Dozen = racial slur?

[dis ms.]

You're both right. I really shouldn't have told that story and I regretted it afterwards. But I didn't take it down because once it's out there it's out there.

In a small defense of my words I was relating a story concerning an AA and the word dozen which seemed to be the topic. However looking back on it my words were instead a way of insulting the clerk and I shouldn't have done that. I apologize for this.

You and I were posting at the same time, so I missed your post. Thank you for this. You didn't have to come back and apologize. That was very classy.

 

[dis ms.]

I guess my point to positng the above stories are to show a couple of things.
Not every mention of race is meant as a "jab"' (not that I think dis ms was saying that). There is a middle ground. We can't go around being too PC, nor should we go around being insensitive either.

I agree with you. It's silly to not describe the only black person in the room as just that: the black person. If you need to distinguish the person from others, that would be best way to do so.

It's things like this that make me : "When I left for work this morning, I saw two AA kids vandalizing a stop sign." Their skin color is not relevant to the story. They aren't two AA delinquents, they are two delinquents who happen to be black. Unless you're filing a police report, why bring up their race? Those same people probably wouldn't say "I saw to two white kids..." Most likely, they would just say "two kids."

 

[sha_lyn]

agree with you. It's silly to not describe the only black person in the room as just that: the black person. If you need to distinguish the person from others, that would be best way to do so.

LOL.... I think with me it is a combination of it just not occurring to me, and then when it does I think to myself "well should I say that". With my friends it is really more of their race isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of them. I once sent them to look at a rental house my mother and her BF own. My mom "warned" her BF that she thought they might be a biracial couple (my mom had met the mother and kids but not the DH at that time). Her BF said would I have mentioned it, and my mom told him it probably never even occurred to me that it might be an issue with him.
Which sadly it was an issue, until he met them.

Which reminds me of something else...
My aunt and uncle just sold a rental house that is right next door to them. they are in their late 70's and grew here in the "deep south" in an area where race was (and sadly often still is) an issue. The couple that bought it is a young biracial couple. aunt/uncle are now afraid the neighbors might have an issue with it and start causing problems.
My aunt and uncle are huge pet lovers and the fact that the couple have a dog and cat (that seem well loved) means much more to them than race. In a way I am a little surprised, just because of the attitude that their generation was raised with. While I would never describe anyone in my family as "against" another race, I just know that they were raised in a time/culture that didn't permit "mixing". That's whey they are worried about the neighbors

Which leads me to another story.
We visited the MLK Jr site last Feb the week of MLK Jr day.
My DD and the rest of the kids in the group just could not believe there was a time when someone's race would be an issue. I found myself having to explain a lot to her, including the fact that at one time is was against the law for her friends parents (my MA instructor and his wife) to be married and that her friends would have been treated very differently just because they are biracial. In a way I was very proud that for DD race doesn't even enter her mind. OTOH I was very sad that I had to in away soil DD's innocence with history, and the truth that some people still feel that way.

 

[juligrl]

Maybe what's sad is to assume that because the clerk was black, that had anything to do with what he said.

I've read many threads on the DIS lately about people being too sensitive and "reverse racism" and a lot of stuff to the effect that "these people" are just too sensitive and there isn't a race problem anymore, and if there is it's because of them being too sensitive.

There was an article on the Dallas paper yesterday. About a civil trial brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of a black man who was assaulted by four white men in Linden, Texas.

The boys, ranging in age from 17 to 24 at the time of the assault, lured a 42 year old, mentally ******** black man (with the mental capacity of a 12 year old) out to a field to a "pasture party". They gave him alcohol, forced him to dance for their amusment, and taunted him with racial slurs.

The plan was to beat the man, but the first punch thrown knocked him unconscious. Some of the partygoers wanted to take him to the hospital, but the assailant and three of his friends (one of whom was a corrections officer at the local jail) intimidated the rest of the group. They said he was just an effin n-----, why have his blood all over the seats of your car? The four men put the body in the back of a pickup truck, drove out to a place called Dump Road, because it was near the city dump, and deposited the body on top of a fire ant hill.

Fortunately, the victim was found, and survived. But unfortunately, the loss of oxygen to his brain caused him permanent brain injuries.

Despite solid evidence, local juries acquitted two of the men of felony assault, and the other two were permitted to plead guilty to misdemeanors. Three of the assailants served 30 days in jail, and one served 60. In the predominantly white town, sympathy was for the defendants, even the one who showed no remorse and referred to his victim as "it.'

On of the men's mothers commented that because of the misdemeanor convictions, her son and his friends would have their names ruined forever, while the victim, who can barely walk or speak and has memory loss, was "better off today than he's ever been in his life" than he had ever been because now he lives in a nursing home with round the clock care, whereas before he had often wandered away from the home he shared with his mother and brother.

The civil trial was brought in order to obtain money from the assailants, because Billy Ray Johnson, the victim, will require lifelong care. A Houston jury awarded a total $9 million, although that is largely a symbolic amount and will probably never be collected. Billy Ray Johnson's lifetime care was conservately assessed as costing $2.2 million.

