Posted by Lou Pilder on January 5, 2007, at 17:17:02
In reply to Re: The No Offensive Language Rule » NikkiT2, posted by JeffSmith on January 5, 2007, at 12:58:30
> > So, because you are not offended by ~any~ offensive words, no one else is?
>
> Did I say that? : ) No, I never said because Im not offended by ~any~ offensive words no one else is. And I also never said that I was not offended by ~any~ offensive words... but I will now: Personally Im not offended in the slightest bit by the mere act of my eyes reading any "offensive" words on a message board... especially if the offensive word was not specifically directed at me in an attempt to offend/hurt me. But in this thread we were never even talking about people being offended by offensive words as a topic, and what I originally said was only that it was illogical and ridiculous to censor certain words by replacing one letter of a particular word with an asterisk.
>
> > Personally, most don't bother me.. but I know some bother others, and in my world, I like to take their feelings into account.
>
> I also take other peoples feelings into account in my world.
>
> > One certain word DOES offend me.. I do not like any word that takes a part of the female anatomy and turns it into an offensive word. Do we allow all others but not that one? Or allow that one and not worry about all the women (and men) who find that word horrible offensive?
>
> OK well I can actually think of two words that do what you described, so I'll assume you dont like either one of them.
> Do we allow all other words but that one (or two)? No, IMO we allow all words equally. So, you then ask do we allow that word and not worry about the women/men who are horribly offended by that word?
> Short answer is: Yes, we allow that word and not worry about the offended people.
> Longer answer and explanation is this: Again, we werent talking about whether *words* should be allowed here or not, we were talking about whether they should be censored or not.
> The word(s) you refer to already are (presumably) allowed here as long as the "u" in the word(s) is replaced by the asterisk. So the word very well could possibly be written here in censored form and you just may happen to stumble upon it and read it, right?
> Lets pretend I wrote a post claiming "My mother is a total b*tch" (I wrote b*tch in the example but lets really pretend I had instead used the "C" word that offends you).
> Now you come along and read my post and see the word b*tch (aka:the "C" word) that I just called my mother.
> Are you saying then that you'd be "horribly offended" by the simple act of reading a word that wasnt even directed at or about you?? Just seeing the word "b*tch" written down causes you to become horribly offended?
> OK, fine, so lets assume that does horribly offend you. So what does that mean? What exactly happens to you after reading a word that horribly offends you? How are you harmed? Are you left so affected that you'd be unable to continue reading my post? Does being horribly offended mean that you cant go on to read any other post here? Does it make you never want to visit here again?
> How exactly does me calling my mother a b*tch affect you?
>
> And why should any of that be left up to me to have to "worry" about?
> Lets pretend Im extremely upset with my mother and I want to come here (a place where I can vent any emotion or feeling and people will listen, probably not judge, may relate to my issue and maybe even help me) and I just need to vent by saying "My mother is a real b*tch ("C" word)!". Are you suggesting that I should stop myself, and all my thoughts, just to first think "Well so and so may be left to feel 'horribly offended' (whatever that means) if I call my mother a b*tch, so I better first try to come up with a non-offensive term or discription to express how Im feeling about her instead of using that word"??
> If just reading a certain word that's in no way directed towards or about you causes you, or anyone, to feel a certain way then thats your issue to "worry" about and you shouldnt expect other people in an adult forum to not use certain words just so youre not somehow offended. No?
> What if the word "Crazy" horribly offended me and I preferred that people not use that word and instead use "Mentally Ill"? Should the word "Crazy" then not be allowed to be used here?
>
> Anyway, as of now these words are apparently allowed here as long as one letter is replaced by an asterisk... so let me ask you this:
> The "C" word offends you when written (and I assume also when its spoken). How do you feel about the "C" word if its written here in censored form, as in "c*nt"? Does it still offend you? Are you equally or less offended by the censored version as you are by reading the non censored version?
> If youre equally offended then do you believe that the "C" word should not be allowed here even in censored form?
> If youre less offended, or not offended at all, by the censored version then can you please explain exactly how and why that is when you are still fully aware of what the word is? I just cant comprehend that concept and am trying to understand it.
>
> > Yes, some of the milder, more simple ones, it does seem a little silly to block.. but, where do you draw the line? Thats the problem.
> >
> > Nikki
>
> I agree. : ) And where do you draw the line?
> No, it wouldnt really be at all difficult for me to just simply censor my words or not use them at all if it pleases other people... Im 100% for being kind and civil and compassionate towards each other... but IMO censoring or ommitting certain words in order to prevent the possibility of certain people from becoming offended (by just reading them on a message board) is wrong to expect.
> Not a huge issue though.
>
> Friends,
It is written here,[...in this thread..illogical and ..to censor..words by replacing a..letter with an asterisk...word allowed here as long as the ..is replaced by an asterisk...Let's pretend...equally offended by the censored version as the non-censored version..fully aware of what the word is...].
There is the potential ,IMO, that this thread has at least the question as to if putting the asterisk in the word makes it any less offensive, to those that think the word is offensive, for some could think that words that are deemed offensive to some, could not be offensive to some others.
If we look at that question, then does the use of an asterisk for one letter change the meaning of the word? If it does, then could we have two words meaning two things? If it does not change the meaning of the two forms of the word, then do we not have the theorem that[... if a=b and b=c, then does not a=c?..] Or, does not the theorem hold that quantities equal to the same quantity equal to each other?
Now let us suppose that someone wants to believe that one form of the word is offensive and the other form is not. I ask,in your opinions, would then one have to use their imaginiation as in a fantasy rather than reason to think that? If so, could they or could they not be deluding themselves into thinking that one form of the word is offensive and the other form with the asterisk is not offensive? If so, are delusions and/or fantasies a sound mental-health practice?
The asterisk has a historical meaning from centuries ago concerning swearing in relation to commandments that some faiths have from their God to them that I would like to discuss by email, if you would like.
Lou
lpilder_1188@fuse.net
poster:Lou Pilder
thread:717797
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20061228/msgs/719672.html