So do men (edited) mind if someone calls them a bitch or from another viewpoint, call their sister, mother, wife a bitch. Or call them a "son of a bitch"? Probably not.
New Massachusetts Bill ProposesTo Fine or Jail Someone For Calling Someone a Bitch!
by minimus 34 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Simon
Everything depends on context.
I called a girl at work a bitch in front of everyone ... but it was in humour, and everyone thought it was hilarious including her (I can't remember the setup, just the reaction).
If someone was calling someone you care about a bitch in an aggressive manner or being aggressive to a stranger (checkout girl, server etc...) then it'd be entirely different.
This is why idiot politicians pushing ill conceived and unworkable laws like this are stupid. They are already covered by existing laws, what they are trying to do is push for ever greater government control and provide excuses for arbitrary punishment of people based on someone's say-so - not how the law is meant to work.
-
LoveUniHateExams
@Blondie
Yeah, good question. You're an intelligent woman and these questions must be asked.
If someone called my mother a bitch, I'd be upset.
Of course, context matters - let's say my mum is alive (she's not - she's been dead for 15 years) and someone calls her a bitch to her face. That's outlawed in UK law under disturbance of the peace. That's right, us UK citizens can't go up to some random schmoe in the street and yell 'bitch!' (or 'nigger', or 'slut' or 'white bastard' or 'Paki', or 'faggot', etc.) in their face. But, free speech means that calling someone names on social media or as a joke is kinda ok. It's not disturbance of the peace. If someone called my mother a bitch on FaceBook, well, that's covered because of free speech - I don't have to read those nasty posts about my mother. If I get offended, it's because I chose to read those nasty posts about my mother.
-
blondie
Good points, LUHE, context is the key and considering others around you. But it is not something that can be legislated and enforced, as I mentioned in a previous post on here.
Previous BL post:
Why only bitch? Why not certain swear words like the f word, or the c word, or other derogatory words about other body parts?
I haven't read the reason for why bitch was singled out, but I can't think of a reason why the reason would be valid or helpful. After all, who is going to enforce it when there are so many real crimes/problems that need attention.
The school system in Madison, WI, learned that arbitrary laws like "zero tolerance" and does not consider the circumstances, just makes a blanket rule and created an angry response from a large number of people that do not normally agree on other things.
-
FedUpJW
I would never call someone a bitch...I would just say that when their kids come home for a visit the mother runs out from under the porch and bites them in the ankle.
-
minimus
I told my tennis buddies about the new rule floating around in Mass. One guy is a very liberal Democrat. He swears a lot. Lol ... after he would miss a shot I would say, “how does that taste, bitch?”.... all said in good fun to show the absurdity of it all.
-
Incognito
Maybe Massachusetts wants full control of all behaviour similar to the futuristic city depicted in the movie "Demolition Man".
Has anyone checked, have all restaurants in Mass been named 'Taco Bell'?
-
cofty
Laws like that need to be met with mass disobedience.
Nanny state strikes again.
One region of England posted a message on social media last week reminding everybody that it was 'national pronoun day' You can imagine the response from the public. 'When are you having catch a fucking burglar day?' was the most 'liked' comment.
-
stillin
Would it be OK to say "don't be a bitch?"
-
blondie
stillin, it would depend on who you say it to and how they feel.