This assault happened in 2003. This decade! The assailants were all born after the civil rights movement, in our so-called enlightened age.

I am just too cynical to believe that racism is really not an issue anymore and that minorities who take offense to anything are just being too sensitive.

When white people stop assaulting minorities because of their race - and getting away with it - then I'll start thinking that minorities are too sensitive about anything.

What has this got to do with hot dog buns? Nothing at all. And I don't know what I would have done in the OP's situation. Been surprised. But I wouldn't think the woman was crazy. I would wonder what she's seen in her life to make her feel the way she does.

I didn't even catch or care about the fact that the clerk was "AA" (whatever that means - honestly I didn't catch it but would have thought "Alcoholics Anonymous?" ). I was refering to the fact that the clerk didn't know that 1/2 dozen = 6! My commentary was on the brilliance of the educational system in this country. Don't get me started on that though.

 

[Robinrs]

I never heard of the dozen problem, either, and of course, want to stab out my eyes AGAIN on a thread on the DIS...

What I don't understand is why ONE person saying something stupid reflects on the entire race. I saw a white woman crying on television because the county put the word "FAT" on her license plate... should I have come here to ask if THAT is a word that I shouldn't say in front of white people? No, I figured SHE was singularly crazy, not a PC or "white" thing.

sha_lyn, this woman probably heard something like this and was looking for a fight. I've had similar stupid responses by people of every race. People sometimes want to start something, it's inexcuseable.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

A few days ago a friend was shopping at Super-WalMart. She picked up a package of hot dog buns and her daughter asked her how many were in the package.
She pointed to the packaged and read the label "one dozen hot dog rolls".
An African-American lady standing near-by went nuts and told my friend she might as well be teaching her daughter to call her(the lady) a (insert the n word here). She said the lady continued to yell and rant for several minutes, and during the rant she did say dozen, so it wasn't that the lady miss-understood my friend. My friend eventually told her "the only thing offensive is the fact that you think I should know all the latest slang" then she walked off. She's asked several people what is offensive about it. A few of us have even tried looking it up online to no avail.
I figured someone here on the DIS might just know what is offensive about the word dozen.

This woman sounded nuts and I would have reported her to security.

 

[sha_lyn]

Robin... I don't think it reflect on the entire race. The point is the woman said to my friend something along the lines of she might was well use the "N" word. So at least to this woman it was about race (nuts or not). I was jsut trying to find out how/why the word dozen could be a racial slur as this woman clearly (right or worng) thought it was.

 

[Jpgirl]

Ok my dh had something happen to him at work on Fri that started a conversation about some language being offensive to certain groups. He was questioned by the head of HR about a meeting he attended in Nov. and if he remembered anything being said that made him uncomfortable. He didn't recall and then was afraid that HE may have said it. My dh would never purposely say anything to offend someone but I have to tell ya sometimes he can put his foot in his mouth and up his rear without meaning to. Anyway it wasn't him and he was glad. And the HR lady said we all have to be careful even me (We think that she was trying to get to the point that everyone needs to be careful-even minorities-and she belongs to that group). She went on to say that saying the expression "Getting off Scott free" could offend some one of the Scottish culture. Ok I might not be the brightest crayon in the box but I had no idea that "Scott" in that phrase referred to the Scottish. I seriously thought that Scott was a man's name and it was used like we use "Joe" anybody-just generalization for a guy. And now I bewildered as to how that might be offensive-and I really don't know. Can anyone enlighten me?? Gee-I may be going around offending anybody and everybody because I don't know the new slang and apparently I didn't know the old slang either. Guess I'll just not talk to anyone. I get so lost in political correctness sometimes that trying to communicate with anyone anymore is dificult.

 

[mirthmaiden]

I have never heard of the word "dozen" being in any way offensive. There really needs to be some sort of weekly news show or e-mail newsletter sent out by whomever decides these things to let me know what new words/colors/sounds are offensive so that I can keep up.

 

[Cindyluwho]

Ok my dh had something happen to him at work on Fri that started a conversation about some language being offensive to certain groups. He was questioned by the head of HR about a meeting he attended in Nov. and if he remembered anything being said that made him uncomfortable. He didn't recall and then was afraid that HE may have said it. My dh would never purposely say anything to offend someone but I have to tell ya sometimes he can put his foot in his mouth and up his rear without meaning to. Anyway it wasn't him and he was glad. And the HR lady said we all have to be careful even me (We think that she was trying to get to the point that everyone needs to be careful-even minorities-and she belongs to that group). She went on to say that saying the expression "Getting off Scott free" could offend some one of the Scottish culture. Ok I might not be the brightest crayon in the box but I had no idea that "Scott" in that phrase referred to the Scottish. I seriously thought that Scott was a man's name and it was used like we use "Joe" anybody-just generalization for a guy. And now I bewildered as to how that might be offensive-and I really don't know. Can anyone enlighten me?? Gee-I may be going around offending anybody and everybody because I don't know the new slang and apparently I didn't know the old slang either. Guess I'll just not talk to anyone. I get so lost in political correctness sometimes that trying to communicate with anyone anymore is dificult.

