Reply #118: If has nothing to do with the words

[Milo_Bloom]

We have been doing this for 3 generations now and we have proven the WORDS mean nothing.

Does your kid go "ballistic" when he hears Chris Rock or Aaron McGruder use the words? No? Why not? Isn't the word the bad thing? No, its not, the WORD, in and of itself, is harmless. Until we accept that as reality, we will get no where.

"Why, if it's OK to call them n*****s, they must BE less than human, or at least inferior to US."

Are you seriously contending that you think that belief comes from the WORD?? you can't be serious! Your child's correct behavior has nothing to do with words, but with INTENT. You have taught him that all people are equal and to use any description in a degrading manner is wrong. In short, it is not the WORD, but the INTENTION and the ACTION behind the word that matters.



Its an interesting 1984 mentality you have there... change the language and you change the way people think. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. People fight against that, just as a large part of the country is fighting against bush's attempts to change the lexicon. It works on some people, but a large % of the population will resist any method of changing their thoughts by trying to control their use of language.

The way you change people's thoughts is through education, NOT control. We understand this when it comes to dealing with the middle east and even when language is being used against things we believe in (such as "war on terror"), but we forget when it comes to things we want (such as an end to bigotry). I know everytime I hear the words, "war on terror" I get more entrenched AGAINST it because I believe that someone is trying to control my thoughts through language, by trying to make me think there is some country called "terrorvania" out there that is coming to get me.

Everytime someone freaks out over language alone, you set the movement back a little further. Now, bigots see Imus as a martyr, instead of just some sad aging talk show host who can't tell a funny joke.

Mel Gibson's movie shot to #1 after his anti-jewish tirade. Why? Because everyone was clammering for a movie in ancient mayan? No, because those who felt he was being wrongfully attacked for being an idiot came out to support him. Instead of Gibson being a drunken idiotic actor, he became someone who was being wrongfully attacked and needed support.

The only harm from Gibson's tirade, was done by the people who attacked him for it. It ended up mitigating the fact that he was stinking drunk and driving a car (the actual crime) and made the story all about whether he should be punished for his WORDS.