Comment by oxymoran
5 years ago
It’s easy for the choice to be clear when you are entirely missing the point. What are the consequences of using these newly offensive words? What if you used the word but had no idea it was offensive? And how do we police that in a world where more and more things are offensive?
> What are the consequences of using these newly offensive words?
Well, loosely speaking - if it's a truly "newly offensive word", then the general consequence is that someone will politely take you aside and explain that the reasons why so-and-so a word is not great to use in public, explain the reasons why, and suggest alternatives. If you continue to use it regardless, then you are intentionally signalling that your freedom of vocabulary is more important than showing respect to others - which is a position you are entitled to take, and others are entitled to judge accordingly.
"Public dunks" and vicious whispering (without an attempt to actually educate) don't tend to happen (in my, admittedly anecdotal, experience) for truly "newly offensive words", but rather for those that have already spread far and wide enough that there's truly no excuse for ignorance.
> What if you used the word but had no idea it was offensive?
See above. If you find yourself moving in circles where you fear that you'll be judged and condemned rather than advised, I suggest you re-evaluate whether those circles are truly worth it.
> And how do we police that in a world where more and more things are offensive?
Not sure what you're referring to "policing" (the usage itself, or the consequences _of_ the usage), so this may be inaccurate, but - the former happens naturally through social dynamics, and I don't see why the latter needs policing at all? If people are taking disproportionate damaging action based on speech that is perceived to be offensive, that's an offence like any other. If the consequences are "people thinking that you're a bit of a racist/sexist/whatever", then...why does that need policing.
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I suspect I come across as naïve for believing that "the Social Justice crowd" are well-intentioned, and that slip-ups will be gently corrected rather than leading to immediate castigation and ostracism. Conversely, to me, the concern that "if I don't keep up with the seventeen new daily offensive terms, I will be shunned forever!" seems like an over-reaction when most "SJWs" treat not-obviously-deliberate-offensive speech as an opportunity to educate, not attack. I suspect, as always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Our outlooks are products of our environments and experiences - and I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by folks who communicate.