[Agamemnon]

Originally posted by CaramonLS+May 23 2005, 05:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (CaramonLS @ May 23 2005, 05:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

There's a pretty easy way to figure out if a word is 'politically correct' or not. If the person you're referring to doesn't appreciate being referred to in that way, and takes offense, then you've got yourself a derogatory term.

Apparently some people here think it's up to the user of the term's discretion as to whether or not what they're saying is derogatory (or racist). I'd suggest it's up to the person/group being called the name, rather than the one calling it.

Seems to make sense, no?

It seems like some of you guys are fighting to the death to refer to people/groups with whatever hate words YOU deem necessary. It's not up to you. Maybe you don't have to call any group/people names based on their religion, race, or country of origin. If Japanese people (or any others) take offense to use of the word 'Jap' (especially in this context, WWII), then why does one have to use it? Can't you/they just say 'Japanese, Person from Japan'? It's interesting that some posters are defending this MP's 'right to be derogatory' because the Japanese did horrible things to the Allies in WWII. I don't see a lot of Germans being referred to as 'krauts' around the political circles these days... why do the 'krauts' get off but the 'japs' term is still alive and kicking?

Pick something else to marginlize them on outside of race/religion/country. Or don't, and grow up instead.

Because I'd say the Majority of people see the racist term for Japanese people to be "Nip".

Obviously if there are some Japanese readers on this site I'd like some insight, maybe I'm just being ignorant, but in my opinion Jap isn't on the same level as "n****r".[/b][/quote]
Well, as I point out in my post, the 'majority of people' have nothing to do with labelling the term derogatory. It is the people being called the name that decide, not the 'majority' of all people. There used to be a time when the 'majority' of North America used the n-word a lot... I doubt there was ever a time when a 'majority' of black people appreciated it though.

I'm not sure if you can 'scale' or rank the rudeness of ethnic slurs.

Why would you want to? What would be the motivation behind that? To find which slurs are acceptable, and which aren't?