[Tinberry]

Im having a conversation with a friend who is Dutch. English is his second language but he is almost fluent. However, through traveling etc he has picked up slang from other native English speakers from various parts of the world but he doesnt seem to realise some of its racist.

For example he continues to call Germans 'Jerrys' and occasionally uses '*******' as a term for friends.
"I was just hanging out with my ******* from work"

I'm not alone in thinking this is kind of racist am I? I try to explain but he seems to think im making fun of him or something.

[xayshx]

i haven't a clue what that word is meant to be :/

[cyfer]

How is 'Jerry' racist?

[Delta Aitch]

*******? or ******? Because there is a difference, yo. The latter being acceptable in some place by some people and the former being unacceptable everywhere.

[cl_steele]

I wouldnt call it racist, maybe crude and potewntially offensive but not racist...
for a start the Germans arent a race and secondly its no different from other countries calling us limeys... bit crass but no harm no foul
And with regards to calling his friends that I'd say it isnt purely in that he isnt using it to cause racial offence, merely like afro-americans do in that they use it as a sign of friendship.

[cl_steele]

(Original post by xayshx)
i haven't a clue what that word is meant to be :/

im assuming the N word.

[Tinberry]

Ok so perhsps racist is to strong. But I do think a lot of stuff he says in offensive to others. Some told him he sounded Irish (hes Dutch remember) and told them that was the worst insult an Englishman could give. :/

[Tinberry]

Also I didnt know TSR auto blanked stuff?

Yes starts in an N and ends on an R.

[Clare~Bear]

A word should only be considered offensive if the person saying it meant it in a nasty way and the person who it was aimed at found it offensive (plus anyone else within earshot/had access to read it etc).

Plus if you're a foreigner who isn't good at the language or a child, then you don't know what you've done is wrong. You don't shout at a child the first time it does something wrong, you calmly explain to it, what it's done that is wrong and what the consequences will be if they do it again. When I was little, I called my mum a cow. But at the time I thought cows were cute and friendly and didn't realise that it was offensive to call a woman that.

[Mister Dead]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
A word should only be comsidered offensive if the person saying it meant it in a nasty way and the person who it was aimed at found it offensive.

So if I called you a dirty nig*ger, it's ok as long as you think it's funny too?

[Clare~Bear]

(Original post by Mister Dead)
So if I called you a dirty nig*ger, it's ok as long as you think it's funny too?

I'm not black, so that wouldn't offend me, cos I know I'm not one. I'd jsut think you were an uneducated idiot who didn't know what the word meant. Like my case before with a foreigner/child.

[Mister Dead]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
I'm not black, so that wouldn't offend me, cos I know I'm not one.

So because you are not offended, that's ok? I didn't ask you if you would be, I asked you if that makes it fine.

What a humanitarian approach to racism.

[Clare~Bear]

(Original post by Mister Dead)
So because you are not offended, that's ok? I didn't ask you if you would be offended, I asked you if that makes it fine.

What a humanitarian approach to racism.

Why not. If suddenly all ginger people dissapeared, then why would saying something against them be offensive?

[Mister Dead]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
Why not. If suddenly all ginger people dissapeared, then why would saying something against them be offensive?

Right, but I asked about black people. and black people very much haven't disappeared, quite the opposite.

So it's ok for me to use that derogatory and racist comment at you?

[kitari]

Just let him know the negative connotations of the word. The poor guy probably doesn't realise that it's bad and everyone is too polite to correct him.

[Clare~Bear]

(Original post by Mister Dead)
Right, but I asked about black people. and black people very much haven't disappeared, quite the opposite.

So it's ok for me to use that derogatory and racist comment at you?

But it's not derogatory to me, as it doesn't apply to me. I'd think you were an uneducated, blind idiot for saying it, rather than getting upset about it.

[Mister Dead]

(Original post by Clare~Bear)
But it's not derogatory to me, as it doesn't apply to me. I'd think you were an uneducated, blind idiot for saying it, rather than getting upset about it.

A word should only be comsidered offensive if the person saying it meant it in a nasty way and the person who it was aimed at found it offensive.

Racial slurs are frequently used in everyday language. I'm not interested in whether you find it offensive or not, i'm asking if it's ok. I would find it very offensive if I sat next to two people using those terms - do I not count.

[PhoenixFortune]

Am I the only one who thought this thread would be about Christmas and Easter holidays at school/uni being insensitive to other religions?



Okay, just me then.

[IndyAM]

(Original post by Mister Dead)
Racial slurs are frequently used in everyday language. I'm not interested in whether you find it offensive or not, i'm asking if it's ok.

Of course it's OK if you're not offending anyone. Its just a word to anyone who cannot associate with the negative connotations of the word.

[Mister Dead]

(Original post by IndyAM)
Of course it's OK if you're not offending anyone. Its just a word to anyone who cannot associate with the negative connotations of the word.

What if you and friend are sitting next to me. I find it extremely offensive. Do I not count?