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The word "ghetto" is not a racist word!

The word "illegal immigrant" is not a racist word!

The word "Asian" is not a racist word!

...and who said that they were?

If someone calls a black woman "a ghetto b*tch"....how should she take it ?

the devil maybe

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
If someone calls a black woman "a ghetto b*tch"....how should she take it ?

how should anyone take it.

id laugh and say 'cheers mate'

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
If someone calls a black woman "a ghetto *****"....how should she take it ?

The word "*****" is of course offensive. If you use the word "ghetto" singularly like "Are you from the ghetto?" than no.

Ghetto is a location. Ghetto to the black community is a state of mind and nothing to be ashamed of.

Seriously, it's like saying "are you a rural ******" Agh! Rural?! How dare you! Just because I'm from the Midwest does NOT make me "rural"
Pervert!

Seriously, the black community uses the word "ghetto" more than any other race in the country.

Originally posted by PVS
...and who said that they were?

The NAACP.

After the board game was supposedly a product of the white devil.

what happened then draco. did u offend someone

Originally posted by Draco69
The word "*****" is of course offensive. If you use the word "ghetto" singularly like "Are you from the ghetto?" than no.

Ghetto is a location. Ghetto to the black community is a state of mind and nothing to be ashamed of.

Seriously, it's like saying "are you a rural ******" Agh! Rural?! How dare you! Just because I'm from the Midwest does NOT make me "rural"
Pervert!

You feel asking someone "Are you from the Ghetto" is appropriate, and in no way suggests racial content ?

Originally posted by Draco69
The NAACP.

After the board game was supposedly a product of the white devil.

yeah, they go way overboard. but then again i would like to see it in context. link?

Originally posted by Deano
what happened then draco. did u offend someone

I once "offended" a group of black persons in school....

"Can you people please move away from the door? I need to get to class..."

"People?! Who the f*** are you calling "people" you racist motherf****."

"Oh, crap. I just want my coffee..."

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
You feel asking someone "Are you from the Ghetto" is appropriate, and in no way suggests racial content ?

"Are you from the Midwest"



Seriously, what's so offensive about a ghetto? Is it a bad place equivalent to hell?

Are blacks so ashamed that some of them maybe from a poor neighborhood that the word "ghetto" is seen as a personal attack towards their race?

And dude, open your eyes. "Ghetto" is not exclusive to black people, in your own magical fairyland.

ANYONE lives in a ghetto. White people, Latino people, black people, gay people, Arab people, etc.

Please....

Originally posted by PVS
yeah, they go way overboard. but then again i would like to see it in context. link?

Just listen to gangsta rap song. You'll hear it at least seven thousand times.

Oh, Biggie Smalls. How I miss you. They perverted your music, Mr. Smalls....

many if not most white americans of non-wasp decent have ancestry from the ghettos. my grandparents lived in the italian ghetto in newark. so when did it become "a black thing".

it depends on context, yeah a lot of people are just being dicks, but a lot of times when you watch the news or famous people, illegal immigrant is a blanket word for spic, etc.

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
If someone calls a black woman "a ghetto b*tch"....how should she take it ?

IF I call you a "Latino *******" is that offensive? Yes. Is it racist? No.

Words that can be offensive:

******
Cracker
Nip
Kraut
Greaser

However words like:

Black
Anglo
Oriental
Huns
Latino

Are not consider offensive. Strangely enough....people mixed them up with the former list and can even play with them. Derogatives terms usually are a strangely mixed. For example:

That ****** lives in the Ghetto!

(changes the word)

That Black lives in the Ghetto!

Basically, people can juggle words and still have the same meaning.

Originally posted by PVS
many if not most white americans of non-wasp decent have ancestry from the ghettos. my grandparents lived in the italian ghetto in newark. so when did it become "a black thing".

I was about to comment on that.

A lot of people of different ethnicity/creed/colour, lived in Ghetto's - I don't see why that is an exclusively a 'black' thing.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
I was about to comment on that.

A lot of people of different ethnicity/creed/colour, lived in Ghetto's - I don't see why that is an exclusively a 'black' thing.


Like I said before, a few black people over represent the entire "race".
Thus prblems like that are born.

Originally posted by Draco69
Seriously, the black community uses the word "ghetto" more than any other race in the country.


