"Wait, how is that offensive?!"

[retyopy]

I don't understand why classifying people as "black" or "white" is considered offensive. I'm black, you're white. Just a physical characteristic, and its true, so why can't we all just black and white and go get ice cream?

Mmm. Ice cream. Do you want ice cream? I do. Lets go get ice cream.

Yum.

 

[rammst13n]

i will never understand why kids need to disrespect teachers by talking out in class, such a dumb highschool attention seeking thing and its flat out disrespectful to people who are only trying to educate the students, teachers deserve respect, im not a goody-two-shoes either, im a bit of a lazy stoner type, but even so i have the respect to treat them as i would any other person who hasnt wronged me

Tell me. I was in a school with a majority of girls (about 4:1 ratio), which had it's benefits, but GODDAMN it was never quiet. NEVER!

i know exactly what you mean, my english class is 13 girls and me, the one guy, we are reading jane eyre and if i have to hear one more thing about romance and true love im gunna snap

 

[MetaKnight19]

This happened to me the other day. I was at work serving a customer and the card reader wouldn't work so I said 'This stupid card reader is as useful as a chocolate teapot'. The customer I was serving was black and took some offence to this saying. He told me that it was racist because chocolate is a dark brown colour, therefore I apparently suggested that all black people were useless (I definitely do not think that by the way). So I said to him 'What about if the teapot was made of white chocolate?' Strangely he didn't have a comeback for that one.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

Well, Piers Morgan said that not believing in God is considered offensive to some people.
So I'll go with that one. Wtf?

 

[wolf92]

Well... to me is when i'm telling a joke or talking to someone and say black people. But my friends sush me up like i'm saying a racist word or something. Never understood why. Some people are black other white, i think it's a normal thing.

When i was a kid i kinda thinked people would be offended when i said the term "Black" to refer to a person, but a friend of mine, wich was black, saied he would feel more offended if i didn't use the word, considering there would be a racist connection by not using a common and normal word.

So yeah...

I'm black. I don't care if you use black. Because some Africans aren't from America, black kind of works better

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

The only reason why its considered offensive is because some people choose to be offended by it. Not because it is inherently offensive. Why are those people free to go on being ignorant while you persecute others for "not being well adjusted". The same people who call me out on it, know exactly what usage i was using it in, and know exactly that i didn't mean any harm, they do it to make a scene, and cause drama.

Actually, it is inherently offensive, because it implies it's wrong to be gay (See what I did there, it's called basic logic, neat eh?)

And by being queer, or offended by homophobia we're ignorant? Well, aren't you just chock full of tolerance.

And yes, we know exactly the usage you're using it in, and the origin of using it like that, which is why it's offensive. Am I talking to a wall here? Feels like it.

Oh yes, the same tired bullshit I get from all the bigots. We must be trying to cause drama, and a scene! That MUST be it, we're not trying to defend our right to exist or anything like that at all...

Sit down kid, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Since when does the homosexual community get to dictate what a word means and how it can be used? Last I checked, gay = happy. I can understand if your pissed off about the whole "no homo" phrase, but don't tell me how to use a word that had nothing to do with any form of sexuality in its original usage.

 

[13thforswarn]

Well, not something that is said, but rather what one does:

Wearing Hats inside. I know why it used to be offensive, but it STILL being offensive is just absolutely stupid.

This. It pisses me off. Someone wears a hat inside. WHO GIVES A FUCK?!?! Why would you be offended if someone wears a hat inside. It's their business, not yours.

 

[Nannernade]

Well a few years ago, I went into a store to look at games and I saw a clerk lingering in my periveral vision and I knew she was going to come over and ask can I help you find anything today and of course she started to she got to help and I said calmly "No, I'm just browsing thanks" and she flips out at me "OMG fine jesus sorry I even asked!" A few moments later she was helping another customer looked at me when she was finished and went "Oh nope nope you don't need any help let me just get out of your way!" Never understood what in the world she thought she heard me say...

 

[TitanAtlas]

Well... to me is when i'm telling a joke or talking to someone and say black people. But my friends sush me up like i'm saying a racist word or something. Never understood why. Some people are black other white, i think it's a normal thing.

When i was a kid i kinda thinked people would be offended when i said the term "Black" to refer to a person, but a friend of mine, wich was black, saied he would feel more offended if i didn't use the word, considering there would be a racist connection by not using a common and normal word.

So yeah...

I'm black. I don't care if you use black. Because some Africans aren't from America, black kind of works better

I'm european so yeah xD

Well black is the best term in my country, considering people here think that black [preto] is racist but nigro [negro] is a normal thing, but i can't get beyond the fact that [negro] sounds really close like the offensive N* word. It's like the other side of the mirror...

That's why i sometimes (when needed in the situation) say black (friend, dude, man). Oh also i hate when others prefer the term coloured people... for me that really sounds offensive...

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

Apparently you also have to refer to third world countries as 'global south' countries to be politically correct.
Also kinda rubs me the wrong way that despite not being american or in america we're still told to call them 'african americans', instead of black people...

