Words that were ok to use as a witness

by jamesmahon 13 Replies latest social relationships

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  jamesmahon

  This follows on from the other thread on michael jackson and an earlier one this morning. Sufficiently different to start a new thread I thought though.

  On the MJ thread I had a bit of a poke at glander and used a load of anti-gay terms. What I thought was interesting was that they were all terms that I used to use as a witness. Before I was 13 years old. Just a few other terms that we used to use in the 'witness' home:

  "Mucky arab"

  "Dirty Itai" (or "Dirty Aftab")

  "Spick", "Wog", "Chinky"

  We used to tell jokes about indians and ethiopians in the kingdom hall (although not from the platform) and no one ever used to say a thing that we shouldn't. The terms used in the MJ post for gay people we used to use all the time. We would get smacked for saying crap or fart though.

  I'm not saying we were any worse than other people in the 80's. We probably weren't. But we were certainly no better.

  When I look at why we don't use these words it is been led by the 'political correct' culture. I for one think the fact that if being political correctness means that I now would feel sick if my children (or anyone else for that matter) uses these words I get really angry. At the same time as these words have become taboo I think there has also been a marked increase in tolerance - although I can only speak for the UK. Of course there is still a minority that want to hate and use these words but these are now the minority and culture really has changed and hopefully will continure to be more tolerant.

  Anyway, was just wondering if anyone else out there remembers using similar terms as a witness and finding it completely acceptable. Would be interested to know whether such terms are still considered acceptable. Or good honest words, such as fart, that they were not allowed to use.
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  Glander

  generally speaking, one has to use common sense and respect the other persons individuality, not a coarse label that just alienates people you don't even know.

  That being said, I cringe when I hear Chris Rock and other black entertainers use the N word for gratuitous shock value. As far as the Q word, I wouldn't call someone that, but I have used the term in the past. The whole concept that the Q or N words are OK to be used by certain people but not others is ridiculous.
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  jamesmahon

  I wasn't having a go at you Glander but thought the whole thing raised some interesting things about words that we did use/still use. I guess it was that J Woods had not just said 'yup, got that one wrong. Sorry - was meant to be a joke but was a bit tasteless". Rather, the implication was that we were all wrong for not getting the joke and to get off your high horses. Just annoyed me a bit which is why I tried to ram it home a little.

  I must admit whilst if a group wants to take ownership of a word like 'queer' then fair enough but like you it still makes me feel uncomfortable when anyone uses it. I think that is because a 'group' cannot take ownership for everyone in that 'group' - in fact it perpetuates a group mentality on individuals that may not want to be thought of as part of a group at all. Perhaps.
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  Glander

  james.

  i still maintain that Tals. reaction was way over the top for james comment. Let it slide once in awhile instead of squirting blood out of your eyes.
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  paulnotsaul

  Remember your not allowed to say "Oh my God!" so in place you can say "Oh my Word!" and goodness sounded to close to god so that was a no go. WOW!!! aw the memories (nightmares). peaceall paulnotsaul
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  jamesmahon

  Glander - I guess it depends on how nasty you view the term. I heard people shouting it at my brother, usually prefixed with some nice anglo saxon. But I understand that in some parts of the world it is not so bad.

  I remember when my twin brother came back from Australia I took him around to see my rugby pals and he was calling them a bunch of faggots in jest. Really (he was a witness btw). But it was a really mild insult in the part of australia we lived and don't think it even meant a homosexual. It can be a minefield. I think Talesin was right to call him out - maybe not so much for the term but in what relevance it had to any of the preceding discussion. I still don't get the joke but that doesn't mean there isn't an ironic one that is above my head.

  Paulnotsaul. Yeah, the more I think about it the weirder it is. We were allowed to say "good grief" (is that an oxymoron or what) and 'flippin heck' but not 'flaming hell' even though they are the same. Ah that Jehovah. It is all about the semantics.
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  mynameislame

  We had a talk on using the word fag once. It was pretty lame. The argument was that a fag was a bundle of sticks. Still not sure of the point of that talk. Pretty sure the elder giving it didn't have his heart in it. I have a feeling the right intention was there but they really didn't know how present it. BTW it didn't stop us from saying it. I remember being sensitive to most racial comments. Still made a few jokes now and then but no where close to how openly we used gay insults. I don't think it was a Jdub thing though. I remember the same thing in school. I graduated HS in 1983 to give a time frame.
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  jamesmahon

  I grew up in a mining community in the North of England so we didn't see many faces that were not white so think racism was pretty rife in the whole town. The demeaning of gay people was pretty something though. When you have young children calling each other poofs and no one blinks an eyelid save to stop them arguing. No part of the world apparently - just use all their insults until the world says it isn't appropriate.
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  ShirleyW

  There was actually a talk on using the word fag? The Brits call cigarettes fags. Are you in Europe?

  I wonder if they gave that talk at all the KH's, that's one of their most bizarre moves I must say.
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  Farkel

  I wasn't allowed to us "dipfuck" when I was a dub. I made up for that later, though.

  Farkel