4 real, maybe.

Originally posted by Draco69


Seriously, the black community uses the word "ghetto" more than any other race in the country.

The black community is not a race, it just over represents one.

Originally posted by Draco69
The word "ghetto" is not a racist word!

The word "illegal immigrant" is not a racist word!

The word "Asian" is not a racist word! Neither's Black.

African American is.

Soon people will start becoming offended by racist frankstein.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Words that can be offensive:
Cracker
Nip
Kraut
Greaser

However words like:
Black
Anglo
Oriental
Huns
Latino
Are not consider offensive.

My understanding is that, these days, "Oriental" is considered offensive and "Asian" is the preferred term by those of Asian descent. But maybe that's just in NYC.

Originally posted by Draco69
The NAACP. Why is the NAACP telling asian people that they find the word asian offensive...?

Originally posted by xmarksthespot
Why is the NAACP telling asian people that they find the word asian offensive...?

...Over representing...

Originally posted by Bardock42
IF I call you a "Latino *******" is that offensive? Yes. Is it racist? No.

LOL I am Latino....

What's the second word tho ?

I believe it's "dingleberry."

Originally posted by Draco69
"Are you from the Midwest"



Seriously, what's so offensive about a ghetto? Is it a bad place equivalent to hell?

Are blacks so ashamed that some of them maybe from a poor neighborhood that the word "ghetto" is seen as a personal attack towards their race?

And dude, open your eyes. "Ghetto" is not exclusive to black people, in your own magical fairyland.

ANYONE lives in a ghetto. White people, Latino people, black people, gay people, Arab people, etc.

Please....


Because socially, the term "ghetto" is cooralated with being "black" or "hispanic".

Technically, is ghetto a racist term? No..there have been Jewish and Italian ghettos, and there still are.

Now, why is the term "ghetto" cooralated with being black or hispanic? Because the media hyped it up to be.

That is why if you refer to a black or hispanic as ghetto, they will not take it in the literal sense, as simply where they are from, they will take it as a racial epithet since it's used that way in all forms of media, and between each other, and used as that kind of term by many white people.

As for you question, "Is the ghetto really that bad?"...YES the ghettos in which most blacks and hispanics live are full of crime, poverty, poor education, and daily strain. You can't blame someone for thier locale sensitivity when these kind of things occur commonly.

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
Because socially, the term "ghetto" is cooralated with being "black" or "hispanic".

By whom? Here's news for you. There are far more Asian immigrants in the "ghetto".

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
Technically, is ghetto a racist term? No..there have been Jewish and Italian ghettos, and there still are.

And you agree with me. "Ghetto" is not racist. At all. It would be far more suitable to claim the word "ghetto" is racist against Italians because they have lived there for far longer than blacks....

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
Now, why is the term "ghetto" cooralated with being black or hispanic? Because the media hyped it up to be.

That and opportunist "black" advocate groups have touted the horn of "Blacks=Ghetto" for the last few years...



Originally posted by Lord Urizen
That is why if you refer to a black or hispanic as ghetto, they will not take it in the literal sense, as simply where they are from, they will take it as a racial epithet since it's used that way in all forms of media, and between each other, and used as that kind of term by many white people.

So, what? You're going to give in to the media hype? Are you going to give into the "blacks are criminals" spin they have to. Let's not....

As you said it yourself, "ghetto" is not exclusive to African-Americans and never has been. Nor is it to Latino Americans.

Why give into such garbage and strengthen the gap between races with such prejudicial misnomers?


Originally posted by Lord Urizen
As for you question, "Is the ghetto really that bad?"...YES the ghettos in which most blacks and hispanics live are full of crime, poverty, poor education, and daily strain. You can't blame someone for thier locale sensitivity when these kind of things occur commonly.

Than they really shouldn't glorify it in gangsta rap songs....

Originally posted by Draco69
By whom? Here's news for you. There are far more Asian immigrants in the "ghetto".


Not in "today's ghetto". Original definition of ghettos are areas populated with primarily one racial or ethnic group. However, today's ghetto is automatically coorelated with poverty. There are far more impoverous Blacks and Hispanics, than Asians, and the majority of Asians live in New York alone. There are far more ghettos all over the United States, teeming with poor blacks and hispanics.


