Sometimes the etymology of a word can be very useful, other times its just garbage..this is garbage. Language needs at least context and content to be of use to anyone. If I say Phil is gay, I could either mean he is happy, or I could mean he is a homosexual, and its only in the context of the conversation (remember that stuff?) that you can understand my intent. Context is necessary, its what gives us the ability to communicate efficently enough with one another to convey information. And it is certainly possible, and probable, to convey information when it is not intended. For example: I'm talking to someone about Kosovo, they continually reffer to the "Kosovarians" and talk about the conflict as being a battle for control of the Dead Sea. Though they haven't said "I don't know anything about the Balkans" they have said it well enough for me to understand. They certainly didn't mean to say such a thing, but the information was still conveyed, just as someone can betray themselves to be a "passive homophobe" (even though I still don't know what that means) by things which are said, but are not explicitly stated. And as to Phil's post about chewing someone out because they used the word gay, you missed the point. It wasn't that "gay" or "homosexual" is a bad word, but in using it to degrade someone, you are only degrading homosexuals. Would you call someone an Indian Giver? I would hope not, and I'd thank you not to in my presence. Mark Bleib Immer Locker. >homo=same >phobia=fear of. > >homo+phobia= fear of the same. > >i dont know about you but im affraid of not having any variety in my life. i >want things to be different and not monotonous and not always the same. i >know thats not what you meant when you said homophobic...just like anyone >else out there calling poeple homophobic for using the term "fag", but do >you get my point? words dont always mean exactly what they are always meant >to. ~blake ----- Original Message ----- From: Philip Smoker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2000 10:14 AM Subject: [MMouse]: The Word Police > > > Using the word "gay" or "fag" does equate "passive > homophobia" anymore than owning a guitar automatically > makes you a musician. Regardless of yr own thoughts > and feelings on the terms used, you are not capable of > gauging the intent or purpose behind using those > words, whether in a public or private forum. You are > only responsible for how they affect you personally. > If you are offended and disgusted by them, you are > certainly entitled to voice that opinion and explain > why you feel that way, if you so desire. However, > telling someone that they are "passively homophobic" > is preposterous and condescending. It's a pissing > contest, a name-calling grudge where someone uses a > word you disagree with so you in turn take a blind > stab at their psychological content, as if making that > kind of an insult about a person's psyche is somehow > more acceptable than saying the word in question in > the first place. You can ride yr high horse into town > and attempt to judge the people around you all that > you'd like, but that doesn't make you a better person. > > > I call my friends "my niggas," does that make me > "passively racist?" What color am I? > > > *phiL* > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! > http://photos.yahoo.com >
