Quote: Originally Posted by
Kyuu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Quote: Originally Posted by
QueenJane /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Paddy wagon....
I recently had a similar discussion with a co-worker. She is Canadian and Native. I asked her, "so does that mean you are a Native-Canadian?" She replied, "I am an Indian, its you damn Americans that are so sensitive about these things". I guess it is all a matter of perspective.
I believe the native people of Canada, or as far as I know, prefer the term "First Nation."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations
I also don't think it's offensive to ask if you don't know either. It's the unwillingness to change yourself and plunge forward, being as offensive as you can, that drives people nuts.
Quote: Originally Posted by
gypsiemagic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words:
Hooligan
Vandal
Hip Hip Horray
Barbarian
Bugger
Uppity
Peanut gallery
on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it.
I don't think anyone was questioning you for choosing a username with "Gypsie" in it, but taking a quick look at the original comment thread that lead to this, it was because someone in question has used it as a synonym for being ripped off. Additionally, I'm not attacking you for choosing your username since you already have, but your argument is also flawed. I don't think someone of Jewish heritage would feel badly about being called a Jew, but they wouldn't be incorrect to be offended if someone equated "jew" with being cheap. But the Roma people refer to themselves as Roma and not "gypsie." I'm too tired to get into this argument, but I'm would definitely be upset if someone called me a ch*nk, not because I'm not Chinese (I am) but because that is an offensive term.
/emoticons/
[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> There is a difference!
It's great to be someone in a position where you don't have to worry about being called an offensive name, but as someone in that position, it's incredibly irresponsible and arrogant to write off other people's criticisms about how they experience discrimination or to determine if that experience counts. As far as I saw, the OP said something she wasn't aware was offensive, people told her it was so, and she felt bad and said she would be mindful of it in the future. This is fine, because she didn't know. This is the correct reaction when something happens, as was what happened when one of the Pacific Rim writers were asked about the name of Gipsy Magic:
Quote: Candidly, it was meant to be a nod to the de Havilland engine. The pejorative context isn’t a usage I’ve had much cultural experience with.
But I certainly wont presume to tell anyone what should or shouldn’t offend them. I can only apologize for my ignorance, offer my assurances that it was not our intent to propagate any hurtful stereotypes, and promise to be more careful in the future. [
x]
The incorrect response, by the way, is trying to justify it and wondering why people should be offended at all.
Also, unless if your "class" was Cracked, you should cite your sources.
http://www.cracked.com/article_16967_8-racist-words-you-use-every-day.html
Classy.
1. I put the disclaimer at the beginning just so it didn't come off as me being on the defensive, that user name has been my username for everything since Borat came out, it has no meaning other than my best friend and I in 10th grade were Borat obsessed and said it all the time.
2. That article was actually brought up in a class, and we had a lengthy discussion following it. There is a starting point for every discussion, no matter where it originated from, I wish I remembered the others that were brought up, but it was 3 years and about 16 classes ago, so forgive me for going back to the article.
3. I am literally only talking about the word jipped in american culture. I am making no argument for the appropriateness of any other derogatory words you mentioned. It comes off to me as overly PC, why worry about it here, when there is 0 malicious intent towards Romani people behind it at this point. It would be like reprimanding a child for saying "oh man we are screwed" when they have 0 connection to that with its original meaning of fu***d.
I am just not a fan of the overly PC world. I am not one to get worked up over things, though I fully understand when and why people do. I can't imagine walking around on eggshells everyday in hopes of not offending every single person on the internet or in life. Just me.