Why are ethnic slurs considered worse than any other form of cruel speech?

[Anonymous]

Please be patient with me, I mean no harm. But, I’ve recently come across this forum and I feel I have the opportunity to ask questions of a large group of people about subjects that I have wondered about for a long time.

Could someone help me understand why ethically cruel speech is considered to be more unacceptable than cruel speech in general. Why is it that people seem to be able call others names like fatso, ugly, pimple puss, stupid, etc. etc. Or say things like “I hate you” or “Everyone hates you”, “you suck” “you stink” “f—k you” and this type of speech is not considered as bad as racial and ethnic slurs.

Isn’t it all equally hurtful and shouldn’t it all be considered equally socially unacceptable?

[Anonymous]

We've codified this into law, too. You get a longer incarceration if you're convicted of killing someone because they're, let's say, a minority race than you will if you are convicted of killing someone because you hate the size of their feet (another immutable trait).

[Anonymous]

When someone uses an ethnic slur on me, it tells me that no matter what I try to do as an individual, some people will always see me in a disparaging way. Usuallly, they didn't bother to know me enough to hate me. They didn't bother to look beyond my race to notice whether I'm stupid or ugly. They concluded that I must be stupid and ugly because my background is not like theirs.

Other cruel speech usually is brought on by some event or interaction. When people use ethnic slurs on me, sometimes they come out of the blue, like if I'm walking down the street minding my own business. Since I have experienced the slurs before, it leads me to distrust other people for no reason, since I have been insulted without provocation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've codified this into law, too. You get a longer incarceration if you're convicted of killing someone because they're, let's say, a minority race than you will if you are convicted of killing someone because you hate the size of their feet (another immutable trait).

That is only if something has been designated as a "hate crime," which is a designation that few murders receive. In reality, if a black person a crime victim, the consequences for the criminal are less severe.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-penalty-black-and-white-who-lives-who-dies-who-decides

[Anonymous]

Right. Our legislators have decided which things it's really, really bad to hate (ie, certain skin tones) and which things it's not as bad to hate.

[Anonymous]

'You stink,' 'You suck,' or even "F--k you' are just toss off insults without much power. It's just someone's opinion on your conduct. Fine, whatever. That's their opinion.

Racial and ethnic slurs "You stink, you dirty ---- (insert racial/ethnic designation of choice)" really have the power to send an icy chill down the spine. It's not based on conduct. It's based on status alone. You could be the nicest person in the world and it wouldn't matter, you are still Serbian or Catholic or Hispanic or Inuit or what have you and therefore you are unacceptable.

It's very creepy and paranoid-making. It makes you wonder what's in other peoples' hearts and minds and can send you off on a paranoia binge.

[Anonymous]

Because there has never been genocide or "ethnic cleansing" of the stinky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:'You stink,' 'You suck,' or even "F--k you' are just toss off insults without much power. It's just someone's opinion on your conduct. Fine, whatever. That's their opinion.

Racial and ethnic slurs "You stink, you dirty ---- (insert racial/ethnic designation of choice)" really have the power to send an icy chill down the spine. It's not based on conduct. It's based on status alone. You could be the nicest person in the world and it wouldn't matter, you are still Serbian or Catholic or Hispanic or Inuit or what have you and therefore you are unacceptable.

It's very creepy and paranoid-making. It makes you wonder what's in other peoples' hearts and minds and can send you off on a paranoia binge.

You know . . . I don't think they are just toss of comments. They are very painful to me. How can people be so certain that their pain is greater than mine?

[Anonymous]

And, why are ethnic slurs worse than misogynistic (sp?) slurs? Being called bitch, whore, pussy, or even just girl is meant to be derogatory but is accepted speech in our society. If I hear another coach say to his team that they play like a bunch of girls again I think I will scream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please be patient with me, I mean no harm. But, I’ve recently come across this forum and I feel I have the opportunity to ask questions of a large group of people about subjects that I have wondered about for a long time.

