Look, we all know Bush gets drunk. Very drunk. Why can't we pay a male prostitute to pose with him in a compromising position? That will be the one thing his army of believers won't be able to stomach.

Apparently murder, lying, and throwing our country in the toilet are perfectly acceptable to them. But being gay? String 'em up!    

What a load of horseshit. Why does everyone have to be sensitive? Why can't some people be assholes like Ozzie, God love him, and some people be whiny little bitches like Jay Mariotti, (I'm serious, have you seen him on ESPN?) and everyone else can mind their business?

I don't know why society has such a hard time accepting that some people are jerks and there's nothing wrong with it.

I digress.

Fag, to me, is one of those words that has lost it's original meaning. I'm just as likely to call one of my friends a fag as I am to call him a cocksucker or asshole. He is not a homosexual, nor does he suck cock and also he is not as anus.

However, when words are said with vitriol they take on a whole new life. No matter what word. Our British friends use the word cunt a great deal and no one seems to care, but you call a woman a cunt and you have crossed a line. So what are we to do, are we supposed to make a list of words that are off limits? Or do we just get over it and maintain a "Stick And Stones" rule?

I think everyone should be forced to take desensitivity training. I could be the teacher:

"Someone called you a name? So fucking what? Next."    

I love Ozzie. And there's no question that Mariotti is a douche.

I was not arguing the point.

My thing is more, there are so many wonderful curse words to choose from, why use one that paints you as a bigot.

Gays are one of the last remaining "safe" groups to victimize with humor.

Think about the word. Cocksucker. Why is it a curse? Because it says you do something wrong. And it's meant to minimize and emasculate.

I've never bought any of the arguments, from whites or non-whites, that the word "nigger" could be used, by anyone, in a non-pejorative way.

It's a bad fucking word. It can't be redeemed.

But, I guess you're right Nick. We should just lighten up and not let the niggers, retards, fatties, homos, towelheads, jews or bitches tell us what we should say.

Better?    

I had someone try to insult me by calling me a mackeral snapper, but I had no idea what that meant so it didn't have its desired affect.

I'll take a page from my dad's book and use "republican" as an insult.    

I take your point. You are suggesting that, depsite my love of all gay people, using the word fag in private company sans any homosexual activity is tantamount to me calling all black people niggers. Got it.

So since we're regulating speech, I'll just go ahead and change my name to Winston Smith.    

I think it's hard for anyone - who is not actually part of a minority in any way - to understand how hurtful some words can be. Well done.    

No. Using the word "nigger" and saying that it doesn't refer to African Americans is roughly equivalent to using the term "cocksucker" and saying that it doesn't refer to homosexuals.

Was my point.

I prefer not to be around people who use racial epithets. And, increasingly, I'm feeling the same about people who use homosexual epithets.

Good-natured hate is still hate.

Cop me some slack. I'm old. I have kids. I'm supposed to complain about how society is going to Hell.    

Society is going to hell.

Don't get me wrong, racial slurs turn my stomach too. But I'll refer you to my two previous posts. 1) It is my belief that the word fag carries no meaning. Perhaps, I would think otherwise if all of my gay friends didn't call each other fags all day long. And, no, I'm not using hyperbole. 2) The word fag and the word nigger are not in the same league.


Please excuse my being a smart ass in my previous comment, I felt a little villified after your response and being an ass is sort of my defense mechanism. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, Sir, and I don't want you to think otherwise.    

You know what's strange? I used to like cottage cheese, and now I don't. Do they still make the kind with the chives? Maybe I should try that.    

You know, you could just cut up your own chives into some regular cottage cheese.    

Don't worry Nick. Love is still in the air.

But you're coming to an interesting point: context matters.

And your gay friends might call each other fags, but I'm sure they could offer many examples of people using the word to them in a way that offended or threatened them.

Clearly, the word "nigger" lives in a similar space. It's used as a throwaway noun in some circles of African Americans. But iit mortifies those in other circles. And it's almost unheard of for a caucasian to say the word. It's loaded.    

I've got chives growing in my herb garden! Excellent suggestion.    

I think Nick understands what you're saying.

But if a public figure says something offensive, should they be sent to sensitivity training or should the public admonish him or her?

Ann Coulter didn't go to sensitivity training, but she got backlash for her stupid comments. I think Ozzie should've been treated the same.

What did he call Mariotti, anyway?    

It's all a matter of perspective. When Natalie Maines said she was ashamed that Bush was from Texas, she pissed off a lot of conservatives. And that makes her my hero.    

Since all agree that context is king, instead of saying I'm going out for a smoke, I'll say "I'm gonna go suck a fag."    

Dilfie! Such language!    

Who was it that pointed out in 1912, a bill was presented to Congress supporting the ban of interracial marriages?

In thirty years, we're gonna look back on all this and just be ashamed.

Let's just use the word ASSHAT--and that describes the Siskel wannabe, as well.    

PS: I hate the word 'pussy' for the same reason. A pussy is a very powerful thing. So when guys call each other pussies, they are totally degrading their mothers.

Fucking asshats    

SYSM this doesn't have anything to do with a certain trip to Omaha does it? Cause ours is a love that needs no namess    

If anyone's interested in reading a book that talks a lot about the word cocksucker, and also uses the act itself as a plot device, I would recomend Dhalgren, by Samuel R. Dalaney. If I had to chose only one book to take to the desert island where I would send the rest of my days, it would be this one. If Dhalgren and Gravity's Rainbow got in a fight, Dhalgren, left for dead, would stagger to its feet and punch the back out Gravity's Rainbow's head in a shower of gore. And bear in mind that I love Gravity's Rainbow.

So go ahead and read Dhalgren, is my point.    

I love literary street fights.    

Ha ha, your blog stinks.