So I wrote this status on facebook....

[SymphonicX]

...and it kinda got me called out by a friend of my gf - basically I had a bit of a bastard job on and I sort of rushed a status out that said "let the pointless procrastination and raping of my weekend begin!" - in clear reference to what I was about to potentially experience. I really didn't think about it when I posted it - Anyway an old friend of my fiance wrote to me and expressed her feelings about the post - of course it would happen that she was a rape counsellor and worked with HIV infected people etc - so this issue clearly felt close to her heart...she felt the word was being trivialised and pointed to the devolution of the seriousness of the word as a reason for the world not taking it seriously as an issue....in particular central governments across the world she quite eloquently pointed out experiences she'd had with young girls from the Democratic Republic of Congo - I think you get the point. She wasn't harsh or nasty whatsoever, so it wasn't a rage moment from either of us. Long story short I replied and apologised for the status as well as sort of discussing that we have been doing this to words for absolute eons - and when looking at context the word rape can be applied to inanimate things ("Vince Cable helped oversee the rape of the Niger Delta") and so can "molest" ("they moved through the crowd unmolested) - and these are modern coins of phrase really. I agreed I could have used a litany of other words - so I guess that wasn't the best one. So I guess the question is - does desensitising oneself to harsh words make the actions that relate to them easier to stomach? there's literally only one word left in the English language that accurately refers back to it's meaning - which is "literally" - it's the last surviving remnant of not talking in code. We do it day to day - describing something as "perfect" without truly caring that the definition of perfect cannot really apply to many tangiable things. We say "awesome", without ever being in awe - and not people are saying things like "they literally split their kids in half" - and it kinda makes you think, well...no...that's evil!

[rongravy]

I dunno, man. I call things and people retarded, including myself. Words are words. People get too bent out of shape over them. Honestly, I don't know if I'd feel different if someone I cared about or was related to was mentally handicapped. Maybe I would, probably, I dunno. I do try to be sensitive when I know it's going to offend somebody. A lady at work had a brother who was retarded and died, I do my best to censor myself. I also knew a girl that had been raped, and I was careful around her with anything having to do with rape. I'm glad you and the chick talked it out nicely. Alot of people straight out freak sometimes. We could do with a little more sensitivity, true. I try. I don't really use the word rape for anything other than it means. Retarded is the one I'm having a hard time not using... Especially being stuck here in Arkansas, lol...

[Tricky]

Its like the word "gay", its used loads to describe things that are a bit rubbish, even my gay friends use it in the same context! But other gay people do get all offended by it, you just have to know in whose company you can use such words I guess

[AcesandEights]

Seems like the person has some priorities out of whack, to me. If anything I find the attempt to police the use of the word offensive...really offensive actually, but that's just me.

[SymphonicX]

Seems like the person has some priorities out of whack, to me. If anything I find the attempt to police the use of the word offensive...really offensive actually, but that's just me. That's it, I'm sure you may have realised by now I usually just speak my mind and say shit honestly, and there was a real part of me that felt like slapping her down..."you've crossed the bridge from pedantry to assinine" was what I originally felt like writing...I guess with mates and ESPECIALLY mates of your gf, it's better to play it down a bit. My argument was that really, using the word doesn't detract nor denounce the seriousness of it - she actually replied back today - her point is that she believes using the word to apply to something like "the rape of the niger delta" is OK because it describes a very atrocious situation, as rape is - and using it to apply to less important things like the despoiling of my weekend wasn't playing to it's severity. I dunno, personally I think she needs to step down and take a f**kin' chill pill...harsh words have always been over used - just look at the word "perfect". The most overused and badly used word in this language I reckon... Maybe I should have gotten a bit harsher, but I'm glad I didn't. I do think she's a typical feminist bigot though... -- -------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:25 PM ---------- Its like the word "gay", its used loads to describe things that are a bit rubbish, even my gay friends use it in the same context! But other gay people do get all offended by it, you just have to know in whose company you can use such words I guess Also it's like the word "molest" - a word only really used to apply to fiddling bastards but really it applies to things much less serious "the person moved through the crowd unmolested". It also smacks of the "N" word too - ie: it's the CONTEXT here that drives the acceptability of the word - except maybe FB isn't one of those places.

[LouCipherr]

It also smacks of the "N" word too - ie: it's the CONTEXT here that drives the acceptability of the word Nail on the head, man. George Carlin summed it up perfectly: "They're only words. It's the context that counts. It's the user. It's the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent. I get tired of people talking about bad words and bad language. Bullshit! It's the context that makes them good or bad. For instance, you take the word 'nigger' There is absolutely nothing wrong with the word in and of itself. It's the racist asshole who's using it that you ought to be concerned about! They're only words. You can't be afraid of words that speak the truth, even if it's an unpleasant truth, like the fact that there's a bigot and a racist in every living room on every street corner in this country." Notice I did not censor the word above - why? because I refuse to use a pathetic euphemism like "the n-word" for people who cannot understand words are just words and it's the context in which they're used that makes them ok or unacceptable. The root of the problem lies with the fact that not everyone is smart enough to decipher the context and instead, get their panties in a bunch. "Political correctness" has ruined our language completely.

[Tricky]

Reginald D Hunter sums it up! (and his stand up is hilarious if you get chance to see him, really funny guy)

[SymphonicX]

Nail on the head, man. George Carlin summed it up perfectly: "They're only words. It's the context that counts. It's the user. It's the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent. I get tired of people talking about bad words and bad language. Bullshit! It's the context that makes them good or bad. For instance, you take the word 'nigger' There is absolutely nothing wrong with the word in and of itself. It's the racist asshole who's using it that you ought to be concerned about! They're only words. You can't be afraid of words that speak the truth, even if it's an unpleasant truth, like the fact that there's a bigot and a racist in every living room on every street corner in this country." Notice I did not censor the word above - why? because I refuse to use a pathetic euphemism like "the n-word" for people who cannot understand words are just words and it's the context in which they're used that makes them ok or unacceptable. The root of the problem lies with the fact that not everyone is smart enough to decipher the context and instead, get their panties in a bunch. "Political correctness" has ruined our language completely. Yeah it's not me that doesn't understand that - it's the company computer who I'm writing this message on that doesn't get it! She wrote back to me the other day but I didn't reply - I just can't be arsed with her - I was so close to defining the true sense of liberalism that she's pretending to be a part of - if she was truly liberal then she'd have absolutely NO fuckin' right to police the use of the word. Policing the use of the word does indeed make her conservative to almost extreme levels. Pathetic.