Parity Among Derogatory Slurs

As society evolves and we continue down the path of open-mindedness and equality, we are daily reminded that our language sorely lags behind us. And as our language lags behind, we conveniently ignore the double standard that exists with derogatory slurs that we all hear and recognize.

I'll use professional sporting leagues as an example.

Racial slurs are no longer tolerated in any environment, in any context. It is now socially accepted that this sort of expression is not tolerated. However, we lack parity with specific slurs. Homophobic slurs are some that seem to either go ignored or accepted by many. I watch sports. I watch a lot of sports. And it is not that uncommon to hear a player refer to another player in a homophobic slur. These are not done in post-game interviews. These are said in the heat of the moment. And because it is said in the heat of the moment, it seems to go ignored. If someone used a slur based on someone's skin color, whether it was in the heat of the moment or not, it would be a huge deal. And in professional sports, as technology continues to evolve, so does the viewing experience for the fans. I can sit at home and usually hear quite clearly what the players are saying on the field or the ice.

Recently an NFL player was suspended for a derogatory slur via twitter. It was a homophobic slur and it resulted in a 2 game suspension I believe. First of all, that is a step. But the only reason a penalty was handed down was because of the method it was used and the publicity it received. Secondly, the suspension seemed to be somewhat light. Had it been another term, I am confident that the suspension may have been a little heavier. For the homophobic slur, 2 games. Look at this link...

Australian tennis player banned for racial abuse

This guy got 6 months for using a racial slur.

And beyond sporting leagues, it is in our language that we see in adults, teenagers and our children. A major pet peave of mine is the expression, "that's gay". I have a 16 year old sister that I hear say it all of the time. And I chastise her every time she says it. Every one of her friends say it. And every one of their friends say it. And the friends of the friends of their friends say it. And guess what? Society continues to accept it.

Whether the slur is based on our race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, or religion.. it's time we open our eyes and curb this cycle of ignorance perpetuated by so many.

But we as an individual can only do so much when our "role models" do so little.

I point the finger at so many sporting leagues here because as I see it, that is where it is prevalent. Ignorance is ignorance. Hatred is hatred.

Parity among derogatory slurs. If not now, then when?

If nothing else, you be the change yourself.

reply to post by chissler


To be honest with you who really cares, if you wear your feelings on your sleeves, there always going to get hurt. It is anyone rights to use whatever slur they want to... This is the problem with society we have become a bunch of PC Pansys.

I believe you should add to your list political leanings. Because what you are talking about is political correctness? I for one could give a rat's # about what other people do or say. Judge one not by the color of ones skin(enter any item from your list) but by the content of their character.

I myself believe all of this political correctness is just another control instituted by the asshats in Washington and the MSM.

Socialists, Communists, Fascists and their like, have no place in My Country. And I for one will use every derogatory label I can think of, to describe them as such.

As for parity, how about this, why do we not throw someone in jail that has actually done something against another person, instead of against a statute. All of this is just control, make it impossible to actually speak, for fear of loss of job or loss of freedom.

Peace.

edit to add-where is it written that anyone has the right to not have their feelings hurt?

[edit on 11/2/2009 by endisnighe]

reply to post by chissler


Personally I disagree with you. Most homosexuals seem to have rabbit ears, and are easily offended by the slightest mention of anything they deem deragatory toward homosexuality.

Look take it from a guy on the other team, when we say "that is so gay" or fag or queer, etc we are not thinking bad stuff about homosexuals. They are just sayings in straight peoples minds.

Pretty soon homosexuals will consider a good gay joke a hate crime. The fact is homosexuals use gays slurs more than the rest of us. They call each other fag, queer, pillow biter, queen, carpet muncher, etc.. So maybe they should worry about how they talk to each other before they get their panties in a bunch because some kid says something is so gay.

This is just my opinion obviously.

[edit on 2-11-2009 by HotSauce]

Wars have been fought over "just sayings". Are we not going to learn from history?

...who cares? It's easy to say that when you're not the one in the cross hairs.

Originally posted by HotSauce
They are just sayings in straight peoples minds.

These few characters emphasize my whole point. Thank you for displaying the very ignorance that I was hoping this thread would expose.

reply to post by chissler


From what I can see, the only ignorance exposed on this thread was in the opening post.

So you are saying that wars have been started by someone calling someone a "faggot". I would like to see proof of that.

