Yes. There are certain things you can say that drives most of the rationality out of the response. It doesn't really even matter if you don't use them in a wrong way, as a term of abuse, or a way to attack, you still don't get to say them, even in a rational discussion of the issue, without a serious counter attack, unless perhaps you are a member of a certain group. (The N word can be used in almost any fashion by a black person, esp. a liberal or apolitical black person, but a white talk show host, esp. a non-liberal one, doesn't get any slack)
I don't think that's right. As much as discussing such words isn't normally something I'm all that interested in doing, I think people should be able to publicly discuses them, without serious repercussions, but then we live in the real world, not some idealized perfect world, and if your a prominent non-liberal white person, esp. if your on radio or TV, or are a politician, you have to know that any use, even the most academic of uses, can create a firestorm. Most people realize that and self-censor, exactly because they don't want to be the next person driven out. I'd prefer more open communication. |
