Comment by iknowstuff
5 days ago
Using that word means that centuries of enslavement and subhuman treatment are not abhorrent to you. Because a person who finds it abhorrent would never use it. In essence it shows you still put yourself above other people in that incredibly vile way
No it doesn’t. It means you’ve said a word, which could be for any number of malicious or non-malicious reasons.
Why does saying “fag” not elicit the same level of repulsion in people? Homosexuals have been treated awfully throughout history, but for some reason it doesn’t hit as hard for people. You could say the same for “kike” or any other number of offensive terms linked to a people who have been targeted throughout history and even today.
A good example is that I was able to write out the two offensive terms mentioned above - no euphemism required, but from what I’ve experienced writing the dreaded “n” word in any context means your comment is auto-dead.
In a document discussing taboo words and how a tech company chooses to categorize them it seems foolish to block that one word but not all the others.
Is there any context in which you feel it is acceptable to use that word?
There’s not really any neutral reason to speak or write that word, at least in the U.S., because it is so infamous that in any context you can use “the n word” and everyone will know exactly what you mean. In terms of direct semantic meaning, the actual word adds nothing.
The potential downsides of using it are also famous. So the only remaining reasons to speak it are to show that you can (demonstrating your power), or choose to (demonstrating an obstinate desire for conflict).
And obviously if you are installing a text filter in software, you will need to type it out and store it that way.
In addition to the situation that you described where it is essential to use the specific word in a technical matter, it also seems reasonable to use that word in certain academic and legal contexts when quoting or reciting something that contains it.
Good thing mentioning it does not mean that.
Of course not, tf?
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