6 ms·

Are you a person of color? It may be relevant to whether or not you could or would likely understand adequately why this might bother someone. Edit: Downvote

Are you a person of color? It may be relevant to whether or not you could or would likely understand adequately why this might bother someone. Edit: Downvotes won’t make this inconvenient reality go away.

AdrianB1 6y ago
I live in a country where slavery is something we read about from books, the master/slave terms have no race conotations. Changing established technical terms just because less than 5% of the world population has some sensitivity to history before their grand-grand parents is excessive. Don't make me remember what Italian's ancestors did to my ancestors, or else I will have to ask current Italians for reparations. Well, this sounds extremely stupid, is it?
- slumpt_ 6y ago
  It doesn’t sound extremely stupid to me. I’m not a person of color but can imagine how it might feel like the right time to shrug certain terms out of our public discourse. That it does not upset you is of no consequence. That it may be hurtful to others has consequence. It’s very little skin off our backs in the grand scheme. If it is a hill you’d like to die on though, do as you must. I’d just suggest that there may be times things frustrate you that you do not understand, and it is then that it can be better to simply listen. Take care.
- asjw 6y ago
  As Italian, I'm sorry for what we did And I add to what you said: don't make me remember what other Italians did to my Italian family, no more than 75 years ago.
  - AdrianB1 6y ago
    Do not be sorry for what some people 2000 years ago did to some other people; it was not you, there is nothing to be sorry about. Collective guilt and collective punishment are bad ideas.
    - taylodl 6y ago
      He's not talking about the Roman Empire...
- taylodl 6y ago
  That 5% of the world population comprises 83% of the world's native English speakers. Since we're talking about making modifications to the words we're using in English then I'd argue that 83% have considerable sway in that conversation - way more than the 5% sway you're arguing they should have.
  - chinesempire 6y ago
    > Since we're talking about making modifications to the words we're using in English We are actually not. Master and slave will continue to exist in English. Besides, your numbers are completely wrong, India and Nigerian have English as one of the official languages, if we sum them there are more people speaking English in those two countries alone than in the entire US of A. Even in Europe there are more people speaking English than in the US. EDIT I ran the numbers These are all countries where English is an official language India 129,377,965 Nigeria 114,172,822 Pakistan 94,300,000 Philippines 70,371,000 United Kingdom 59,600,000 -------------------------- Total 467,821,787 US 283,160,411 Only considering these 5 countries (excluding the entire continent of Oceania) Maybe it's time that US people drop the attitude, because that's the main problem in their society: the feeling that they are on top of everything. It doesn't surprise me at all the rampant racism in a society shaped around the illusion that you are the best and all the others can't even compete in the same league...
ThrowawayR2 6y ago
I'm a minority and have experienced racism in the past. I still think this is a silly gesture, devoid of any real value.

AdrianB1 6y ago

I live in a country where slavery is something we read about from books, the master/slave terms have no race conotations. Changing established technical terms just because less than 5% of the world population has some sensitivity to history before their grand-grand parents is excessive. Don't make me remember what Italian's ancestors did to my ancestors, or else I will have to ask current Italians for reparations. Well, this sounds extremely stupid, is it?

slumpt_ 6y ago
It doesn’t sound extremely stupid to me. I’m not a person of color but can imagine how it might feel like the right time to shrug certain terms out of our public discourse. That it does not upset you is of no consequence. That it may be hurtful to others has consequence. It’s very little skin off our backs in the grand scheme. If it is a hill you’d like to die on though, do as you must. I’d just suggest that there may be times things frustrate you that you do not understand, and it is then that it can be better to simply listen. Take care.
asjw 6y ago
As Italian, I'm sorry for what we did And I add to what you said: don't make me remember what other Italians did to my Italian family, no more than 75 years ago.
- AdrianB1 6y ago
  Do not be sorry for what some people 2000 years ago did to some other people; it was not you, there is nothing to be sorry about. Collective guilt and collective punishment are bad ideas.
  - taylodl 6y ago
    He's not talking about the Roman Empire...
taylodl 6y ago
That 5% of the world population comprises 83% of the world's native English speakers. Since we're talking about making modifications to the words we're using in English then I'd argue that 83% have considerable sway in that conversation - way more than the 5% sway you're arguing they should have.
- chinesempire 6y ago
  > Since we're talking about making modifications to the words we're using in English We are actually not. Master and slave will continue to exist in English. Besides, your numbers are completely wrong, India and Nigerian have English as one of the official languages, if we sum them there are more people speaking English in those two countries alone than in the entire US of A. Even in Europe there are more people speaking English than in the US. EDIT I ran the numbers These are all countries where English is an official language India 129,377,965 Nigeria 114,172,822 Pakistan 94,300,000 Philippines 70,371,000 United Kingdom 59,600,000 -------------------------- Total 467,821,787 US 283,160,411 Only considering these 5 countries (excluding the entire continent of Oceania) Maybe it's time that US people drop the attitude, because that's the main problem in their society: the feeling that they are on top of everything. It doesn't surprise me at all the rampant racism in a society shaped around the illusion that you are the best and all the others can't even compete in the same league...

ThrowawayR2 6y ago

I'm a minority and have experienced racism in the past. I still think this is a silly gesture, devoid of any real value.