Descrimination, Xenephobia, Humans Rights & Equality. Who understands these words

[Rowan Ravenseed]

Ok so those who frequent the chat rooms have probably seen a couple of my rants. I just wanted to put something out there to get people thinking and hopefully help people to understand why I'm so strong when i rant about certain things.

I've attached a poll asking people what they believe human rights to mean,
I will put my opinions and feeling in this post and ask others to share their opinions.

Understandably this issue will arise some fairly strong feeling in people so i will ask every-one to please respond like courteous adults and leave insults and personal attacks behind and stick to debating the subject matter please.

Personally I believe as many have seen me express in channel that oppression of minority groups can be hidden in the subtlest of comments and often without the offender even knowing fully what they are saying.

This is mostly due to the way our language works and words that were once used as descriptive titles become everyday slang. However to the minority group they were used to subjugate these words do not loose their meaning nor do they loos their history and the way in which they were used.

But this is just one issue, many gay men and women in Australia feel that pride events such as mardi gras no longer serve a purpose and I have even heard people use term like "We shouldn't be shoving it in their face" I think to myself are these people aware of the fact that they have fallen into the exact same thinking that has caused homosexuality to be feared and reviled. I wonder when they see heterosexual couples walking down the street hand in hand do they think "how sweet" or do they think "how dare those hetero's shove their sexuality in our face" ???

As to the race issue, being Caucasian i am lucky to not have faced much in the way of racial prejudice but i am very aware of it, here in Australia the terrible way in which we treat our indigenous people, the fact that obama's rise to the seat of power was hailed as a giant step forward for black society when really it should just be celebrated as one man who achieved something illustrates how even in today's age we have a long way to go in understanding racial acceptance.

Feminism is by some considered something so much a part of history that its almost forgotten and today many women carry on their lives taking for granted the rights they have obtained without realising that still today those rights have to be continually fought for.

Then there are the subtle forms of discrimination the ones that separate us from them, the me's from the you's, this side from that. This morning i had a conversation with some people about the whole issue of "Real str8 men don't suck cock" so to speak.

Without realising it the implication here is that men who do suck cock are less than "real men" this attitude whether people realise it or not implies indirectly that anything less than a man is less than human... and in turn subjugates women and homosexuals.

Understanding prejudice and diversely human rights and equality is about understanding that that majority will always seek to subjugate the minority and the only way to stop this is to allow the minority to voice itself and have access to equal rights.

In parting i would just like to illustrate a few "words" that are used commonly as slang where there origins come from and why they are offensive even today.

Faggot, A small bundle of sticks used as kindling to get a fire lighted with. Believed to have come into use to describe homosexuals during the witch trials as homosexuals were thrown into the fires along with the witches like a "faggot". Implying also that homosexuals have as much rights as a bundle of sticks.

Poofter/Poof Probably derived from the small footstool called a poof used as a derogatory probably with the meaning of "no better than a poof" implying the homosexual deserves the same rights as a footstool.

Bitch, A female dog, probably derived from a female dogs protective nature and tendency to attack those seen to come near her young. The implication being that women are as moody as a bitch with pups. Also implying that women have as many rights as a bitch.

Whore, A term for a female sex worker in the middle ages, this one is fairly plain to see as many are fully aware of just how little rights women had let alone female sex workers back in the middle ages.

Nigger, from the latin Nigre meaning black, a term given to slaves brought over from south africa to the americas today used as empowering slang by african american people and close friends of african american peoples but also used by hate groups as a word to imply black people are entitled to as many rights as a slave.

i could continue but i think most of you are seeing my point, while alot fo you think that words are just words...... understand that these words are used to strip people of thier rights and contiued use of certain words in certain ways builds to communal attitudes.

I once explained to a group of people i was talking to about people who commonly use the word "gay" to describe something negative such as "i dont like your hair it looks gay" or "dont do that thats gay" while the people using the words do not mean to be offensive to gay people what they dont realise is they are setting up a community in which the word gay has negative connections... so for future generations who might be learning about thier sexuality and thinking they might be gay it maked it very difficult to come out when all your friend are using the word gay as if it were a plague

 

[B_Think_Kink]

Ranting in the chat room only makes people put you on ignore. Just letting you know.

 

[sparky11point5]

<snark> So does poor spelling. </snark>

FWIW, words carry meaning, is that what you are saying?

 

[Lucky_Luke]

I've attached a poll asking people what they believe human rights to mean, I will put my opinions and feeling in this post and ask others to share their opinions.

The poll choices are an attempt to force a false dichotomy. In reality, people are not actually equal.

And with all due respect, one does not have the right to demand that others accept you. One does not have the right to demand that other people respect your lifestyle choices. One does not have the right to demand a public parade in your own honor (or in honor of your lifestyle). These are not 'human rights' and to assert that they are is a travesty and insult to real human rights and those people who don't have any actual human rights.

One does have the right to be gay, but one doesn't have the right to demand that other people like it, celebrate it or support it. Indeed, many people won't or don't - that is their perogative (as it is yours).

One only has (arguably) the right not to be (reasonably) interferred with.

P.S. Understanding these words is easy, living by them can be challenging.

P.P.S. There is no actual thing as inherent human rights. There are only laws. Some laws (and thus, some rights) can be enforced, and some are not. The distinction is entirely political.

This is mostly due to the way our language works and words that were once used as descriptive titles become everyday slang. However to the minority group they were used to subjugate these words do not loose their meaning nor do they loos their history and the way in which they were used.

So you are saying that words change meaning over time - but not for minority groups who seek to assert they are victims?

The better question might be to ask why minority groups fixate upon words in an effort to construct victimhood.

I once explained to a group of people i was talking to about people who commonly use the word "gay" to describe something negative such as "i dont like your hair it looks gay" or "dont do that thats gay" while the people using the words do not mean to be offensive to gay people what they dont realise is they are setting up a community in which the word gay has negative connections... so for future generations who might be learning about thier sexuality and thinking they might be gay it maked it very difficult to come out when all your friend are using the word gay as if it were a plague

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

One doesn't have the 'right' to demand that people use words only in a way that you approve of.

(The auto-formating feature in this forum software sucks bad - forcing me to re-type my post after I cut-pasted it from my word processor since it arbitrarily changed the fonts all over the place!!!)