The R Word

[Helmholtz Watson]

Sorry, ran out of sentence parts there were just so many that applied .

Cute but I didn't move the goal post, I said that if a person is going to discourage the use of words like "murder" or "starving", then I don't have any issue with them.

Although, while we're on the subject, an appeal to emotion doesn't particularly apply here, it's more an appeal to empathy, your entire position is founded on not giving a shit about other people I'm trying to say to consider the opponent's view-point.

Empathy is an emotional response.
I've been reading the counter-views and I disagree with them.

Incidentally, if you were to read just a feeew words after point 2 on the murdered response it mentions what I'd do if they were a survivor of an attempted murder

Then you and I have no issues about your censorship stance.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

And yet it is when your stated issue with censorship is that it infringes upon your fun.

No, it infringes on my right to express myself.

If you can't understand even that simple idea it's not surprising you can't grasp the larger issues being discussed here.

I understand, but I just disagree.

 

[CaptainKarma]

And yet it is when your stated issue with censorship is that it infringes upon your fun.

No, it infringes on my right to express myself.

If you can't understand even that simple idea it's not surprising you can't grasp the larger issues being discussed here.

I understand, but I just disagree.

Nobody is taking away that right! Its just that using that right, IN THIS WAY, is a douchebag thing to do. Stop whining about censorship.

I agree with a lot you have to say. However, you should realize that the people who are using the word rape in the context that you are offended are not abusing that word.

One valid definition of the word Rape is - The wanton destruction or spoiling of a place or area

If you take that definition of the word away then I really have no way of describing some of the horrors of war.

The word Rape is not always a sexual one.

If I said
I want to go down to the store and get some Rape for dinner.
What would you think? In that context I would be referring to a type of plant. Would you be offended? or how about
Go throw those Rapes away.

I have seen people use this argument to justify shouting "niggardly niggardly" at black people. Yes rape has multiple meanings. But you intending to use only one (and like FUCK people are referring to plundering when they say they raped someone at CoD) doesn't remove the association with the other.

 

[riles481]

And yet it is when your stated issue with censorship is that it infringes upon your fun.

No, it infringes on my right to express myself.

If you can't understand even that simple idea it's not surprising you can't grasp the larger issues being discussed here.

I understand, but I just disagree.

Congratulations you've spent the better part of two days saying you have the right to say rape whenever you want in whatever context you want, meanwhile completely missing the emotional impact or the pain contained in the article in an effort to air your own grievances about you being "censored" and simultaneously trivializing rape, murder, genocide, and whatever else the hell you don't seem to care about.

This thread isn't about you or your right to talk like a butt-hurt asshole about people who don't agree with you, and for the record I find casual use of the word genocide as offensive as rape, to not do so is to not fully come to grips with the full implications of either word.

But by all means, exercise you're right to speech, no one here is going to stop you from making a scene like some self-entitled asshole.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Nobody is taking away that right! Its just that using that right, IN THIS WAY, is a douchebag thing to do.

As long as your not trying to make me abide by your rules, then that's fine that you don't agree with me.

 

[CaptainKarma]

Nobody is taking away that right! Its just that using that right, IN THIS WAY, is a douchebag thing to do.

As long as your not trying to make me abide by your rules, then that's fine that you don't agree with me.

They are not rules dammit. They are suggestions on how to be a decent human being. Have you actually given any reasons why using "rape" is okay other than "neener neener you can't make me"?

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

My drama lecturer from undergrad told us a story about when she staged a play in the UK several years ago. There was a scene involved where a shot was suddenly fired on stage, simulated by nothing more than a cap gun. Unfortunately for them, of all the people who could have been sitting in the audience that day, there was a group of American exchange students from Columbine High School. As in, students who had been present at that massacre. That shot triggered a PTSD breakdown for them, and that is why all plays we did had to have warnings beforehand if there was simulated gunfire on stage.