Originally posted by Draco69
And you agree with me. "Ghetto" is not racist. At all. It would be far more suitable to claim the word "ghetto" is racist against Italians because they have lived there for far longer than blacks....

The original term of the word "ghetto" is not racist, but it BECAME a racist term over time, that is what you don't get.

No, it would not be suitable to refer to "ghetto" as racist against Italians, because there are far more wealthy Italians than blacks who occupy most ghettos.



Originally posted by Draco69
That and opportunist "black" advocate groups have touted the horn of "Blacks=Ghetto" for the last few years...

So has everyone else. Accept it...the meaning of the word has had a transformation. If you want to argue that the original term of ghetto is not racist, then I'd agree with you, but the present meaning IS racist.





Originally posted by Draco69
So, what? You're going to give in to the media hype? Are you going to give into the "blacks are criminals" spin they have to. Let's not....

As you said it yourself, "ghetto" is not exclusive to African-Americans and never has been. Nor is it to Latino Americans.

Why give into such garbage and strengthen the gap between races with such prejudicial misnomers?

I am against widening the gaps, but you seem to miss the point. This is not about idealogy, this is about what's happening NOW....




Originally posted by Draco69
Than they really shouldn't glorify it in gangsta rap songs....

Agreed, but your missing the point...


The term "ghetto" originally means an area which consists primarily of one racial or ethnic group.

Today, by popular standards, ghetto now means "shithole" , ghetto is automatically coorelated with poverty, and unfortunately the majority of the impoverous who live in these ghettos happen to be black and hispanic.

You can't just act a black or hispanic who lives in a poor area "Are you from the ghetto", like you mentioned before. That is completely inappropriate and they will take it as racist, regardless of whether or not ghetto actually is a racist term. Why couldn't you just ask "are you from ?"

Originally posted by Draco69
The word "ghetto" is not a racist word!

The word "illegal immigrant" is not a racist word!

The word "Asian" is not a racist word! ghetto may not be racist but definitely overused by corny white guys trying to sound cool. You know who you are. 0_0

Depends on the context with which it's applied, as usual. If you use it in a derogatory manner, you're likely to be considered offensive. It's not usually the words themselves that are harmful, but the way in which they are used.

Originally posted by Mindship
My understanding is that, these days, "Oriental" is considered offensive and "Asian" is the preferred term by those of Asian descent. But maybe that's just in NYC. Nope...it's also in L.A.Originally posted by botankus
I believe it's "dingleberry." i'm your dingleberry.

To be fair, whether or not a term is racist depends on the precise context and intent.

If someone uses a racial slur in an ironic way, there's no racism going on. The term itself can't be racist divorced from any racist intent.

Additionally, if someone uses a word such as 'white' in a racist manner, with racist intent, then it's racist in that instance.

Words don't have a concrete meaning that is independent of usage.

Exactly

Originally posted by Lord Urizen
Technically, is ghetto a racist term? No..there have been Jewish and Italian ghettos, and there still are.

As for you question, "Is the ghetto really that bad?"...YES the ghettos in which most blacks and hispanics live are full of crime, poverty, poor education, and daily strain. You can't blame someone for thier locale sensitivity when these kind of things occur commonly.

I love it when people ask themselves questions.

As for racist teminolgy, I'll go with what VVD said, but I'll add some black nigg*r bells and white crack*r tassels.

As it's been stated before, the whole racist statement and its intent is completely upon the person (persons) that made it and continue to make it.

I grew up in a mostly black neighbourhood in the US and I'm not privvy to say which. But I assure you I know when someone's making a racist statement within my immediate prescence and like the rest of you I don't like it.

You've all used many a word to describe what is and what isn't but let me say that even the nicest things said in a different manner can mean a TOTALLY different thing.

So it's not until you hear it from one persons mouth to another that you really understand what is TRULY racist and what is not.

Originally posted by DragonWoman
As it's been stated before, the whole racist statement and its intent is completely upon the person (persons) that made it and continue to make it.

I grew up in a mostly black neighbourhood in the US and I'm not privvy to say which. But I assure you I know when someone's making a racist statement within my immediate prescence and like the rest of you I don't like it.

You've all used many a word to describe what is and what isn't but let me say that even the nicest things said in a different manner can mean a TOTALLY different thing.

