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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ihuxe!rainbow
From: rainbow@ihuxe.UUCP (Rob Buchner)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: RE2:gender terms
Message-ID: <1081@ihuxe.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Mar-85 11:58:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxe.1081
Posted: Mon Mar 25 11:58:29 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 04:47:03 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 43


>>Tolerance goes two ways. There is no reason to get upset over something
>>when nothing was meant by it. 

>"Gee, I didn't mean to bother anyone by calling that black person a
>n*gger.  And since I didn't intend to bother them then it must be ok
>for me to continue to do so.  If they are offended then they have a
>problem, not me."

Boy is there a big difference. In this case you directly insult someone.
The case we were discussing is not derogatory towards anyone. Do you get
into a huff and puff when someone refers to you as caucasion? Oriental?
Black? White? etc. One cannot use an offensive word and not intend to bother
someone. An inoffensive word(girl) is another matter though.

I pulled out my old trusty Websters to find out the generally accepted
meanings of the words in question:

GIRL: (1)-A single or married women of any age.
 I see nothing offensive here. I will continue to use the term when
 referring to someone meeting the definition.

N*gger: (1)-Negro, usually taken to be offensive.
 I rest my case. The use of this term is socially unacceptable.

>I think that you missed the point of my message.  There is no way that
>a person can always predict what will offend others.  However, if a person
>knows that others are offended by something, and then goes ahead and does
>it anyway then I think that this person is being very inconsiderate.  There
>are not any good reasons that will justify such behavior.

Okay, I will admit to being very inconsiderate if all smokers and swearers
do also. They have no good reason that will justify such behavior according
to your definition. Ridiculous, huh? I repeat, tolerance is a two way street.

But I think you missed the point of my message. If someone inadvertantly
says something which is taken offensively, I think it is very inconsiderate
to show intolerance towards that person. Also, it is improper to show
intolerance towards someone just because you differ in choice of language(ie
due to upbringing or environment, etc).

What is wrong though is for someone to specifically go out of their way
to purposely offend someone.