Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee
Well I guess my suggestion would be that people who have certain characteristics where a derogatory word can be used to describe them, and are comfortable with using said term to describe themselves, usually are not content with people who DO NOT possess the framed characteristic using the exact same term.
Wow that's a run on sentence.
|
Run on sentence or not, your idea is bang on. Indivdiuals who are in the class that the derogatory term is directed towards may choose to use the term themselves to take some of the power out of it. The obvious, classic example is n****r. Many black people have taken ownership of that term. Just because they may choose to use it themselves, doesn't mean that the hateful conotation has been removed when a non-black indivdiual says it.
Language is far more than just strict verbal meaning. Who says a word, how they say it and when they say it means just as much as the word itself. Context is everything. I'd like to believe most people understand that.