Posted by Lou Pilder on January 20, 2011, at 20:38:57
In reply to Re: posting in a non-racist manner » Dr. Bob, posted by Noa on January 15, 2003, at 17:54:07
> Dr. Bob,
>
> Worsmithing is totally beside the point. It isn't your job or ours to editorially finesse the wording of the posts in question so that they are somehow acceptable.
>
> But I believe it is your job to point out to people who may use offensive language to refrain from doing so. It is then up to them to find a way to express themselves without resorting to the use of hateful language, if they want to post here.
>
> I also feel you are looking at the words much too concretely and separately, and ignoring the gestalt of the phrases used, with all the meaning loaded in them because of how such hateful phrases are used, and how hurtful and offensive they are to the target group.
>
> There are people on this board, myself included, who have firsthand experience in being the target of racist language, harrassment, vandalism, and violence. And when words are used that are obvious "catch-phrases" well known to most speakers of the language, it doesn't matter as much what each individual word means all by itself, when you separate them out and look at them literally and concretely. The phrase as a whole is loaded with unfounded hate toward a group of people. It also stops mattering that the poster was using the language to describe individuals in his life. He used a slur that I believe he knew to be racist (I base this belief on his description of himself as racist). It then becomes *not* about those individuals, but about a whole group of people.
>
> And I don't beleive this has anything to do with political correctness. Or walking on eggshells.
>
> I cannot tell anyone what to believe. If a person wants to think racist thoughts and believe racist beliefs, that is beyond the control of others. And what people say in their own private speech is their business. I may wish they thought and spoke without the hatred, but that is just a wish--I cannot control that.
>
> But we all know that there are things we choose not to say in "mixed company" or in certain settings because of how it might affect other people, and that we expect such discretion and choice from others as well. We don't *have* to choose accordingly, but in certain settings we do, because we agree to a kind of social contract of civility.
>
> On this board, I think it is highly reasonable and appropriate to expect that the civility rules would include the understanding that it is not acceptable to use slurs like the ones in question, which are completely loaded with hurtful meaning for many, even if the story line is about individuals.
>
> If I have a story about my bad experiences with an individual, it is not ok for me to use racial or ethnic slurs to describe that individual here on this board.
>
> It isn't the person that is unacceptable, it is the comments. Just leave them at the gate when entering. And I believe that you, Dr. Bob, are the gatekeeper.Noa,
This may come up in your email. If so, could you post more concerning your perspective in this situation here?
Lou
poster:Lou Pilder
thread:8766
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20110117/msgs/977556.html