So it's not until you hear it from one persons mouth to another that you really understand what is TRULY racist and what is not.

You sound/read pretty racist. Are you eating right now?

No I'm not eating right now and I have my reasons if I am however I pride myself on being open minded so I'll take in your opinion and use it to better myself.

Oh, that and I wanna say something else too.

It depends on where you live, how you where raised and what kind of atmosphere you've been exposed to if you're a 'racist' or not.
Take into account what others have had to experience in their lives and don't be so judgemental upon others.

Reading and saying something outloud is totally different so I hope all that I'm saying isnt coming across in a negative light because I didn't mean it to be like that.

Originally posted by Syren
Depends on the context with which it's applied, as usual. If you use it in a derogatory manner, you're likely to be considered offensive. It's not usually the words themselves that are harmful, but the way in which they are used.

agree

I agree with that comment in some ways but some people see that words used in one context can be seen by other people in another way e.g. when black people call black people nigga. they do not see it as derogatory but if a white person called a black person nigga then they would find it offensive.

Why don't peopel drop 'race' specific slurs and go back to just plain 'ol insults, heres an example.

Racist Version - Hey N*gger , get your black ass of my car before you dirty it up ghetto scum !

My version - Hey ass-wipe get the f*ck off the roof of my car now before I put my foot up your ass !

It's right that it's all a question of how you mean and/or take stuff.

Unfortunately, there are people in this world who are anti-certain types of people because of their colour of skin or religion. This works in all ways, across all directions. These people will refer to these other people in racially derogatory terms. For example, someone might call me a 'White Honkey-ass *****'. Now, if they did I would probably find it funny, but the intent would still be there.

On the other hand, I have a friend who is - for want of a better term 'Black'. If I am talking about him to someone who doesn't know who I mean, I will refer to him first of all as black, as that is his most distinguishing feature. If a groups of black people were describing me, I'm sure they would describe me first as white, as it is a distinguishing feature. Of course, I don't describe White friends to other white friends as white, as in that case it is not distinguishing. I don't view doing that as racist. Likewise, I would describe other people as 'Asian' if they were from the Indian subcontinent, or 'Oriental' if from the Far East.

Another example is another friend of mine from Sri Lanka - when we get together and go for a drink, have a laugh, taking the piss, etc, I will sometimes call him a 'Paki', or he will call me a 'Honkey'. This isn't because we're racist - far from it - we're just good friends taking the Piss out of each other! BTW did you know the word 'Paki' actually means 'Pure'?

Of course, if someone else was at a football match, or in the street and yelled 'Paki' at people across the road, that would be highly racist and they deserve locking up.

The difference is the intention behind it.

Where the confusion comes is where people who aren't racist use terminology that is heard by other people and is taken as racist. For example, if I were to describe my Sri Lankan friend as 'my Paki friend', they would automatically assume me to be racist, which I'm not, so I don't do that! But compare that to my above story.

It is telling of modern society that to pick on one of someone's physical features is so much worse than to pick on another.

Here are 4 insults, each picking up on a particular physical feature:

1. "You Black Bastard"
2. "You Ugly Bastard"
3. "You Ginger Bastard"
4. "You Fat Bastard"

It is interesting that 1, and to a lesser extent 4, are deemed as taboo to say to someone and would provoke anger and even violence. 2, however, if overheard by someone else, would probably provoke either pity or laughter depending on how the cruel the person was, while 3 would be taken relatively light-hearted even by the person it was aimed at, unless they had a particular complex about there hair colour.

Yet, all 4 prefix the word 'bastard' (which, on it's definition of a baby born out of wedlock, there are more and more of in the western world as marriage becomes less common and teenage pregnancy increases) with a comment on a physical feature of someone. Being Ugly is unfortunate, as is being fat. Being 'Black' or 'Ginger' is not even a problem! And yet being called number 1 is probably seen as the worst of the 4.

Some food for thought, anyway.

Originally posted by Draco69

Ghetto is a location. Ghetto to the black community is a state of mind and nothing to be ashamed of.


You've been in Mayberry to long Mr. knots but if you decide to leave you'll find out that being "Ghetto" is in fact, shameful.

