Seriously??????????

[FireDancer]

This is terrific and easy for you, but I'm guessing that you haven't been the target of a hate filled, yet commonly used word or phrase.

As someone who has, I can tell you that no matter how hard you try, it still causes pain and anger.

Please understand that no one is trying to force anything onto you, but rather they are explaining their feelings. While you have expressed your feeling of not caring (and apathy is indeed your right) my feelings of hurt and anger are every bit as valid and important to me.

Telling someone to not give a word power seems to me to be placing the burden on the victim. Maybe instead, we should try to make people understand that words and the feelings behind them are hurtful and at times a bit scary.

Fair enough Kevin. I guess my issue is the so many times these "banned" or off limits words, whether they are ethnic slurs, gay slurs, racial slurs, or just normal hot button words like the r-word, are treated as dangerous in themselves without any consideration to context.

I think there is a big difference between using a word in a joke or even casually with no intent and as an insult or in anger/hate (like a call to action). I personally don't think any topic should be off limits when it comes to humor and I can separate laughing about a terrible thing and laughing at a joke about a terrible thing.

As an example of why banning words or trying to limit their use has unwanted consequences try to type her the species we are. It gets starred out (**** Sapien). That isn't using a word as a slur, it is using it in it's proper context.

I'm both Italian and Polish, two groups that were not treated well when they first immigrated to this country (along with other groups like The Irish and Chinese). If someone wants to tell a Polish joke or Italian joke I am not offended. If someone uses the words Dago, WOP, Polack or anything else I don't immediately get offended. Of course if it is something like "I'm going to kick your Daga butt" it isn't the word that is the problem, it is the action behind it. I don't think telling a joke about something means you hate or even have any negative view towards that thing. It just means you have a joke that happens to be about a certain group of people whether it be an ethnicity, a gender, a race, or a sexual orientation. I guess some people can't separate humor from hate, I can.

Not trying to change any minds and I'm more than willing to agree to disagree. I'm not trying to offend anyone, just trying to put on my perspective.