MY View on this

[silentstriker]

And its not something thats up for debate either:

Originally Posted by Dictionary.com

The term ****** is now probably the most offensive word in English. Its degree of offensiveness has increased markedly in recent years, although it has been used in a derogatory manner since at least the Revolutionary War. Definitions 1a, 1b, and 2 represent meanings that are deeply disparaging and are used when the speaker deliberately wishes to cause great offense. Definition 1a, however, is sometimes used among African-Americans in a neutral or familiar way.
–noun
1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.
a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.

[AussieDominance]

Disgraceful IMO

[The Baconator]

What is?

[AussieDominance]

Hinton's derogatory mark aimed at a very sensitive issue in the world today.

[PhoenixFire]

It's about two things as far as I'm concerned:

i) Whether the person who is being called ****** is offended by it, if they aren't offended by it, then it isn't offensive

ii) The situation, if the situation it is being used in is clearly in a way that isn't meaning to be offensive or malicious, then for me, it isn't racist.

[The Baconator]

Nah, was obviously a typo, b being next to n and all. I've actually played against one of those teams, and you couldn't really say that about them, the players were predominantly white.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

ii) The situation, if the situation it is being used in is clearly in a way that isn't meaning to be offensive or malicious, then for me, it isn't racist.

You can just say 'black' if you want to refer to that group of people. Thats the issue, it doesn't matter what you think, its not directed at you. I am not sure if you're black, but even if you were, its still not directed at you particularly. Its very demeaning word that derides an entire group of people, and the word by its very nature is malicious, regardless of context. That word has a very disgusting history associated with it, and it is so completely disrespectful and unfunny that I would never hold a conversation with a guy who just throws it around.

It is mind boggling that someone doesn't understand this.

[PhoenixFire]

It really is the context, I think it's you who doesn't understand it.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

It really is the context, I think it's you who doesn't understand it.

Wrong. The word itself has its own context, and not something you can throw around without the implications that come with the word being thrown around with it as well.

[PhoenixFire]

The word ******, as I'm sure you will know, stems from the word Negro, which is a Spanish word meaning black. A slight alteration to this word is offensive, if used in a certain manner. The way you say it, you make it sound as though it is fact, it is opinion.

[Jamee999]

Deary me. Hinton being persecuted because of his keyboarding ineptitude.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

The word ******, as I'm sure you will know, stems from the word Negro, which is a Spanish word meaning black.

And? What's that got to do with the cultural and historical malice that is associated with the word in its current form?

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

A slight alteration to this word is offensive, if used in a certain manner. The way you say it, you make it sound as though it is fact, it is opinion.

Opinion that the word is offensive, regardless of its context if not used in a familiar way between black people? Thats not an opinion, and I would encourage you to check out any dictionary and encyclopedia to confirm that.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by Jamee999

Deary me. Hinton being persecuted because of his keyboarding ineptitude.

Nah, it was a typo obviously. This is about the word itself being OK to use, as a general thing.

[PhoenixFire]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Opinion that the word is offensive, regardless of its context if not used in a familiar way between black people? Thats not an opinion, and I would encourage you to check out any dictionary and encyclopedia to confirm that.

I don't need a ****ing encyclopedia to tell me how to approach moral issues thanks, I'm not a vegetable.

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

I don't need a ****ing encyclopedia to tell me how to approach moral issues thanks, I'm not a vegetable.

Obviously you do, if you feel it could be OK to use that word to describe a group of people.