I think we should be free to use whatever slurs we want toward each other. Like if I want to go up to some huge black guy and tell him he is the greasiest n-word I have ever seen I should be free to do that. He should then be allowed to kick my teeth in for saying it without fear of punishment. I have all this PC crap and I am pretty sure the homosexuals are behind most of it.

You don't see a white man running around crying I have been slurred when somebody like Chris Rock calls us lazy ass crackers do you? You know why that is? It is because we are adults and don't run around crying to the government to make a law against it. Some people need to grow the f up.

[edit on 2-11-2009 by HotSauce]

reply to post by chissler


And the reason they are just sayings is that straight people are not nearly as obsessed with the fact that people are gay as the gay people are obsessed with identifitying themselves as gay. It is like they thnk it makes them special or something.

I have never once in my life been offended when somebody called me anything related to my love of women. I just have a good laugh and crack a joke on them. Like an adult and not an oversensitive first grader.

Insulting others based upon our differences is as old as time itself. It is odd that pointing out disparity between one another can actually draw disparate people together. Racial divide disappears when they band together in slurs against those of a different sexual preference. Gender divide disappears when they band together in slurs against those of a different ethnicity. There is something perversely ironic in the fact that the very thing that divides us can also bring us together.

I grew up outside of Detroit. As a child I was sheltered from racism and thought that stories about racism were some kind of Fable from a distant past. The kids at my school used racial slurs to one another, but it wasn't in a derogatory way, but oddly as a term of endearment. The moral imperative of "what is good for the goose is good for the gander" and "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" meant that it was okay to use the "N" word if you took no offense to being called the "H" word (now the "C" word) in return. I was shocked when I moved to the West Coast and found out the hard way that racism still exists and what could be a friendly gesture on the streets of Detroit could be construed as patently offensive and racist everywhere else.

And it's not just Racism where derogatory slurs reign supreme, but in every area where we differ from one another.

Yet, I see barriers between Religion, Ethnicity, Philosophy, Sexual Preference, and Gender dissolve all the time to unite in either jest or spite against one particular other group.

Of course, that doesn't make it right. If it is wrong for one Racial Group to be derisive of another, then it is wrong for all. Religious slurs are as equally repugnant as Racial slurs. Gender Bias or derogatory slurs against those with a different Sexual Preference is just as morally wrong and offensive as Racial slurs. Even Political slurs by reason stand to be as incorrect and patently offensive as the rest of them, even though it seems more okay to partake in such as a form of Constitutionally Protected Freedom of Speech than it is for the others.

If we are going to take such slurs into the punitive arena, then there does have to be a parity. Bashing Muslims is equally as bad as bashing LGBTs which is equally as bad as slamming Hispanics, which is just as wrong as slurring Atheists.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what our differences may be, and although we shouldn't fear out of Political Correctness pointing out our differences and making light of them, we have to draw the line equally across all of those divides when it intentionally or unintentionally hurts or defames those who are different from the ones making those derogatory comments.

Yes, it seems ridiculous at times that we have to maintain such levels of sensitivity to carefully consider and weigh the words with which we choose to express ourselves, but that is what language is for! Choose your words wisely, as if you don't, your defamatory words should be weighed without bias by the scales of Justice, as equally as the next.

However, there does need to be parity across the board. All derogatory slurs should be dealt with equally with the blindness of Justice.

reply to post by HotSauce


If you want to understand the difference, read and understand some history.

It's not about political correctness. It's about human rights. Read the universal declaration of human rights. People hide behind this joke of free speech and political correctness when they try to spread their hatred and ignorance onto others, which is a half-assed attempt to justify their infringing upon others human rights.

It's not political correctness. It's about our human rights.

And if you believe that wars have not been fought over this sort of hatred, please read a history book. You won't have to read too far before you see what I'm talking about.

reply to post by chissler


What wars have been fought over sayings? Your trying to get PC there, PC is what has runied this country.

reply to post by chissler


It is your human right not to have anyone ever make fun of you or use a slur that you find offensive? Lmao! That has never been the case. If anything is learned in grade school it is that you recieve some teasing and you give some teasing back. Then you go out back and have a good fight and become best friends. This is how men bond.

I think whatever gene or brain or chemical issue that causes homosexuality also causes oversensitivity. I wonder if any one has researched it?

Originally posted by HotSauce
I have never once in my life been offended when somebody called me anything related to my love of women. I just have a good laugh and crack a joke on them. Like an adult and not an oversensitive first grader.

Are you a white, heterosexual male? (I am too!)

