Will & Eve said:
Will...
You didn't just 'touch on this--you 'stomped on it,' with both feet. Apparently, a nerve was touched.
It seems you took a narrowly focused subject, (condemnation of the 'N' word), and stretched it to cover a wide array of ' touchy' issues. I'm not inclined to address the myriad of topics you bring up. That is also my right, no? I'm not here to prove anything; only to talk about the issues.
I'm not privy to your Dark Cavern responsibilities, and didn't intend to offend your sensibilities by suggesting anything was 'your responsibility.' It's just that your use of the 'Administrator' functionary was so visible that I assumed your powers to be great enough to ban the use of offensive language. My bad.
Addressing the 'N' word issue, which is after all the topic of this thread... Since (as you put it), there's 'not one chance in hell' any objections against the use of the word will make a difference, it's apparent that the bottom line is, as was mentioned early in the thread, PROFIT, and no moral or ethical considerations need (or will) apply.
I can live with that, but I do point out that supposedly moral decisions have been made to declare some subjects out-of-bounds. I don't even want to get into that, however, as it re-surfaces a previously opened can of worms.
I'm not one for censoring words. I've made a pretty good living using words effectively. My post here is simply IN SUPPORT of a national outcry AGAINST the use of this particularly gutterish, foul word, which the vast majority of people (black, white, and other) feel is offensive and derisive of the black culture. Perhaps you hadn't heard? If Dark Cavern doesn't choose to be in support of that effort, so be it.
You suggest, in effect that if we don't like the use of the 'N' word (for some reason, I'm reading your SUPPORT of it--you don't seem to state your position unequivocably, one way or the other. WHY?) we should just go away and leave Dark Cavern to it's own devices. Of course I can do without Dark Cavern in my life. I've made some good friends here, but I can reach them through other devices. The reason I stay is because sometimes one has to take a stand and fight against evil and ignorance. I guess I need to add that I don't see the Cavern as evil--just addicted to the profit margin.
I didn't Google (or anything else) support in my calculations about the vast majority of people finding the word offensive. I'll take your statistics at your word. You do, however support my allegations that the significant majority of blacks find the word offensive; not that it matters to Dark Cavern's bottom line.
As to my personal associations, no... It's NOT a word that I generally hear; I usually only come into contact with the word here. And, NO... I don't live in a particularly 'kinder, gentler community...' Maybe I'm isolated from reality in believing that most blacks also don't come into contact with the word on a daily basis. Perhaps your community is the exception? That IS POSSIBLE, isn't it?
I wasn't attempting to saddle you with undertaking anything that would cause you to be put at risk (like trying to enlighten uneducated kids about their futures). But, it does beg a certain thought in my mind... Who's teaching the kids that ebonics is a definite no-no when going to their first job interview? Why NOT the teacher? Who's to tell them the using the 'N' word will summarily END THE INTERVIEW?
Will, I do agree with much of what you posted... There are people (black, white, and other) that I would not go near on a bet. But, do we cede the world to them? Hell no. My thought is that we educate the ignorant, one at a time... It's not something that you (or I) do alone. But we have to make the effort, each in our own way. Writing, talking about the issues is one way.
I've attempted to hit the high spots. Again, no offense is intended, but you raise some sensitive issues.