Could someone help me understand why ethically cruel speech is considered to be more unacceptable than cruel speech in general. Why is it that people seem to be able call others names like fatso, ugly, pimple puss, stupid, etc. etc. Or say things like “I hate you” or “Everyone hates you”, “you suck” “you stink” “f—k you” and this type of speech is not considered as bad as racial and ethnic slurs.

Isn’t it all equally hurtful and shouldn’t it all be considered equally socially unacceptable?

Political correctness.

[Anonymous]

You know . . . I don't think they are just toss of comments. They are very painful to me. How can people be so certain that their pain is greater than mine?

PP, are people regularly saying these things to you? Calling you "stinky"? Are you 8 years old?

Racial slurs sting especially hard because they carry with them reminders of times when racial hatred was official policy. It was never illegal for a skinny person to marry a fat person. Marchers were never beaten and hosed for being fat. No one has ever systematically rounded up, imprisoned and gasses ugly people.

[Anonymous]

I don't think any of it is socially unacceptable. I wouldn't put up with listening to any type of insult -- directed toward me or otherwise -- either in my own social circle or professionally. Nothing about weight, sexual orientation, looks, skin color, religion. Nothing. Not acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know . . . I don't think they are just toss of comments. They are very painful to me. How can people be so certain that their pain is greater than mine?

PP, are people regularly saying these things to you? Calling you "stinky"? Are you 8 years old?

Racial slurs sting especially hard because they carry with them reminders of times when racial hatred was official policy. It was never illegal for a skinny person to marry a fat person. Marchers were never beaten and hosed for being fat. No one has ever systematically rounded up, imprisoned and gasses ugly people.

Please don't belittle me. You know very well that I am speaking of cruel speech in general. Are you not aware that everyone has some vulnerability that can be exploited in speech. Again, I ask, why would it be less offensive to know exactly where, why, and how an individual is vulnerable and to exploit that weakness, cutting the individual deep into their heart and to have that event somehow be less offensive than a racial or ethnic slur?

The design and purpose behind cruel and offensive speech is for the same purpose and that is to hurt the heart and soul of the individual. Cruel speech is equal in its design and purpose and the pain is the same regardless of how we categorize it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know . . . I don't think they are just toss of comments. They are very painful to me. How can people be so certain that their pain is greater than mine?

PP, are people regularly saying these things to you? Calling you "stinky"? Are you 8 years old?

Racial slurs sting especially hard because they carry with them reminders of times when racial hatred was official policy. It was never illegal for a skinny person to marry a fat person. Marchers were never beaten and hosed for being fat. No one has ever systematically rounded up, imprisoned and gasses ugly people.

Please don't belittle me. You know very well that I am speaking of cruel speech in general. Are you not aware that everyone has some vulnerability that can be exploited in speech. Again, I ask, why would it be less offensive to know exactly where, why, and how an individual is vulnerable and to exploit that weakness, cutting the individual deep into their heart and to have that event somehow be less offensive than a racial or ethnic slur?

The design and purpose behind cruel and offensive speech is for the same purpose and that is to hurt the heart and soul of the individual. Cruel speech is equal in its design and purpose and the pain is the same regardless of how we categorize it.

No one is trying to belittle you. If you are also the poster of the "Goy/Goyim" question thread, your M.O. appears to be "I have an innocent question. Please help me understand the world. It's not my fault my oh-so-innocent question stirs up a lot bad feeling and ethnic and racial tension."

Your little game has run its course. Find another playground You're not a child and this isn't OZ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And, why are ethnic slurs worse than misogynistic (sp?) slurs? Being called bitch, whore, pussy, or even just girl is meant to be derogatory but is accepted speech in our society. If I hear another coach say to his team that they play like a bunch of girls again I think I will scream.

I abhor racism and misogyny. Unfortunately, many men are not aware that using a phrase such as "play like a bunch of girls" is gateway speech for misogyny and sexism. I was a huge Obama supporter, but was not blind to the sexist commentary regarding Sen. Clinton. Some men finally get it when they see their daughters experience sexism, but not always. Alas, this will only change by women speaking up every time they hear such talk and raising their children, not just their daughters, to do the same.