sigh. I suspect I am going to be sorry I answered this (hi Sam) but you are both right, kinda.
Judah is correct in saying that we don't have a right to not be insulted, but I *think* what Eric is talking about is insults based on who we *are* instead of what we do. Nigger is a good example of this sort of insult, as I understand it, because it implies that the person is ignorant *because he is black* and of course that makes the ignorance irredeemable because he cannot change the color of his skin. You've probably heard "I may be fat, but you're stupid, and I can diet." There is no remedy for black skin and "nigger" implies that one is needed. Slut is a similar word since it's a gender reference and a woman cannot change her gender, and it essentially says that sexuality is shameful, and most people are not willing to not have a sexuality. And before someone points this out, yes, these words in certain contexts can both be used humorously or approvingly. I am talking about why they are particularly hurtful when used as insults and why it is not really that wrong to say that people have a right not to hear them. On Sat, Mar 10, 2012 at 4:35 PM, Eric Roberts < ow...@threeravensconsulting.com> wrote: > > I don't think it matters what was done in the past...it is still a human > right. (resending this as it didn't go through for some reason...) > > Eric > > -----Original Message----- > From: Judah McAuley [mailto:ju...@wiredotter.com] > Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 3:42 PM > To: cf-community > Subject: Re: Radio Talk Show Host Randi Rhodes: 'Cut Off Ovaries' Of > Conservative Women Randi Rhodes: 'Cut Off Ovaries' Of Conservative Women > > > I think you are confused about what constitutes a right, Eric. > > I suppose you could try to make an argument for it to be a Natural Right, > ala Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness, etc. But you certainly haven't > done > that so far and I think you'd have a heck of a time solidifying that notion > of a right. Take a look back at our Founding Fathers...they called each > other some really vile shit. Politeness was not the order of the day then > just as it is not now. > > Of course that doesn't mean we can't keep trying to improve things, mind > you. I certainly think we should. I just don't think you can argue it is > any > sort of right. > > Cheers, > Judah > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:348366 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
