question about racial slurs

what if one person uses a racial slur and another person responds with a racial slur?

Is it right or justified or are they other wrong or is one right and the other wrong?

They both don't matter because it's just a word

I don't really know what point is trying to be conveyed...

clearly it's just a word, but that doesn't mean that it won't be seen as offensive. It's like a person that makes rape jokes or domestic abuse jokes (which they are certainly free to), but then gets surprised when someone gets offended because, in defense, "it's just a joke."

would either one of you care to elaborate?

@cameron83: alright it's offensive.... so what?

It's justified to go back at them with a racial slur

@cameron83: Actions speak louder than words

@hylian@rpgesus

I don't like when people say "it's just a word" yes, it is a word... but words are used to convey a certain meaning and the meaning of some words is hateful. Why have words if they don't mean anything? They do mean something, they were created to have a meaning and to say that those meanings can't or shouldn't affect someone is ridiculous IMO.

To answer the OP's question, no. Don't meet ignorance with ignorance. Rise above it, how does stooping to their level solve anything? It's not going to make you feel better it's just going to escalate the situation.

Thus, people would be offended. Clearly, it matters to some people.

I'm not sure what that explains at all....

or how it's relevant to the question

@cameron83: @thenaughtytitan: If someone say's something bad to you then so what? It's not like they beat you up.

@cameron83: being offended has no meaning it's just whining it gives no special rights... again if they're offended so what? There just offended so they can pick and choose what I can say?

@benk111: It's wrong both ways, I would put more blame on the person who said it first though.

It's literally like you're saying that you don't expect people to get offended when something offensive is said. That's about as asinine as a girl wearing flashy clothes and expecting no one to look.

They have the right to be offended and you have the right not to give a damn. And I said that the words themselves carry meaning. It's like yelling "fire!" in a theater and expecting no repercussions. This line of thinking is baffling.

@cameron83: If someone rights the same thing to someone would that be offensive?

@cameron83: yelling fire is completely different lol that could cause actual harm due to panic of an actual fire...real bad comparison man

Oi

If someone uses a slur on me, I have the right to say what the f*ck I want back.

That wasn't the point of that at all. The point was to show that actions have consequences, whether or nto if it is offensive.

I have no idea what that means

If someone calls me a slur, I have the right to use profanity against them.

Sure... but what does stooping to their level do for you? And the OP is not just asking about profanity in general, they are asking if it makes it okay to call them a racial slur specifically. In some cases two wrongs may make a right but in this case I don't think it does. I just don't think escalating the situation and stooping to a clearly immature and ignorant level will do anything for you but get you into an altercation with someone who is clearly not worth it.

@cameron83: yeah and if the consequence is someone getting offended it doesnt mean sh!t

@rpgesus: In other words, they have the right to be offended (which is a reasonable response. Offensive words might draw...offense), and you have the right to not give a damn.

Moon Man, Moon Man...

Regarding this, you mean that it doesn't mean anything to you.

clearly if someone gets offended for whatever reason, whether or not a person gets physically hurt (like from yelling fire) or emotionally hurt, you don't have to care.

But I don't think that one can say that, just because it doesn't mater to them, thus means that everyone should feel the same way. That is what your OP seemed to convey

By using a racial slur you are targeting the entire race, not just the individual which is why a black person using the word n*gger is the same thing as someone who isn't black using it.

Although the intent is rarely to be racist, for most people the intent of insults is to get at the person so you may use racial slurs if you think there best. They just have racist implications.

It's why women get called sluts and whores online and men get called gay by trolls, trolls want a reaction and even subconsciously they gravitate towards what they think will offend the most.

@cameron83: If I start talking to a black person on the internet. And I call him a n word. Would it be the same?

The same as what?

And what does that have to do with anything? Are we talking about "n!gga" or "n!gger", because that depends on a lot of things, such as context and intent.

Can you use a different (or better) example? Because I'm not really sure what that has to do with my point.

@cameron83: i never said that someone cant take offense to something..... it just doesnt matter if they do

@cameron83: If two people are having an argument on the internet. One person calls the other a ni**ger. Is it the same as saying ti face to face?

It's just a word.. if you're offended it's cause you give it power to do so.

I got called a nigger by an angry white man, and he made a comment with racist/ignorant intent ("I shoot first then ask questions later, you won't have to worry about the police doing it) because he thought I looked like someone he thought vandalized his property (how SURPRSING).

I just said, "ok" after. Lol.

What does face-to-face have to do with anything I said?

This next question may be irrelevant, but why does it not matter of they do? Is it, in purely simple terms, because you just don't give a damn?

This isn't rhetorical and is just a question, it has very little to do with the discussion.

@cameron83: You've been talking about how words have meaning

@cameron83: oh so theyre offended so i HAVE to give a damn?

Again, what does saying it face to face as compared to the internet have anything to do with what I said. I'm not sure where that was ever said on this thread.

@cameron83: This thread is a face to face conversationthaat it

....what?

I'm really not sure if you're understanding me, or if you're just messing with me....

And Internet interaction is not what most people would call "face to face" interaction (And yes, this is the internet). Not that it matters because I've said nothing about it on the internet compared to f2f interactions

@cameron83: I honestly have no idea what I wrote there. What I meant to say was that this thread was infering face to face interaxtion

that was probably just a simple error.

Still though....it's irrelevant to what I said, as far as I can tell.

@cameron83: I'm just trying to say that unless there is an action with the word than it shouldn't be offensive.

@hylian: can you edit that comment for me? There's another error, so it's hard to read

Where did I say that?

I am almost 100% certain that I said the opposite at least twice

@cameron83: ok so its meaningless... you can be offended but it doesnt actually mean anything or give anyone special rights/privilege to decide what can and cant be said

@cameron83: Sorry. My keyboard is gigantic. It's easy to make mistakes

(1 foot 1 inch)

So you're basically saying that, if they're offended, then that's their problem?

@cameron83: absolutely.... of course its their problem

But again, that's like a girl wearing flashy, revealing clothing expecting people not to look. It's a bit of a ridiculous request because, by nature, people are going to look. It works the same way: By nature, offensive words are going to be seen as offensive by some people. That's all I'm saying.

@cameron83: He's right, and I agree 100%.

@cameron83: That literally has nothing to do at all about what we're talking about

Okay. Just asking.

My main argument though was in regards to your comment of "...it's just a word."

when people say that, it usually means that a word shouldn't be seen as offensive "because it's just a word", but that's asinine for reasons already stated. But again, you don't have to care whether you hurt them physically (with violence) or with words.

That was the main point of all of that (not sure why communication on CV is such a struggle, but whatever).