First Lady Uses Racial Slur And Gets Away With It

originally posted by: acmpnsfal
a reply to: beezzer

No not all of them, not even close. If an offensive word is included in the dictionary, it is included in the description, most offensive words are excluded. There is no point system, the people who study language know how the word is used and in what context. They know if a word is supposed to be derogatory or not.

I'm asking honestly, not trying to be snotty. I've heard on tv, here on ATS, that some words are more offensive than others.

And I can't get my head around that.

Either they are offensive, or they aren't.

originally posted by: beezzer
Perhaps we should all just change our language into numbers.

Numbers aren't offensive.

. . . . . thinks abut it. . . .

Except for the number 51.

Never trusted that number!

(shakes fist at the number 51!)

You know it's funny, but there is a children's book about that called The Numberlys. It seems the gist is that the numbers found life very boring with only numbers. Look it up and read the synopsis.

Of course, we could just live like they do in Lowry's The Giver ...

originally posted by: kruphix
I never knew that was the origin of that word...heck....I thought it was spelled "jipped".

Same, now I know better.

originally posted by: intrepid
I think it's another non-issue. TONS of those lately. My 2 points:

1) Who hasn't used that word?
2) How many even know it's a racial slur?

Yep on number two. I bet very few realize it is a slur, but then again not so much. If you research this particular cultural group the word was a badge of honor for them. Now, today there are families that have removed themselves from the lifestyle that created the name in the first place.

The gypters, like that word lol are very much alive and well and maybe coming to a neighborhood near you lol. The word is still a badge of honor to them. This is one time where the word really may not be a slur after all.

The Bot

originally posted by: beezzer

originally posted by: acmpnsfal
a reply to: beezzer

No not all of them, not even close. If an offensive word is included in the dictionary, it is included in the description, most offensive words are excluded. There is no point system, the people who study language know how the word is used and in what context. They know if a word is supposed to be derogatory or not.

I'm asking honestly, not trying to be snotty. I've heard on tv, here on ATS, that some words are more offensive than others.

And I can't get my head around that.

Either they are offensive, or they aren't.

Wabbit, you being silly again lol. What truly is more astounding is just how racially biased we really are. How if a team was called the black skins, the whole world would have a problem with it. You are right, we selectively think some things are offensive but can be ignorant about others.

The fact that the majority of people think that is OK literally makes me sad.

Course unlike other races, you rarely hear native Americans complain.

We should have more honest discussions about this, for my part i am sorry if I offended anyone, especially the small hairy hopping kind lol. Luv ya wabbit.

The Bot

originally posted by: rebelv

originally posted by: whatnext21
a reply to: beezzer
Hey Beez it was me who was offended but being Canadian, i sort of poked fun at your comment, regular bacon or nothing by the way, and how could you miss my comment especially on my birthday, eh!!!
On your post, I am sure someone will be offended by her remark and the gypsies will be up in arms soon enough and rallying the wagons...

Are there even Gypsies still around anymore?
Are their people that refer to themselves as
Gypsies or is that politically incorrect as well;
rhetorical question.

Rebel 5

There are many. I saw them in Rome and Florence picking pockets and pulling the "wrapped up baby" scam. They are a big crime problem in Europe. You often have to get physical with them to keep them from robbing you blind in public.

a reply to: dlbott

How often do you hear people refer to Native American in a derogatory fashion as redskins? People are far more likely to use the slurs aimed at blacks or latinos than they are Native Americans in my experience. There just aren't that many Native Americans running around. It's not exactly a non-issue, but it's like hearing someone use offensive language against Asians.

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: ausername

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: rebelv
a reply to: beezzer

I think this country has become 'politically correct' obsessed.

Have you ever asked "why"? We're looking at this tripe while REAL issues are........... oh look, a squirrel.

In that context I'm quite certain you have just offended squirrels.

No prob. I'm Canadian. I have a trained beaver:

Now if only Michelle could train her beaver to keep shut

a reply to: beezzer

Michelle is far from my favorite person, but I cannot fault her for this.

Seriously: how many people actually know or think that gypped is a racial slur? Exceedingly few.

This is pretty much a total non-issue for me. Will check back later to see if everyone else thinks the same.

originally posted by: Kali74

originally posted by: kruphix
I never knew that was the origin of that word...heck....I thought it was spelled "jipped".

