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Date Posted: 15:28:25 09/17/07 Mon
Author: Deep Diction
Subject: Re: Is an ethnic slur an ethnic slur, even if it isn't?
In reply to: Lynx 's message, "Re: Is an ethnic slur an ethnic slur, even if it isn't?" on 14:52:02 09/17/07 Mon

>Just a brief couple of points.
>
>Our constitution offers me a lot of freedoms,
>including the freedom of speech (with responsibilities
>attached, as EJ pointed out.) It doesn't say a word
>about freedom from being offended or freedom from
>being made uncomfortable, nor do I think it should,
>and I'm a huge fan of our constitution. PCness is not
>codified, in our society or any other that I know of,
>nor do I think it should be. That's the insidious
>thing about it, the creepiness about it. It's one of
>those things we never decided on, and it's from that
>mysterious "they".

By itself, it isn't illegal to call somebody a name they don't like, and I don't think it should be either. But if that happened in a workplace, and it was a person in a position of authority referring to a subordinate by a stereotype that relates to a class legally protected from discrimination, then that's a whole different ballgame. If you don't take people's speech into account, there's really no way to enforce any equal protection laws. And it's stupid to go around doing stuff that could get you fired, so even if you are callous enough to to respect the feelings of those you offend, you're probabyl better off not using that language in the interest of saving your own skin.

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