Here ya go!!

How did the term "scott free" come about?

First off, let's set the record straight on the expression itself -- it's actually "scot-free." And contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Dred Scott or the Scottish.
Sceot is the Old English for "a tax." Scot and lot was a medieval muncipal tax levied on residents. Someone who managed to avoid paying this medieval tax got off "scot free."

Eventually, the word evolved to describe getting away without any kind of punishment, fiscal or otherwise. Kids who fake fevers get out of school scot-free. Cagey adults escape jury duty scot-free. And dogs with remorseful eyes get off scot-free from just about any wrongdoing.

 

[Robinrs]

Robin... I don't think it reflect on the entire race. The point is the woman said to my friend something along the lines of she might was well use the "N" word. So at least to this woman it was about race (nuts or not). I was jsut trying to find out how/why the word dozen could be a racial slur as this woman clearly (right or worng) thought it was.

I didn't mean to aim that at you sha_lyn, there are several posts on this and other threads that reflect that. You were concerned and I don't blame you. It doesn't mean that what she said was right or true though it may be in her own deluded mind.

 

[sha_lyn]

OK got ya Robin. I was afraid I had said something unintentional that bothered you (other than pronouncing the l in salmon LOL)

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Here ya go!!

How did the term "scott free" come about?

First off, let's set the record straight on the expression itself -- it's actually "scot-free." And contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Dred Scott or the Scottish.
Sceot is the Old English for "a tax." Scot and lot was a medieval muncipal tax levied on residents. Someone who managed to avoid paying this medieval tax got off "scot free."

Eventually, the word evolved to describe getting away without any kind of punishment, fiscal or otherwise. Kids who fake fevers get out of school scot-free. Cagey adults escape jury duty scot-free. And dogs with remorseful eyes get off scot-free from just about any wrongdoing.

Darn. Thought I was FINALLY going to have something to be offended at.

Of course, if you use the phrase "paddy wagon" I will have to speak to HR...

 

[Boston Tea Party]

What I don't understand is why ONE person saying something stupid reflects on the entire race.

Similarly, all East Texans of European heritage don't look for people of color to assault or drag behind pickup trucks.

I think it's time we started giving each other the benefit of the doubt, don't you?

 

[disykat]

I want to speak in defense of the poster who mentioned the race of a lady she encountered difficulty with in a store. It sounded to me like she thought the woman was accusing her of disrepecting her because of her race - the lady was insinuating that the reason she was putting her items on the belt and "being rude to her" because of her race. In that case, it does need to be mentioned that the person was a different race than her.

I live in a pretty racially diverse neighborhood. They've moved now, but we used to have difficulty with the neighbors in one house. (They were not African American) No one could say anything to them because they would try to play the race card. It got very old. I sat in a very racially diverse HOA meeting where we talked about how we had to deal with them carefully because of their ridiculous refusal to see that people were upset about their behavior not their race.

This conversation started out about political correctness and a story about "playing the racecard" fits IMO.

 

[Robinrs]

OK got ya Robin. I was afraid I had said something unintentional that bothered you (other than pronouncing the l in salmon LOL)

 

[Amlee]

I didn't even catch or care about the fact that the clerk was "AA" (whatever that means - honestly I didn't catch it but would have thought "Alcoholics Anonymous?" ). I was refering to the fact that the clerk didn't know that 1/2 dozen = 6! My commentary was on the brilliance of the educational system in this country. Don't get me started on that though.

I'm right in there with you. I saw the "AA" and paused to try to figure it out. But I've given up in trying to figure out what each and ever addreviation is on here. I was laughing at the fact that some one doesn't know that a 1/2 dozen = 6!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

cRAZY! I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS TERM!

 

[Aisling]

Darn. Thought I was FINALLY going to have something to be offended at.

Of course, if you use the phrase "paddy wagon" I will have to speak to HR...

Holy cow, I only this very second realized what "paddy wagon" means! I guess seeing it in print made it click! I use that term all the time, and now I see it's an Irish thing. I guess the Irish kept the cops busy when that term was coined! I'm Irish, and it doesn't offend me, by the way.

Another by the way, a long time ago I took a vacation to South Carolina, and on a plantation tour, we were told that the n word originated from Southern accent pronouncing the word Negro, saying like Nigre, and then the n word came from it. It originally wasn't meant as a slur.

I just thought it was interesting to know how words come about.

Another by the way, I never heard of the word "dozen" being a slur, either.

 

[JoyG]

I have never heard dozen used in a way other than meaning 12.

I personally think the woman was mentally ill. I say that b/c I have a family member who is severly bipolar and when she's having a "break" she sees things that aren't there and reads into things that no one else would.

For example, she once saw a Target flyer in the newspaper and was convinced it was a message from someone who was trying to "target" her and kill her.

I think flying off the handle over the word "dozen" is along the same lines. She was probably ill.

Even someone who wanted to pick a fight wouldn't pick it over something as ridiculous as the word dozen.