And guess what? It wasn't us being herded into concentration camps. It wasn't us being hosed down in the streets for standing up for our rights. It's not us that we're told we are not able to share the same rights as anyone else. It's not us that were told that our orientation was a disease that can be treated through shock therapy.

Everybody else wanted to simply be treated as we have been throughout history.

So to say you've never been insulted is only reinforcing the very fact that you've had the upper hand throughout the years and that others have not been fortunate enough to have.

It's not a case of them being thin-skinned and you thick skinned. It's that you don't need to deal with the adversity that others do.

reply to post by fraterormus


So what you are saying in a long winded speech there is that if you use a derogatory term, the police should get involved? Do you really want that type of retardation in this country? We have enough retards running it._)

reply to post by chissler


Oh so now homosexuals are like the jews in the holocaust? What a load of horse dung. I dont have a problem giving homosexuals equal treatment. I have a problem when homosexuals think they need to be treated above everyone else as a protected class of citizens.

If people don't want to be called names maybe they should control their behavior like the rest of us. I mean if I dressed up like Cher and ran around all flaming and someone slurred me I would kind of have it coming.

You might be born gay, but you sure as hell aren't born as Barbara Streisand or Cher.

reply to post by HotSauce


I agree with you it seems we have special privileges for every sort of Minority you can think of in this country, what happen to free and equal?

reply to post by HotSauce


Gay is not synonymous with flamboyant, cross-dressing or transvestite. Which your post seems to insinuate.

I think the issue here is your simple lack of understanding with the topic at hand. I'm not comparing homosexuals to victims of the Holocaust. But in my quoting of the Holocaust, I'm illustrating how far this sort of hatred can go.

What's start off as an ignorant slur can lead to what our children study in school. And this is what I'm listening and reading from our members defend.

Astonishing to be honest.

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


I know. I guess you are free and equal only if you belong to some minority group. Political Correctness is out of control, because you get called a hater when you don't want your kid to be taught how to perform gay sex acts in school, but you are protected when you are a guy running around in a dress prancing around like an oversensitve drama queen.

What the hell is wronng with this world and how did we get here? I think we need to go back to being mean as hell like our grandparents.

Originally posted by chissler
reply to post by HotSauce

 

What's start off as an ignorant slur can lead to what our children study in school. And this is what I'm listening and reading from our members defend.

Astonishing to be honest.

Wel you know I would rather have my son learn just about anything else in school other than how him and his kindergarden buddies can perform gay sex acts on each other next time they get bored playing army.

Who is your members and what group do you belong to?

reply to post by HotSauce


So all gays are cross-dressing, drama-queens who prance around and are way too sensitive?



When the blacks in the 60's wanted things a certain way, was that unreasonable? And years before that when they didn't want to be slaves, was that unreasonable? And when the jews objected to being herded into Aushwitz, was that unreasonable?

At what point do we unmask this hatred and realize that it is all one in the same.

Yes, let's go back to being our grand parents.

When gays were institutionalized, blacks couldn't vote and our society was completely segregated. Or will we go back even further when slavery was the way to go?

Originally posted by HotSauce
Who is your members and what group do you belong to?

The members I referred to where the members of ATS, and the group I belong to is again, ATS. I was merely stating that I'm reading specific members of ATS defend this pure and utter ignorance.


[edit on 11-2-2009 by chissler]

reply to post by chissler

When the blacks in the 60's wanted things a certain way, was that unreasonable? And years before that when they didn't want to be slaves, was that unreasonable? And when the jews objected to being herded into Aushwitz, was that unreasonable?

Not all gays are dress wearing drama queens. Did I say that? The thing I always notice about people who back the gay agenda is their love of generalising a statement to apply to all gay people. This is just a debate tactic to make the other side look bad. Like if I said some gay people are child molestors you would try to come back and say that I said alll gay people are child molestors.

I dont have a problem with african americans having rights, or jews being free, or gay people getting benefits etc.. What I don't get is the need gay people have to be accepted by everyone. I think tolerence should be neough.

Last time I looked their werent a lot of gay slaves around exept on South Park and their weren't a bunch of gay people being herded off to be executed. I don't really think Hitler was trying to kill all gay people, just the German ones because he thought it was bad for the German people. By the way I don't agree with Hitler killing gays anymore than I agree with him killing jews or handicapped people. It was all disgusting.

The thing is you don't see african americans, jews, or handicapped running around crying everytime somebody says a joke about them.