Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unm-cvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!lanl!unmvax!unm-cvax!cwayne From: cwayne@unm-cvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.startrek Subject: offensive?? Message-ID: <204@unm-cvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 28-Jan-85 16:24:22 EST Article-I.D.: unm-cvax.204 Posted: Mon Jan 28 16:24:22 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Feb-85 00:34:38 EST Reply-To: cwayne@unm-cvax.UUCP (Chris Wayne) Organization: Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque Lines: 45 I have just been informed that "In our enlightened society, people of Japanese descent are highly offended by the adjective 'Jap'." Let me say that I intended to offend noone (and this is not an apology, because there should be no insult taken), but this news group should be the last place anybody could be offended (unless you tried real real hard). I used the term 'Jap' for one, it was shorter than Japanese or Nipponese(sp), two, in WWII 'Jap' WAS the term used whether or not it was meant as an insult, and three, Star Trek has been a major influence in most of my life and so some of the events from no less than two ST episodes come to mind. In SC, Uhura tells Lincoln that in the 23rd Century "we are proud of what we are." In LB, Kirk tells Loki and Bele basicaly the same thing. So, when I (or anyone else) use a term that might sound offensive to someone, remember it's coming from the 23rd Century and Not the 20th! I greatly injoy ethnic jokes. I'm very disappointed that there aren't more ethnic jokes reguarding my major nationality (which is Czech). You see, if we can't laugh at ourselves, we can't laugh with each other. That leads to not being able to accept ourselves and if we're not proud of what we are, how can we be proud of each other?! In the end, anything said, any label given will become offensive! If there is no hatred, there is no insult and if there is 'laughter', how can there be hatred? 'Laughter' could be replaced with sharing or common intrest or something of similar quality. Now, if I had said 'Commi' or 'Moonie', would I have been told that I was offending anyone? How conceited we are! There is one redeeming thing, we must be able to differentiate between something that is ethnic and something that is cancerous (evil in the guise of good, which is very very common today)! From now on, if somebody says "death to all Zeaon Pigs" or "Jap" or whatever, let's first try to recall from what episode it came from and if that fails, consider it in the mind of someone from the 23rd Century. One final thing, somebody will probably say that this letter belongs in net.politics or net.religion, but I think I have already answered this with what Uhura and Kirk said in SC and LB respectfully. If the subject of this letter has not been part of the Star Trek Universe, then I must be seeing things that aren't there and the hope for a better future just doesn't exist!! Chris Wayne @ UNM The "being serious" time is now over with.