane! I get offended being called white, I spend good money in tanning salons damn it! Those things aren’t free, I want some respect! Ok kidding aside, the rewriting of classical literature for PC reasons does bother me a lot. I was raised respecting books, all books, because they are testimony of out past. If we start changing them on a whim where does it stop? Probably 99.9% of classical literature is not PC according to one standard or another, so do we just rewrite it all? I guess when idiots burned library in Alexandria they thoughts they were doing the PC thing too.
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Post by BeenThere...DoneThat... on Jan 20, 2011 7:32:42 GMT -5
<<< I guess when idiots burned library in Alexandria they thoughts they were doing the PC thing too. >>> ...what a great reference... and may just illustrate that the end goal of the PC movement is suppression...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 7:44:51 GMT -5
The reason that HF was rewritten is because of the age group where it is usually taught. College students understand realism. Fifteen-year-olds are often looking for reasons NOT to do their homework. They see this word and b-i-n-g-o. But it is also uncomfortable for the teacher to read aloud. I wouldn't read a book with the f-word aloud to a student. I don't say either word personally.
So as a teacher, I was already censoring it. If I happened to read a passage aloud, I left the word out or substituted "black or slave." That is after a discussion of WHY it is in the book and why the book is important enough that we should ignore our personal difficulties with it. There is a whole lot more that is difficult about HF . . . the episodic plot, the badly written dialect that sounds little like Southerners speak (black or white), etc. I think students hate the book for the dialect as much as anything. It slows reading down as you try to decipher what is being said.
So since it is already "censored," I think I'll do the next rewrite and clean up the dialect and shorten the plot. Maybe I'll do a graphic novel version but with buttons in each frame. You press, and each character speaks. Do you think I should also make it a pop-up book?
The sound you heard was a slamming door. The American Library Association just informed me that I shouldn't let the door hit me on my way out of the library.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 20, 2011 7:49:24 GMT -5
I hated it for the dialect. I mean, if I spoke like that any number of teachers, parents and mentors would line up to whap me with a ruler - yet in this book we exhault it. I never understood it. I hated the book. It taught me nothing, except that if you can convince a few people that something is literature, you can get away with anything. I don't know which came first, my hatred for that book, or my hatred of English lit in general.
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Post by BeenThere...DoneThat... on Jan 20, 2011 7:55:11 GMT -5
...I didn't hate it... I didn't love it... but I wouldn't have picked it for the curriculum, either... problem solved... ;D
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 20, 2011 8:28:24 GMT -5
That's fine but then you actually have teachers who refuse to teach the Holocaust unit because they don't believe it really happened. When, as an educator, you start putting your personal feelings out there as opposed to what the curriculum is asking you to teach, then there's a problem. Kind of like the Science teachers now pronouncing Uranus differently so the kids don't giggle. Get real, by changing it, you make it stand out as opposed to just saying for the class to get the giggles out now and let's get on with business.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jan 20, 2011 9:02:05 GMT -5
There are some great writers who use all kinds of colorful language in their books. G-d forbid, we actually raise our standards for the children we are teaching and actually EXPLAIN and TEACH them about that and any kind of literature.
Of course, it is much easier to just yank it away. Any day now we are going to start re-writing history books bc let's face it not any 15 yr can handle wars and famine and destruction of civilizations and many other terrible things that happened thought out thousands of years.
Nothing is sacred anymore. Nothing.
More and more I am considering homeschooling. The schools have become a complete joke.
Lena
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 20, 2011 9:34:43 GMT -5
It also isn't like kids have never heard this word. When we were discussing it back in the olden days before all the PC nonsense, our teacher explained that even then only poorly brought up and ignorant people used that word but that it was a reflection of the times as they were and that, like slavery amd women's votes, we evolve and hopefully become a better people but that we all need to know what was once "acceptable" behavior/speech because if you don't learn about and from history, you can repeat the mistakes.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jan 20, 2011 9:59:02 GMT -5
LOL - I hope you meant Famine. Although there are a lot of 15 year olds out there that can't handle feminine either.
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