Same, now I know better.

And you know what...that is the difference.

I will try not to use it from now on...I'm sure I will because old habits and all...but now that I know that it is a derogatory word, I will try my hardest not to use it.

And if I would use it in front of a Gypsy and they were offended, I would sincerely apologize.

I don't know for sure, but I would bet if Michelle was called on it, she would apologize as well. Unlike some stories we have been seeing where people use a racial slur and refuse to apologize because "they call each other that".

a reply to: beezzer
Definite removal of her trademark.

originally posted by: beezzer
a reply to: aboutface

Apologies for the Canadian remark. I just couldn't miss out on an oppourtunity to poke some fun at our northern cousins.

Hope you knew I was teasing too, Beeze, so no prob. However, if Intrepid is giving you a 2-4, how about sharing? Got the mug ready to go.

Back on topic, I never knew the origin of that term but every time I used it, which wasn't often, I wondered if it had racial origins.

OOPS, forgot me mug. Fill 'er up!

originally posted by: beezzer

I'm asking honestly, not trying to be snotty. I've heard on tv, here on ATS, that some words are more offensive than others.

And I can't get my head around that.

Either they are offensive, or they aren't.

Words are not offensive. Being offended is an emotional response that people choose to take. This response is taught and learned, and this thread is a good example of that. If this story were to grow legs, you could count on the media to jump in and tell us whether or not we should be offended by the term, much the way they are doing with "Redskins." Another good example was when the media told us that Caucasians should not be offended by the term "crazy ass cracker."

Whether a term is considered "more offensive" than another term depends on three factors.

First, the level of emotional control of the person being offended. If someone is automatically offended by the utterance of a combination of syllables like it was a Harry Potter spell that took over their mind, then that is the type of person that will likely fly off the handle over any small matter. Wife giving you lip? Just back-hand her. Somebody cuts you off? Road rage time. Don't think about a situation, just let your emotions take over. That's the choice they make.

The second factor, of course, is the level of intelligence of the person being offended. As I noted before, being offended is a learned response. Some people just don't have the intelligence to deal with a situation in any manner other than the way they were taught. It's not their fault, they just don't have the tools to examine a situation objectively and determine what is in their best interest. They are taught that they should be offended in a particular instance so that is what they do.

Thirdly, there is the "group think" mentality. We're all guilty of this to some degree, it's part of our culture. Who here hasn't denigrated the opposing football team in high school? All in good fun, of course. Social acceptance in high school meant cheering your team and calling the other guys losers. As adults, we're told that it is not socially acceptable to choose not to be offended by certain terms. Humans don't like to be ostracized, so they go along with the group and choose to be offended by a term, whether they really care or not.

intrepid

So a person is guilty even if they didn't know they were committing a crime?

I agree.
It's more lunacy about nothing.


I've probably offended half of humanity unknowingly by using some of these terms :

"The itis"
More commonly known now as a "food coma," this phrase directly alludes to the stereotype of laziness associated with African-Americans. It stems from a longer (and incredibly offensive) version — ni****itis.

Modern vernacular dropped the racial slur, leaving a faux-scientific diagnosis for the tired feeling you get after eating way too much food.

3."Peanut gallery"
This phrase intends to reference hecklers or critics, usually ill-informed ones. In reality, the "peanut gallery" names a section in theaters, usually the cheapest and worst, where many black people sat during the era of Vaudeville.

5. "Paddy wagons"
In modern slang, "paddy wagon" means a police car.

"Paddy" originated in the late 1700s as a shortened form of "Patrick," and then later a pejorative term for any Irishman. "Wagon" naturally refers to a vehicle. "Paddy wagon" either stemmed from the large number of Irish police officers or the perception that rowdy, drunken Irishmen constantly ended up in the back of police cars.

Neither are particularly nice.

6. "Bugger"
When you call someone a "bugger," you're accusing them of being a Bulgarian sodomite. The term stemmed from the Bogomils, who led a religious sect during the Middle Ages called "Bulgarus." Through various languages, the term morphed into "bugger."


7. "Hooligan"
This phrase started appearing in London newspaper around 1898. The Oxford Online Dictionary speculates it evolved from the fictional surname, "Houlihan," included in a popular pub song about a rowdy Irish family.

