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Post by bobbbiez on Sept 7, 2013 0:54:27 GMT -5
Shame on you. If you're going to censor ethnic slurs then ya forgot one........"white cracka"......a known derogatory slur toward white people. Now be fair kiddo. What's good for one is good for the other. But Bz, there IS a difference. Many black people are offended when called the N-word by a white cracka when tempers are flaring. But I don't think I've ever met anyone who was offended when called a white cracka. I'll call a few white friends, ask and get back to you. But Dave the court's decision that I mentioned starting this post begs to differ with you. There is NO difference when or who, white or black, uses the "N" word. If black people are offended by the word then they should not be using it either. Rev. Manning did make a very strong point when he stated black people can't have it both ways and only be offended when a white person uses the word and the court in the case I mentioned just verified what the Rev. stated and I believe also. I grew up in a neighborhood where the term white cracka was always used by the blacks toward whites they were fighting with and it was offensive to many. In fact, it is still being used in my neighborhood in W. Utica now. It is meant to be offensive and some take it as that just as some blacks feel about the "N" word. As far back as I can remember white cracka was a known derogatory slur against white people. Those were fighting words. Jeez, if I remember correctly wasn't that racial slur just recently also used and said by Trevor Martin's girlfriend during Zimmerman's trial? I'm beginning to wonder if you and I live in the same world. Listen I could care less who uses what words. I don't offend easily and believe me it would take a hell of a lot more then a word to offend me. I do firmly believe if the blacks are offended by the "N" word then they should lose it from their vocabulary completely and lose using the words white cracka also. What is good for one should be good for the other. It's plain and simple.
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Post by dave on Sept 7, 2013 6:47:17 GMT -5
Well, you're probably right, Bz. I don't live in the normal world, I live in South Carolina. I really don't remember ever being offended by the WC-word, even when I lived in Utica a thousand years ago. Well, fifty years ago.
You know what I think? It isn't the word, it's the insult. We take offense when we know someone is trying to insult us, to get one up on us, to tell us they wish us ill well, deride us, laugh at us, want to piss on the graves of our grandparents. The word isn't important. The hate is important.
I laugh at white cracka because I've never felt the hate of someone calling me that name. Nor have I ever been annoyed to be called a mick. But I'm sure some of my ancestors who came to Utica in 1824 were more than annoyed, because what went along with it was very real. "Irish Need Not Apply" when trying to feed your family and in need of work is not a laughing matter. Nor being told you can't live on certain streets. Just like the Polish a few years later, they took sanctuary in their churches and eventually took over.
Maybe there's a lesson there somewhere.
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Post by bobbbiez on Sept 7, 2013 23:29:57 GMT -5
Well one lesson was learned by what the courts determined in the case this topic is about. No one should use the "N" world black or white.
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Post by Clipper on Sept 8, 2013 10:08:10 GMT -5
Utica was actually quite segregated well up into the 50's. I remember when Polish and Germans lived in the West end, Jewish in the South, Blacks in Washington Courts and the area between Liberty Street and the tracks, and the Italians were predominately in the East end. Each ethnicity also segregated themselves in their own church parishes. St Joseph's and St Patricks were right across the street from each other and both had large congregations serving the German and Irish community respectively Holy Trinity served the Polish community. St Agnes, St Anthony's, and St Mary of Mt Carmel served the predominately Italian East end, along with St Johns, which has always seemed enjoy almost cathedral status among local Catholics.
That self imposed segregation by ethnicity held true until the move to the suburbs seemed to break the trend. People called people by ethnic names back then too, such as kike, kraut, polack, etc. I can't recall thinking anything of it at the time, other than the fact that slamming someone's roots was nothing short of ignorant, and that opinion still holds true today. ALL of us have roots in some other country and could be subjected to one ethnic slur or another.
It is pretty sad that our country is so caught up with this trash that our courts even consider hearing a case as ridiculous as the case you cited BZ.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Sept 8, 2013 10:54:39 GMT -5
One of the best series of posts on the More Stories forum is the one entitled Post Street Blues. www.morestories.proboards.com/It's worth checking if you've not read it (or a little review if you have).
