A Rose By Any Other Name...

Gisteron wrote: I understand that the President is on his last days in office and can politically afford doing pretty much anything short of starting nuclear wars, but given how little the bill affects anything, was it really worth anyone's time, let alone tax money, to sit down and let the entire nation know just how much race is on the minds of their elected officials?

The bill effecting this change was introduced in Congress last year, didn't make it to the House floor until March and wasn't signed into law until May, which is when this article was published. Beyond signing it into law and probably endorsing it while it was up for debate, President Obama had nothing to do with it.

Adi wrote: The bill effecting this change was introduced in Congress last year, didn't make it to the House floor until March and wasn't signed into law until May, which is when this article was published. Beyond signing it into law and probably endorsing it while it was up for debate, President Obama had nothing to do with it.

The president is really a figurehead in terms of legislation. As far as I know, he's only vetoed 4 bills (for comparison, George W Bush vetoed 12), and most presidents really don't have an active participation in this.

Gisteron wrote: pretty much anything short of starting nuclear wars

He actually could do that, but couldn't write up this legislative whitewashing bill

That was all slightly tangental, but the point is that congress has passed a bill with no real consequence (save the yammering of some delegates) and people are unhappy with it. What more (or less) could you want?

Gisteron wrote: ...to sit down and let the entire nation know just how much race is on the minds of their elected officials?

As far as I can tell that's really the main point. A big part of Obama's time in office has been about trying to quell racial issues in society and this is all about that. Does it actually do anything? No, not really. But it does say that the government, or at least the Obama administration, is trying to make things as least racist as possible. Our country has been under massive racial tension the last two years or so and I think that this is mostly a symbolic olive branch essentially.

Jamie Stick wrote: I guess I don't understand why cracker would even be close to the same caliber as oriental and negro.

Like, yeah, being called cracker might hurt your feelings but it doesn't have the historical weight of dehumanization that oriental and negro have.

because when someone is called a racial slur it is an insult to their basic person

in a way its the same as being called ugly or stupid: it is the implication that something about the person's basic self is somehow unworthy of respect - or overtly deserving of disrespect

i personally have never stopped to consider the entire history of insults or the historical weigth of a given insult when i have been insulted, and i suspect that is normal for others as well

This topic reminded me of a bit by one of my favorite comedians of all time, George Carlin. I'm just going to leave this here for those who have a few minutes to watch.

George Carlin - Euphamisms

Look about last night I am sorry, that i pissed this board or forum off
and some one just try to hack my laptop.. So just remove the posts that I made about The fredal law
I put the link on twitter and on fb and here so I trying clean up my mess before I have to by new laptop again

FTPC wrote: Look about last night I am sorry, that i pissed this board or forum off
and some one just try to hack my laptop.. So just remove the posts that I made about The fredal law
I put the link on twitter and on fb and here so I trying clean up my mess before I have to by new laptop again

You can be sorry about posting something in anger, but don't be sorry for "pissing people off" You cannot make someone get mad, because we are responsible for our own reactions.

I, for one, am not mad at all. It was a learning opportunity for everyone

you are the master of the word, then when the word is written or tweeted or posted on fb then the word because master of you.. so i guess i will still have to be careful what I say on line from now on

FTPC wrote: you are the master of the word, then when the word is written or tweeted or posted on fb then the word because master of you.. so i guess i will still have to be careful what I say on line from now on

Please dont be too carefull . well a little maybe , but not to much, its good to question things Frank , esp when they concern you , we dont have to agree , but we can get along

OB1Shinobi wrote:

Jamie Stick wrote: I guess I don't understand why cracker would even be close to the same caliber as oriental and negro.

Like, yeah, being called cracker might hurt your feelings but it doesn't have the historical weight of dehumanization that oriental and negro have.

because when someone is called a racial slur it is an insult to their basic person

Except that when a person of color calls a white person 'cracker' it's like saying to your boss, "You're fired." Sure, the boss might be a little hurt that you think they're so bad they deserve to be fired, but it doesn't really do anything. When the boss says, "You're fired" then you're out of a job.