Other sources, like Clarence Rook's book, "The Hooligan Nights," claim that Patrick Houlihan actually existed. He was a bouncer and a thief in Ireland.

Whatever the case, somewhere an Irish family landed a bad rap. Most notably, the term evolved into "football hooliganism," destructive behavior from European football (but really soccer) fans.

8. "Eskimo"
"Eskimo" comes from the same Danish word borrowed from Algonquin "ashkimeq," which literally means "eaters of raw meat." Other etymological research suggests it could mean "snowshoe-netter" too.

Either way, when we refer to an entire group of people by their perceived behaviors, we trivialize their existence and culture. Let's start using the proper terms, like Inuit.

9. "Sold down the river"
Today, if someone "sells you down the river," he or she betrays or cheats you. But the phrase has a much darker and more literal meaning.

During slavery in the U.S., masters in the North often sold their misbehaving slaves, sending them down the Mississippi river to plantations in Mississippi, where conditions were much harsher.

10. "Eenie meenie miney moe"
This phrase comes from a longer children's rhyme:

Eenie, meenie, miney, moe / Catch a tiger by the toe / If he hollers let him go / Eenie, meenie miney, moe

This modern, unoffensive version comes from a similar, older one, where n***er replaces tiger. Rudyard Kipling mentions it as a "counting-out song" (basically a way for kids to eliminate candidates for being "It" in hide-and-seek) in "Land And Sea Tales For Scouts And Guides."

11. "Hip hip hooray!"
Though steeped in controversy, this first part of this phrase might relate to the Hep Hep Riots — anti-Semitic demonstrations started in Germany in the 19th century. Germans reportedly cheered "hep hep" as they forced Jews from their homes across Europe.

"Hep" is likely an acronym for "Hierosolyma est perdita" which means "Jerusalem has fallen" in Latin. The Crusaders may have used this as a battle cry, although little proof exists. Or German shepherds or hunters may have used "hep hep" as a traditional command to rally trained dogs.

Just to be safe, avoid the first two words. "Hooray" conveys just as much merriment as the full version and comes from hurrah, a version of huzzah, a "sailor's shout of exaltation."

Bonus: "Rule of thumb"
The Telegraph reported just this year that Sir Francis Buller ruled in 1886 that a man could beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb, which thus created the popular, and sexist, idiom.

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

She said "Gipped" not "Gyped" and I cant stand Obama whether Female or Male.

Now, if the argument is whether its OK to make a mistake without knowing it than lets have that one.

Racial Slur = Gyped Racial Slur = ????

Is it the Context or the Ignorance or is it both?? Who created these words anyways. I always have wondered who created the curse words we use and why they are so important, I guess like any word created. Either way, sensible Cry Baby's will be just that, Cry Baby's. Over everything. We are in that society so I guess we live with it??

a reply to: intrepid

Agreed, I have used it and had no idea!


PS... Canadian and hate mayo

I'm all about holding people accountable, especially our supposed leaders, but I can recall numerous times, especially earlier in my life, when I just used a word like that without even thinking of its meaning.

For that reason, I'm willing to give her an ultra-rare pass.

Rest assured, however, that people will have a stronger opinion on this than they do other way more important issues.

a reply to: butcherguy

If it's SOOOO offensive a word, why would they even use it? I will never understand that, the same way black people use the "n" word.

a reply to: beezzer

Now Beezer . . .

You are super bright.

You MUST KNOW that the oligarchy . . . and particularly the Thugs-in-Chief in the D.C. power house . . .

are MASTER CHOREOGRAPHERS OF SYMPHONIES IN BLOODY GREY.

They can rationalize violently shredding a late term baby and call it choice.

They can terrorize other countries and call it peacemaking.

They can send millions of jobs overseas and call it patriotic progress.

They can lie day in and day out and call it honorable.

They can destroy health care and call it wonderful.

They can destroy the energy industry and related jobs and call it healthy.

They can multiply abject evil like . . . uhhhh . . . rabbits . . . and call it righteous.

Rationalizing racist words while they scream about racism is just BUSINESS AS USUAL in THUG-CAPITAL-USA.

This is quite amusing, im sure there are more words used everyday that are derived from somthing racial, gender specific, etc

"dont be such a baby" OMG totally ageist!!!! babys are people too!!

come on.