Originally posted by WrathfulDwarf
Words that can be offensive:

******
Cracker
Nip
Kraut
Greaser

However words like:

Black
Anglo
Oriental
Huns
Latino

Are not consider offensive. Strangely enough....people mixed them up with the former list and can even play with them. Derogatives terms usually are a strangely mixed. For example:

That ****** lives in the Ghetto!

(changes the word)

That Black lives in the Ghetto!

Basically, people can juggle words and still have the same meaning.



how many white men get offended by cracker?

It's sort of offensive. I would't associate with someone who called me that.

How come Black People get away with saying Racist things, but White People get nailed for life for it?

I've been called the worst Racial Slurs by a bunch of Black People, they never got in trouble, but you see on the News all these White people getting trashed for it.

Originally posted by grey fox
Why don't peopel drop 'race' specific slurs and go back to just plain 'ol insults, heres an example.

Racist Version - Hey N*gger , get your black ass of my car before you dirty it up ghetto scum !

My version - Hey ass-wipe get the f*ck off the roof of my car now before I put my foot up your ass !

if you were to put your foot up their ass then you would most likely be prosecuted for a hate crime. sorry that is just how it goes.

secondly george carlin said it best: "there is no such thing as bad language. these words are not evil or bad in and of themselves. it is the context. it is not the words that we should worry about it is racist mother****er saying that should worry us. nobody says anything when richard pryor or eddie murphy call someone or say the word ******. Why? because they are *******. i know that i am grey, patio, blue eyed devil, honkey mother****er myself. don't bother me. we should not get offended when words tell a truth even if it is an unpleasant truth that we may not like."

and before you even ask these were his exact words on stage in front of an HBO camera doing a one hour special and he was applauded. and i happen to agree with him. to many people want to limit all speech. words are not bad or evil by themselves. it takes context. words are words until they used to hurt someone. but it is that person who is to blame for using language in that way. it is in no way the fault of the words themselves.

Them ******* and ghetto-bangers and spics and crackers all need to drown so the mexi-fries and oriental/asian/little-dicked midgets can rule America by instituting random self-segregating colonies.

Oops, hope I didn't offend anyone.

Originally posted by BuzzKiller
if you were to put your foot up their ass then you would most likely be prosecuted for a hate crime. sorry that is just how it goes.


So kicking a guy for vandalising my car would be a hate crime if he's a black guy but just 'assault' if he's a white guy.

it is called mitigating and aggravating circumstances. they are add ons for sentences. and unfortunately they are for the most part vaguely worded and loosely applied. it is to the point that the burden is on the accused to prove that he is not a racist. and once that card is played usually the jury never gives the guy a chance.

it sucks but that os the way the judicial system is headed. all the da has to show is perhaps a post from this website in which you perhaps made an off-color joke or bring someone to the stand to testify that you perhaps made a racially insensitive remark. and that my friend becomes a hate crime. you are looking at an increased sentence period.

this applies not only to race but sexual orientation as well.

Originally posted by xmarksthespot
Why is the NAACP telling asian people that they find the word asian offensive...?

Whoa... seriously... whoa... the last girl i dated referred to herself as asian..

Originally posted by grey fox
So kicking a guy for vandalising my car would be a hate crime if he's a black guy but just 'assault' if he's a white guy.

Sadly yes... if you're white and he's black, its all to easy for him to cry 'hate crime' even if he was the one who started the whole thing by messing with your car...

I'm with the guy who stated it's not words that are racist.......it's the intent.

When I was younger, I had many black friends would refer to me as their "******". In return, if I referred to one of them as being my "******".......it was no big deal. It was not said as an offensive statement. I am white.......but me using the term of friendship they decreed was not racist......nor was it ever taken as such. There was no intent other than friendship, using the same word they decreed to use as a term of friendship to me.

Actual conversation......circa 1998:

Kimmie (black): you my ******. you one of my only ******* in this place.
Me (white/native american): you're my ******.
Beth (also white, not Kimmie's friend): Am I your ******?
Kimmie : What the **** did you just say?

Kimmie had already decreed the term as one of friendship between us........not Beth....even though she meant no offensive intent.

Originally posted by PVS
...and who said that they were?


The PC Nazis.

White boy. Wtf if I call you a white boy it's not a slur, it's because you're a white boy.