Offensive...

[hvp05]

I'm still waiting to hear someone like the black chick on "Las Vegas" to say "African American? Bloody hell, I'm a *BRIT* you stupid git!".

I wish I had an Egyptian friend. Then I could call him an "African American" in public... just fishing for the response, "What are you, blind?! He's not African - he's Middle Eastern!"

 

[Kyle]

What about "HUMMER"? Who wants to drive around in a vehicle named after oral sex (other than Bill Clinton)? What, does the salesperson orally gratify you when you buy one?

For the price, it's the least one could expect.

 

[MLE]

I don't understand that. I don't mind being called "white." Not at all. Or cracker or honkey. Not at all. :shrug:

I don't think any of us mind...that is because all the various groups that try to denigrate* us for being white haven't yet found a name as derogatory as the ones they give themselves...or mabye it is because we have better things to do than get spooled up over BS like that, or mabye we realize that color and capability are not mutually exclusive, and choose to get on with life...[sheesh, now I am doing it...can I say 'color' on this post?]

*DOH! don't look this word up in merriam-webster I may have stepped in it twice!!...that whole sentence is sort of a ...what's the word...conundrum...

 

[MLE]

No. Are you offended if someone refers to you as "white"? Why is it up to your friend to tell you what color she is? If she decides she wants to be called a tree, will you then describe her as "You know, the tree"?

I find African American offensive for two reasons:

1. Like Larry said, our neighbor is a true African American, i.e born in Africa and currently an American citizen. To use that term for some random American who has never set foot in Africa is silly.
2. It separates blacks from the rest of us. An "African" American, as opposed to a REAL American like whitey me.

Anyway, I don't get involved in PC silliness. If someone got mad at me because I referred to them as black instead of African American or whatever touchy term they've decided on, I'd ignore them.

What is all boils down to is this...we are overly programmed to be hyper-sensitive about it because some people will take any opportunity to scream racist to justify their own inner paranoia. My 'funny' story is that in my college days, I dated a guy I worked with (yes, he was black). At the time, I didn't really think much of it, and I had never even considered I would be seen as a racist. Then one day I was standing in line at the store and the woman behind me stumbled (or something) into me. I turned to see what was going on because it hurt and I almost fell into the woman in front of me. When I turned, she said, 'Ex-CUSE YOU' really loudly, and when she gave me the glare of challenge, I decided it was best to let it go (she was black by the way). As I turned back around, she said, 'you cracker racist' under her breath...what the hell was that about? At first I was FURIOUS! I wanted to turn around and say, "Actually, you are ruder than the whitest trash I know"- because I thought it might point out that when you are an A--hole you are an a--hole regardless of race. At that time, the people who had treated me the worst, and who I hated the most, were the local white trash criminals and junkies on the street around the college, so calling her white trash was the worst comment I could think of at the time to say. Then I realized that she had a huge chip on her shoulder that was causing her to be aggressively paranoid, and I decided to just let it go- she was only hurting herself-nothing I was going to say would make her see that... as I left the store, still marvelling at how my very being somehow branded me a racist in this womans' eyes, I started to find it funny as it occured to me that I was dating a black man at the time...yeah...I am a racist...

 

[Otter]

I don't think any of us mind...that is because all the various groups that try to denigrate* us for being white haven't yet found a name as derogatory as the ones they give themselves...or mabye it is because we have better things to do than get spooled up over BS like that, or mabye we realize that color and capability are not mutually exclusive, and choose to get on with life...[sheesh, now I am doing it...can I say 'color' on this post?]

*DOH! don't look this word up in merriam-webster I may have stepped in it twice!!...that whole sentence is sort of a ...what's the word...conundrum...

I always look at name calling as 'so what?'..I think it's totally stupid to get spun up by it.

 

[MLE]

I'm still waiting to hear someone like the black chick on "Las Vegas" to say "African American? Bloody hell, I'm a *BRIT* you stupid git!".

I worked with an exchange student from Africa. He had the coolest name, I am not EVEN going to try to spell it out here, and a neat accent, but soon after getting the job, he changed it to 'Steve'. I asked him why, and he said that the 'American' blacks wouldn't leave him alone about it, and kept talking to him in a way he couldn't understand (I would describe it as rap-speak, because I have no idea what the proper term is in referring to their particular jargon), and he didn't want to be seen as one of them- he said he was a 'True' African, and he was embarrased by the African-American culture here that seemed so far off center from where he came from.

 

[ShizzlemaNizzle]

The KKK be offending my all the time. black market be offendin me too, i thought slavery was outlawed. wut up wit dat?

 

[K_Jo]

I always look at name calling as 'so what?'..I think it's totally stupid to get spun up by it.

Idiot.



Are you still OK?

 

[MJ]

I still want to know how changing the name of the Bullets to the Wizards was supposed to make D.C. a kinder gentler city?