What's the point of this anecdote? It's all about context. You may say rape is 'just a word' and it's hypocritical to pursue words like rape while ignoring the casual use of other forms of violent speech. The difference is in the disclosure. No one goes into an online computer game expecting a violence free experience unless they're playing a Hello Kitty MMO. That's why you don't see Gulf War syndrome victims complaining about being told they'll get 'fragged' while playing Gears of War. However, plenty of people have a fair right to expect that they're not going to be subjected to the language of sexual violence while they're just playing a computer game to relax. The potential is just as likely for a scenario not unlike the one described above to play out.

It's fairly well known that Xbox live is full of foul mouth people on it. That hasn't been a secret or unknown to anybody remotely familiar with video games.

Foul mouthed is one thing. Casually slinging around the language of sexual violence is another.

It's not even a matter of censorship, merely civility. If you were playing football against someone and you taunted another player that you just 'raped them' when you scored, you'd be kicked off the field and, depending upon the code, subject to disciplinary action. Why should it be any different in online gaming?

Because video games are not real life? You can't mute somebody in real life but you can in a video game.

Video games are not real life: communication in them is however real life. Just because there's a mute button doesn't automatically free you of any responsibility to be considerate in how you address others.

Why do you need to use the word 'rape' at all when you could just say you 'owned' them and convey the same semantic understanding?

Because your trying to use a hyperbole to convey that you won something.

So you think upholding the right of people to talk in degrading hyperbole to make sure everyone fully understands just how much they won is the most important thing here. Well, that clears that up then.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Congratulations you've spent the better part of two days saying you have the right to say rape whenever you want in whatever context you want, meanwhile completely missing the emotional impact or the pain contained in the article in an effort to air your own grievances about you being "censored" and simultaneously trivializing rape, murder, genocide, and whatever else the hell you don't seem to care about.

This thread isn't about you or your right to talk like a butt-hurt asshole about people who don't agree with you, and for the record I find casual use of the word genocide as offensive as rape, to not do so is to not fully come to grips with the full implications of either word.

Call names all you want, I have my rights.

Also good that you feel the same way about murder and genocide as you do about rape.

 

[repeating integers]

Congratulations you've spent the better part of two days saying you have the right to say rape whenever you want in whatever context you want, meanwhile completely missing the emotional impact or the pain contained in the article in an effort to air your own grievances about you being "censored" and simultaneously trivializing rape, murder, genocide, and whatever else the hell you don't seem to care about.

This thread isn't about you or your right to talk like a butt-hurt asshole about people who don't agree with you, and for the record I find casual use of the word genocide as offensive as rape, to not do so is to not fully come to grips with the full implications of either word.

Call names all you want, I have my rights.

This is true, but you also have responsibilities.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Nobody is taking away that right! Its just that using that right, IN THIS WAY, is a douchebag thing to do.

As long as your not trying to make me abide by your rules, then that's fine that you don't agree with me.

They are not rules dammit. They are suggestions on how to be a decent human being.

While you might have been presenting it as a suggestion, other people like itsthesheppy have not, and instead they are presenting it like something I should be required to do.

 

[CaptainKarma]

Nobody is taking away that right! Its just that using that right, IN THIS WAY, is a douchebag thing to do.

As long as your not trying to make me abide by your rules, then that's fine that you don't agree with me.

They are not rules dammit. They are suggestions on how to be a decent human being.

While you might have been presenting it as a suggestion, other people like itsthesheppy have not, and instead they are presenting it like something I should be required to do.

Required in the sense of "this is a massive douchebag thing to do", not required as in "there should be some kind of LAW!".

So now that nobody is gonna force you to stop using rape, do you think maybe you'll stop it?

 

[Hevva]

Thank you, Anonymous, for this. I can't imagine the strain it took to write it. It was brave, in so many ways, to do so. To bear the weight of others, in effect. So thank you. Also, the writing was astounding.

As for the rest of the thread, I've got a question: what's wrong with being considerate? Why do we have to lash out at someone who's just asking for consideration? He's not trying to censor you, limit your life, shut you down, or insist that you adhere to the internet's version of the "feminist agenda" (which I honestly can't even begin to understand). He's shared something powerful and asked that you think on it, is all.

