"It's Groundhog Day.. again.."

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by miraja2

Well I would say there IS a difference. The difference is that somebody does care. If we don't care if people call us a "dick" then it is okay to use the word. If women are offended by the word - and many are - than it shouldn't be used. It seems strange to tell somebody "You should not be offended by this or that, because I am not offended by this other thing." If they are offended by it I say fine.....let's not use it. I don't really care what their reason is.

I think the reasoning behind it is that, when a Caucasian uses the word n***** against a black person, it's coming from a position of the stronger person using it to knock the weaker. Kicking the cripple, to borrow from Molly Ivins, as it were. Likewise when men use the word c***. When someone black or someone female uses the terms themselves, it's not starting from a position of superior economic or social or physical status; it's from an equal position because, on some level, it can apply to the speaker, too. Taking one to know one.

The fact is, "dick," "prick," "cock" or any other synonym for penis won't ever have the same power because we praise people by associated bravery with having the male equipment-- "ballsy," "cocky," "has cojones," "put his dick on the table," whatever. Whereas no one ever said, "man, she's got some clitoris" or "takes a lot of vagina to do that" or whatever. Call someone female and you're automatically calling them weak. We can call someone a d*ck, but it just doesn't have the same power because being male is not treated like something intrinsically bad- it's more often a compliment "act like a real man". Like "bitch," which doesn't bother me- on some level, I know I'm not a canine, whereas, I always know I have a c*nt. So it can't hurt the same way.

Does that clarify at all? It was good for me to think about it, actually. I'm pleased you called me out on it, really.