I also don't get how shortening a name makes it offensive (for example, "japanese" being shorten to "Japs", or even "Aboriginals" being shortened to "Abo's". Apparently that's offensive to use those names)

Toss pots used them as an insult, but if people started insulting me by saying i'm 'Australian'(or i guess 'aus') does that mean 'australian' becomes an offensive word? No.
So why is this any different?

and now completely contrary to what i was just saying:

Last I checked, gay = happy. I can understand if your pissed off about the whole "no homo" phrase, but don't tell me how to use a word that had nothing to do with any form of sexuality in its original usage.

Well last time I checked 'gay = a derogatory term with homophobic connotations used by young people, regardless of the subject matter having the capacity to be homosexual or not'. XD

But that's not the point i'm trying to make, so lets get to my proper response:
perhaps we should re-contextualise this, seen as you don't quite seem to understand the other side of the argument:

Last I checked, ****** = black. Don't tell me how to use a word that had nothing to do with any form of racism in its original usage

Are you going to argue for that one too?^ its the same thing as your 'gay' argument.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Well... to me is when i'm telling a joke or talking to someone and say black people. But my friends sush me up like i'm saying a racist word or something. Never understood why. Some people are black other white, i think it's a normal thing.

When i was a kid i kinda thinked people would be offended when i said the term "Black" to refer to a person, but a friend of mine, wich was black, saied he would feel more offended if i didn't use the word, considering there would be a racist connection by not using a common and normal word.

So yeah...

Question , when you are talking about something do you ever say "white people" ? Or when talking about another thing and say yellow or orange or brown people( for asian , indonesian and indian )?

I do find that Offensive a bit , like i am being judged for being black , but it's not direct rascime perse , unless you follow up woth something racist.

Also rememer something , just because something doesn't offend on person ( usually a friend ) it doesn't mean it doesn't offend others . Something people tend to forget . Oh and having a close relationship to a person that is black ( or any race imo) doesn't make saying racist things less racist .

OK, I'll leave the rest of this alone, because you have a very valid point overall. (I'm not black, but I'm part of several groups that are frequently discriminated against.)
However, I talk about 'white people' with as much frequency as I would 'black people'. (Which is to say, not that often.)

The only time it's relevant is when race is under discussion. At which point I'll talk about black and white, most of the time, because actual racial groups are hard to identify.
(excepting that I can be about 95% certain that anyone I'm talking to face-to-face who can in any way be described as 'black' is not going to be 'African-American'.)

The problem with these terms of course is they're very generic.

A 'white person' is any one of about 20-30 different racial groups. A 'black person' can describe someone from several dozen african nations, as well as a variety of asian ones. (And the native inhabitants of Australia.)

England is amusing for it's frequent blatant racist jokes that almost nobody cares about.
If you actually sat down and thought about how the Scottish, welsh, Irish and English talked about eachother it'd be hard to escape the conclusion that they're actually fond of hurling racial abuse at eachother.

Ehm. Anyway, I got a bit distracted there. Whatever I actually wanted to say was probably in the first paragraph...

 

[Owen Robertson]

Given that the city that was destroyed was already called "New" Orleans, what are they going to call it when they rebuild? Maybe they'll go the laundry detergent route: New Improved Orleans Ultra! (Now whiter than ever)

I understand why that's offensive, but I also understand why it's funny. I use the terms "Vermont" and "Connecticut" to describe affluent, white individuals, and I get laughs. I have multiple black and half-black friends (Caribbean-Canadians if you want to get genealogical) who permit, or at the very least tolerate, my usage of the word "******" during rap songs, and recitals of jokes (the "Dr. Dre Rules of a Friendship"). Offensive? Perhaps, to some. Problematic? Not to us.

 

[Siege_TF]

I find flamboyant public displays distasteful. I've seen people on this very board permabanned for saying as much.

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

(Unless you call your Canadian friends Cans and your American friends Amers

Nah, they would be 'nad's' and 'can's'
(or Can's and Am's?)

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

and now completely contrary to what i was just saying:

Last I checked, gay = happy. I can understand if your pissed off about the whole "no homo" phrase, but don't tell me how to use a word that had nothing to do with any form of sexuality in its original usage.

Well last time I checked 'gay = a derogatory term with homophobic connotations used by young people, regardless of the subject matter having the capacity to be homosexual or not'. XD

Or perhaps we should recontextualise this eh?:

Last I checked, ****** = black. don't tell me how to use a word that had nothing to do with any form of racism in its original usage

Are you going to argue for that one too?^

I never said anything about the word ******.
Also, I don't know what dictionary your using, but in the merriam-webster dictionary, the first three definitions of the word refer to a emotional state that a person can be in, and it's only at the fourth definition that sexuality is brought up.
Just take a look:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gay

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

double post, sorry about that.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

You must have missed a big part of what I said above...

I understand there is context, but I just hate when people get offended on my behalf. It feels like they are patronizing me.

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

Volf99, i'm pointing out that its still the same thing.

Also, go out into the street, tell a stranger you are gay.
Honestly tell me that you think they would take that to mean happy instead of homosexual.

 

[Berenzen]

I never got why people are afraid to use curses (swears, not black magic) because their 'offensive', yet then go around and use a substitute for the said curse. The expletive is still there, as it is connotation rather than denotation that makes the swear, not the actual word itself. The term 'ass' just means donkey, and replacing it with another word makes no difference.