The writer's just asking you to not be a dick to others if you know how to avoid it. I'm sure you can manage that.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

As expected the first page of comments is generally positive while the arguements sprout up like wildfires increasing in intensity as the post count goes up.

This article was clearly sensational, but I get the message. I for one don't use the term in its more casual form, but it strikes me that the number of victims in a massive outlet like Xbox Live is going to be a small percentage. On top of that, the victims themselves have presumably developed a coping method, and as unpleasant as it may be when coming across people throwing the word around you either ignore them, tell them to pipe down, or leave. It's an unrealistic expectation that all the desensitization afforded by modern media is going to be reversed by personal history recounts.

To sum up -- I am aware of the issue, and I do not condone it. But after having heard and read some truly horrendous things, I know that victims have to simply get by however they can. Hats off to them, all.

 

[Lex Darko]

I have to say what I find most interesting is actually the etymology of the word, rape. It originally meant what we call today kidnapping and was seldom used with the connotation of sexual assault.

Oddly the use of word in videogame culture as slang is truer to the origin of the word than its "proper" modern day use connoting sexual assault and molestation.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

This is true, but you also have responsibilities.

What responsibilities?

Foul mouthed is one thing. Casually slinging around the language of sexual violence is another.

No, it falls under the umbrella of the term "foul mouthed".

Video games are not real life: communication in them is however real life. Just because there's a mute button doesn't automatically free you of any responsibility to be considerate in how you address others.

Why not?

So you think upholding the right of people to talk in degrading hyperbole to make sure everyone fully understands just how much they won is the most important thing here.

I think that if I can say that I just "murdered" the last match, then I can also say that I just "raped" the last match.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

So now that nobody is gonna force you to stop using rape, do you think maybe you'll stop it?

No. I never actually used the word that much to begin with, but I'm going to reserve my right to express myself.

 

[CaptainKarma]

So now that nobody is gonna force you to stop using rape, do you think maybe you'll stop it?

No. I never actually used the word that much to begin with, but I'm going to reserve my right to express myself.

So "neener neener you can't stop me"? Stop being so childish.

 

[medv4380]

I have seen people use this argument to justify shouting "*** ***" at black people. Yes rape has multiple meanings. But you intending to use only one (and like *** people are referring to plundering when they say they raped someone at CoD) doesn't remove the association with the other.

You should look up what a false analogy is.
Your example is one where the context is clearly racist, and the subject at had is whether it is correct to use the word Rape to describe utter devastation which is a valid use of the word. Why do you think that word got pinned to that act in the first place?

Interesting how you actually glossed over my example in my original post. Are you afraid of actual intellectual debate?

 

[riles481]

Congratulations you've spent the better part of two days saying you have the right to say rape whenever you want in whatever context you want, meanwhile completely missing the emotional impact or the pain contained in the article in an effort to air your own grievances about you being "censored" and simultaneously trivializing rape, murder, genocide, and whatever else the hell you don't seem to care about.

This thread isn't about you or your right to talk like a butt-hurt asshole about people who don't agree with you, and for the record I find casual use of the word genocide as offensive as rape, to not do so is to not fully come to grips with the full implications of either word.

Call names all you want, I have my rights.

Also good that you feel the same way about murder and genocide as you do about rape.

This thread isn't about you
This thread isn't about you
This thread isn't about you

Congratulations, you have rights, now apply your reason and responsibility to those rights in ways that don't include being obnoxious.

 

[CaptainKarma]

I have seen people use this argument to justify shouting "*** ***" at black people. Yes rape has multiple meanings. But you intending to use only one (and like *** people are referring to plundering when they say they raped someone at CoD) doesn't remove the association with the other.

You should look up what a false analogy is.
Your example is one where the context is clearly racist, and the subject at had is whether it is correct to use the word Rape to describe utter devastation which is a valid use of the word. Why do you think that word got pinned to that act in the first place?

Interesting how you actually glossed over my example in my original post. Are you afraid of actual intellectual debate?

The point is words carry multiple meanings. You cannot always separate them out. Quibbling over the dictionary is pointless as it ignores the effect the words have.