Political correctness is supposed to be about not being an asshole in using privilege-laden offensive terms. Unfortunately, both P.C. and words are human constructs and, as such, people can be assholes about both. For example: When I see someone crying that the phrase "chink in his armor" offends her, I want to beat her over the head with a book of etymology. "Chink" in the context of a weak spot goes back nearly five centuries, long before it was ever used as a derogatory term for a Chinese person. Context is everything. Likewise, "to call a spade a spade" was around long before some racist dumbass thought to use "spade" for black people, and it involved the digging implement anyway, not the card symbol. In contrast, I stopped using the word "gypped" years ago when I thought about how it came about and what it means - I'm reasonably sure the vast majority of people who use it don't think where it comes from or why it's offensive, they only know what it means. Likewise, I haven't used "retard" since I was a kid (unless I'm referring to something being "retardant" such as flameproof, in the sense of an inanimate object that has a quality of repelling damage; and even then I usually use another word).
Words matter to me. I don't know everything, but I will look it up if somebody says "hey, that's offensive" and I don't already know it. If I learn it is offensive and has no other quality of meaning, I stop using it (obviously there are words that are offensive that I still use, simply because there are people who deserve to be offended sometimes, and the word itself doesn't insult another source - I mean, I guess donkeys could be upset by "dumbass" but I don't really care *G*). BUT - if it isn't and it's a legitimate word with a meaning that didn't originate as a slur, I reserve the right to continue to use it within proper context. And not be made to feel like a monster about it.
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dancing_serpent
(no subject)
Date: 2010-07-04 07:50 pm (UTC)Political correctness is supposed to be about not being an asshole in using privilege-laden offensive terms. Unfortunately, both P.C. and words are human constructs and, as such, people can be assholes about both. For example: When I see someone crying that the phrase "chink in his armor" offends her, I want to beat her over the head with a book of etymology. "Chink" in the context of a weak spot goes back nearly five centuries, long before it was ever used as a derogatory term for a Chinese person. Context is everything. Likewise, "to call a spade a spade" was around long before some racist dumbass thought to use "spade" for black people, and it involved the digging implement anyway, not the card symbol. In contrast, I stopped using the word "gypped" years ago when I thought about how it came about and what it means - I'm reasonably sure the vast majority of people who use it don't think where it comes from or why it's offensive, they only know what it means. Likewise, I haven't used "retard" since I was a kid (unless I'm referring to something being "retardant" such as flameproof, in the sense of an inanimate object that has a quality of repelling damage; and even then I usually use another word).
Words matter to me. I don't know everything, but I will look it up if somebody says "hey, that's offensive" and I don't already know it. If I learn it is offensive and has no other quality of meaning, I stop using it (obviously there are words that are offensive that I still use, simply because there are people who deserve to be offended sometimes, and the word itself doesn't insult another source - I mean, I guess donkeys could be upset by "dumbass" but I don't really care *G*). BUT - if it isn't and it's a legitimate word with a meaning that didn't originate as a slur, I reserve the right to continue to use it within proper context. And not be made to feel like a monster about it.