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Is dressing up as a Native American really that offensive?

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[QUOTE=Good bloke;66534154]Are you saying all religious beliefs should be respected? Or just the ones ingrained into a culture?

It doesn't matter how ingrained into the culture a belief is, if it is irrational it is not worthy of respect.

If someone spat on my mother's grave I would think they were wasting their time as she is past caring, and I have more sense than to be offended. Respect for people, dead or alive, though, is not the same as respect for irrational beliefs.

Yes, we should respect in all things that are worthy of respect - perhaps they may not be worthy for you but for me they are. I'm agnostic and do not believe in organised religion. Nonetheless I still respect them, their community traditions etcetera.

If people want to be offended, then they should be offended; I don't know why there happens to be this trending force where we're not allowed to find things offensive.

Ridiculous.

Respect is respect - why should we respect someone dead?

Reply 21

username1044970

It probably is to native Americans. Ask one.

Reply 22

TercioOfParma

Original post by teenhorrorstory

I'm not going to name the name of the institute, but I'm currently at a summer school event and tonight we have a costume party. We are limited in choices as the outfits must begin with specific letters. I bought a Native American outfit(really just a brown dress and thin headband with a feather). Earlier today I was confronted by one of the leaders about how my chosen choice of costume is 'cultural appropriation' and may deemed as offensive to some. Frankly I find this absurd, and plan on wearing it still. However I've been attempting to to look at alternative opinions about why such costume is offensive or not right. What are your opinions?

Sounds like a pinko to me, he is being a dick.

Reply 23

username2313507

Original post by SterlingArcher

I don't know why there happens to be this trending force where we're not allowed to find things offensive.

I don't know why there happens to be this trending force where we're constantly told what we can and can't do because we might hurt the feelings of some old people thousands of miles away

Reply 24

DanB1991

Yeah it's like the whole 'Native American' thing, seeing how American Indian is now deemed racist.

If you look at most Native American organisations, both in north and south (but more so north), they actually use the Term Indian themselves.... also the majority of people offended by mascots and/or headdresses are SJW's, most Native American in the Casino trade for example openly use sacred dress for non sacred purposes.

However one thing they don't like is the term 'redskin'..... seeing it's been a racial slur pretty much since it's inception. Same with the term Eskimo.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 25

Good bloke

Original post by SterlingArcher

Yes, we should respect in all things that are worthy of respect

So you think the Meso-American religions that used human sacrifice in large numbers are worthy of respect, and the more modern head-hunting cultures?

Reply 26

SterlingArcher

[QUOTE=TelAviv;66534672]I don't know why there happens to be this trending force where we're constantly told what we can and can't do because we might hurt the feelings of some old people thousands of miles away

Difference being, it's not just about offending old people is it?

Even when there may be sufficient cause to be hurt/annoyed by something it's always downplayed so...

Reply 27

SterlingArcher

[QUOTE=Good bloke;66534846]So you think the Meso-American religions that used human sacrifice in large numbers are worthy of respect, and the more modern head-hunting cultures?

Yes :smile:

Reply 28

Good bloke

Original post by SterlingArcher

Yes

So the fact that the beliefs are irrational and held for religious purposes trumps what the beliefs are?

Do you respect the views of the Nazis who carried on human sacrifice to an even greater degree?

Reply 29

Darelz

Is the event the UNIQ Oxford summer school BOP? Ya, I expected as much, universities tend to be very PC to protect their reputation. I think it's stupid, the majority of most cultures don't mind if you dress up as something from their culture, since you obviously don't mean offence. In fact you could argue it helps cultures understand one another. But it's not worth kicking up a fuss about tbh, you probably want to leave a good impression. So my advice would be to not go as a Native American, even though you might not believe it's wrong.

Reply 30

teenhorrorstory

Thanks for all your responses. In the end I decided to wear the costume

Reply 31

SterlingArcher

[QUOTE=Good bloke;66534972]So the fact that the beliefs are irrational and held for religious purposes trumps what the beliefs are?

Do you respect the views of the Nazis who carried on human sacrifice to an even greater degree?

Nope, but since you want to ask me silly questions I'll entertain it; I said already that I'm against organised religion but I respect certain traditions and cultures of these religions.

This is not me saying I respect Christians using the Bible as justification for slavery etc. I respect traditions such as marriage where they see it as a spiritual bond or respecting Muslims that fasting.

When it comes to religions and beliefs that sacrifice people - it's a nono from that aspect. It doesn't mean that they won't have something there worthy of respect.

For example, if they have a certain attitude towards the care of the elderly, like Catholics believing in having a duty to look after Earth etc.

Reply 32

Darelz

Original post by teenhorrorstory

Thanks for all your responses. In the end I decided to wear the costume

Alright, have a good time!

Reply 33

Good bloke

Original post by SterlingArcher

Nope, but since you want to ask me silly questions I'll entertain it; I said already that I'm against organised religion but I respect certain traditions and cultures of these religions.

This is not me saying I respect Christians using the Bible as justification for slavery etc. I respect traditions such as marriage where they see it as a spiritual bond or respecting Muslims that fasting.

When it comes to religions and beliefs that sacrifice people - it's a nono from that aspect. It doesn't mean that they won't have something there worthy of respect.

For example, if they have a certain attitude towards the care of the elderly, like Catholics believing in having a duty to look after Earth etc.

Well, I asked specific questions and it now appears you gave rather unspecific answers. It now transpires that only selected religious practices and beliefs are worthy of your respect; ones you deem worthy of respect in an entirely individual and subjective way, as is only reasonable.

You'll understand that others have different views and will reasonably respect altogether different subsets of religions' beliefs, or none at all. So claiming that people should not use certain clothing as you (a non-adherent) happen to respect that particular aspect of that particular religion,is fraught with difficulty for the potential party-goer. You probably won't even be at the party. Who knows?

The best solution is simply to go as whatever you wish and allow anyone who is offended to be offended without taking offence yourself.

Reply 34

TimmonaPortella

You can wear whatever you want OP. Anyone who has ever used the phrase 'cultural appropriation' in a non-ironic sense is not worth worrying about.

Reply 35

Ladymusiclover

Oh did anyone make a fuss about the costume?

Reply 36

the bear

Original post by Alexion

I wish I were a girl just so I could wear a kimono tbh :emo:

if you identify as a girl you are a girl... get that kimono on babe

:desu:

Reply 37

Drunk Punx

Original post by SterlingArcher

No, for the most part this is wrong. Native Americans make money through the land that the US government allows them to have (which I believe they're also allowed their own tax)

Does that notion (the one in which settlers steal land and then are gracious enough to let the indigenous people live on it again after they've realised that the natural resources the land contained before they got there aren't infinite) not strike you as more immoral than someone wearing a headband with a feather in it?

Priorities m8. There are much more important things to debate than the clothing someone is wearing.