2 ms·

The connotation of black and white is not just a western one. It often derives from light vs absence of light (white vs black), where absence of light is often

The connotation of black and white is not just a western one. It often derives from light vs absence of light (white vs black), where absence of light is often taken as something disadvantageous. It is also rather rarely used as good vs bad and more often denotes some vague characteristics (black/white plague for example). I find it especially hard to think of good/bad or even race when using the term blacklist or whitelist tho. There is some good reason to change black-/whitelists naming, but supposed racism is not one of them, because it is only due to some people feeling offended by a technical term. If you change words because some might feel offended, it will never stop. In the end you still have words to denote some characteristic and it will be taken as offensive if it is used at all (or by people of the "wrong" characteristic).

hutzlibu 5y ago
"If you change words because some might feel offended, it will never stop. " Well, since we are evolving our culture our changing of words hopefully never stops. Languge is an ongoing process and much of our language was shaped in a patriarchal, racist and sexist environment, that existed for centuries if not millenias. Now I might say, we advanced from that, so there are necessary language changes happening. That much energy is wasted in that regard, I very much agree. And I'd like some sanity back in the debate. I am also not sure about the black/white thing. (ah btw. some racist indeed favor the blond over black haired people, which gave ways to a antinazi joke: The Arier: Blond like Hitler, thin like Göring and tall like Himmler.) But I am "white", so I am not sure if I can judge about about a black skinned persons feelings about the matter or just ignore them. But that the very color linked to race scheme is stupid in the first place and that this should be the thing fighting against, I would agree. There was a south park episode about that, Cartman hit the black kid (just out of being an asshole with anger problems). And the school was about to punish him as usual, but no, because he was black it was a hate crime and the higher institutions got involved, with big fuss and lots of saying black. So I think Stan in the end said: if you treat people different because of their skin color, it means they are different. So it reinforces the race thinking. So I do agree: when I see a blacklist, I never would associate that with a person. I just try to be a bit sensitive of people who do. Which yes, it is hard to draw the line.

hutzlibu 5y ago

"If you change words because some might feel offended, it will never stop. " Well, since we are evolving our culture our changing of words hopefully never stops. Languge is an ongoing process and much of our language was shaped in a patriarchal, racist and sexist environment, that existed for centuries if not millenias. Now I might say, we advanced from that, so there are necessary language changes happening. That much energy is wasted in that regard, I very much agree. And I'd like some sanity back in the debate. I am also not sure about the black/white thing. (ah btw. some racist indeed favor the blond over black haired people, which gave ways to a antinazi joke: The Arier: Blond like Hitler, thin like Göring and tall like Himmler.) But I am "white", so I am not sure if I can judge about about a black skinned persons feelings about the matter or just ignore them. But that the very color linked to race scheme is stupid in the first place and that this should be the thing fighting against, I would agree. There was a south park episode about that, Cartman hit the black kid (just out of being an asshole with anger problems). And the school was about to punish him as usual, but no, because he was black it was a hate crime and the higher institutions got involved, with big fuss and lots of saying black. So I think Stan in the end said: if you treat people different because of their skin color, it means they are different. So it reinforces the race thinking. So I do agree: when I see a blacklist, I never would associate that with a person. I just try to be a bit sensitive of people who do. Which yes, it is hard to draw the line.