My point is that intent can be more damaging than terminology, and I do believe that over time terminology shifts. Do I think about physically and mentally disabled minority groups when I use the words "lame" and "retarded?" Not really. It didn't actually even occur to me that "lame" might have originally been coined that way until you pointed it out. Should people be so conscious of possibly offending somebody or something that they have to watch everything they say? I don't think so. There are places and situations where that sort of language is appropriate and place where it's not, just like saying "fuck."
Is being in someone's face and asserting a strict list of rules regarding language usage a good discourse to get them to examine their background and privilege? Nope, I don't think so, because it doesn't really get people to engage in discussion, just puts them on the defensive and pisses them off. And I also believe that intent is way more damaging than terminology. It's not what you say, it's what you mean when you say it, what you're choosing to pick about when you use language against somebody else. I don't believe that usage can change peoples' attitudes, but discourse and engagement can, and frankly, saying "You can't say this because it offends Group X" isn't discourse and it isn't engagement about attitudes either.
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chiming
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Date: 2011-02-02 08:57 pm (UTC)From:Is being in someone's face and asserting a strict list of rules regarding language usage a good discourse to get them to examine their background and privilege? Nope, I don't think so, because it doesn't really get people to engage in discussion, just puts them on the defensive and pisses them off. And I also believe that intent is way more damaging than terminology. It's not what you say, it's what you mean when you say it, what you're choosing to pick about when you use language against somebody else. I don't believe that usage can change peoples' attitudes, but discourse and engagement can, and frankly, saying "You can't say this because it offends Group X" isn't discourse and it isn't engagement about attitudes either.