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Post by dave on Sept 8, 2013 14:07:48 GMT -5
Clip, another thing that broke down the barriers was when the sons and daughters of the Irish and Poles and Italians were sent to public and Catholic schools, spoke English with the same Utica accent, assimilated the same American culture and began to smile upon each other with lust. Lust has solved (and probably created) more socioeconomic problems than it is given credit for. Boys and girls together aren't interested in who shot great Grandpa in the Italian Risorgimento fighting in the 1800's. For all its problems, American education brings people together more than it separates them. Such is not true in places like the MidEast where many parents teach hatred to their children.
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Post by bobbbiez on Sept 8, 2013 21:26:34 GMT -5
Utica was actually quite segregated well up into the 50's. I remember when Polish and Germans lived in the West end, Jewish in the South, Blacks in Washington Courts and the area between Liberty Street and the tracks, and the Italians were predominately in the East end. Each ethnicity also segregated themselves in their own church parishes. St Joseph's and St Patricks were right across the street from each other and both had large congregations serving the German and Irish community respectively Holy Trinity served the Polish community. St Agnes, St Anthony's, and St Mary of Mt Carmel served the predominately Italian East end, along with St Johns, which has always seemed enjoy almost cathedral status among local Catholics. That self imposed segregation by ethnicity held true until the move to the suburbs seemed to break the trend. People called people by ethnic names back then too, such as kike, kraut, polack, etc. I can't recall thinking anything of it at the time, other than the fact that slamming someone's roots was nothing short of ignorant, and that opinion still holds true today. ALL of us have roots in some other country and could be subjected to one ethnic slur or another. It is pretty sad that our country is so caught up with this trash that our courts even consider hearing a case as ridiculous as the case you cited BZ. Clip, why would you think this case is ridiculous when the federal court is only clearing the way for jury trials on whether there is a different standard for blacks and whites in the use of the "N" word? I don't find it ridiculous when there have been way to many cases of white people losing their jobs over the use of the word and yet it was acceptable for blacks to use the word without any consequence. That is a double standard in it's truest form. That's sad.
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Post by Clipper on Sept 8, 2013 22:30:14 GMT -5
It IS ridiculous that any such case should be on the docket when there are so many other items of concern that should be adjudicated instead. NOBODY should have to be taken to court to be ordered not to use a word or fined for using a certain word. People should simply know better. What the hell. They sound like whiney assed kids. "Mommy, he called me a bad name." "Johnny, stop calling your sister bad names or I will wash your mouth out with soap." Give me a break. Maybe we can get our lawmakers to pass a law prohibiting the use of certain ethnic terms. Then people can be arrested and jailed for using the words. What the hell, our legislative bodies aren't doing anything else productive other than fighting amongst themselves. It is simply that I really don't give a rat's ass WHAT they call each other as long as they don't do it on this forum.
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Post by bobbbiez on Sept 9, 2013 23:12:29 GMT -5
Clip, I applaud you for feeling it's wrong for anyone to use the "N" word and for censuring the word on the forum but I also applaud the court system for now doing the same.
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Post by Ralph on Sept 9, 2013 23:37:49 GMT -5
I also applaud the court system for now doing the same. And now we have made this litigious society even more so by providing them a means to make money simply by name calling. Now if I could only get my boss to call me a name I could get enough money to buy a new van and take a year off from work. I might be so traumatized I will have to quit altogether, suffer PTSD and file for disability........why, I could even file a discrimination suit if he calls me an old cracker! He would be working for ME when I was done. Don't laugh, this is where it will go down the road. I'm willing to bet there are folks already getting their paperwork in order.
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Post by Clipper on Sept 10, 2013 8:15:53 GMT -5
Exactly Ralph. Such court cases are a waste of taxpayer money and just plain ridiculous. They simply provide another avenue for the lazy to make money without having to put forth any effort.
There ARE words that most folks find offensive, but $280K worth of offensive? In the case in question, it is probably a two sided story. He may have been wrong in calling her the names, but she most likely was not exactly
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