The C Word. And the B word.

[RandomAccess]

But first let's talk about racism and Trump. I started this thread to do a little research:

Is the U.S. really experiencing more racist and bigoted incidents?
More verbal attacks, more threats, more actual physical attacks?
If so, what's the cause? Any idea?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210680467

I have to admit I've been a little surprised by the answers but I suspect a lot of people just ignored my thread entirely (it got only 1 recommendation), and one person questioned my education level, ever so politely:

I don't mean to be rude: Are you young by any chance. Have you had world governments in school/college/grad school?

In truth, I don't know that there's any MORE racism today than a few years ago, but I know that it's certainly more overt, and that most people -- both here at DU and analysts, activists and pundits on cable -- fully credit Trump as the main cause of the degeneration.

How does he do that? By his words and actions (or lack thereof). He SAYS things that are racist or express his own racism in equally clear but less overt ways -- lack of compassion, for example or the refusal to denounce or even comment on others' racist acts and words. He creates policies that disadvantage PoC: allows thousands to die in Puerto Rico, separates children from parents at the border, and so forth.

All these things embolden racists to feel free to overtly express their own racism.

It only makes sense: A person in a position of power expressing overt racism with impunity is going to encourage a lot of people to feel free do the same.

And let's be clear. Surely we all know that racism involves a lot more than hurtful words. It ultimately kills. It kills directly (see Black Lives Matter), and it kills indirectly with harmful or neglectful legislation and policy, and not just at the governmental level but also places like medicine, schools, police departments, etc.

---------------------------------

Okay, so what's all this got to do with the C word? And the B word?

It's the same thing.

The words themselves are misogynist, and you can never separate the words from that reality, that context (tho I've seen people try with all their might, right here at DU).

Their use, therefore, validates, entrenches and promotes sexism and misogyny. I would say their use IS an act of overt misogyny.

When women use the word about other women? They may not mean harm, the target women may not feel harm, but that doesn't erase the harm, it just camouflages it.

Some women don't mind these words (either or both). Doesn't change or erase the harm.

Frankly, you can't tell me that when Samantha Bee used it (whether it was her word or one of her writers), that there wasn't a smidgen of woman-hating against Ivanka involved. We women are not immune from having internalized some of our culture's misogyny. I've been there myself: SO angry at some woman that I wanted to scream gender slurs at her.

So if you really consider yourself a progressive, or a liberal, or just an equality-loving centrist Democrat, lose the misogynist language and defense of it, eh?

ALL sexism, ALL racism, ALL homophobia, ALL classism, ALL ableism, ALL ageism kills. All of it. Let's not do it.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. In this the Era of Trump......

the deplorables have come out from under their rocks. They have been emboldened by Trump to act and speak in such a manner that is unprecedented.

The ploy to divide Americans even further is taking hold and we must do what we can to reverse that.

VOTE people!
Run for office
Write letters to the Editors in your local papers
Become more active in your local Democratic Party politics
March for a just cause
Stay true to your values
Have the facts to support your opinions
Keep it CIVIL, no matter how hard it is to do so

[HopeAgain]

2. Good rule of thumb...

If the insult:

1) cannot also be used (commonly) against a white, protestant, heterosexual male,
2) or if the insult when used against me implies I am something other than a then a white, protestant, heterosexual male (i.e., that I am gay or a minority, etc.),

then avoid it entirely.

[RandomAccess]

3. + A Gazillion

FABULOUS Rule of Thumb.

[Hekate]

9. That's it in a nutshell. "Those words" used against a man *always* imply weakness, unmanliness...

...and by no coincidence are synonymous with terms for homosexuality such as faggot. That last one's not a bundle of sticks, in the US.

Used against a woman they are demeaning and connote worthlessness and an attitude of "only good for one thing" in terms an incel would grasp immediately.

I stayed away from the other thread, where someone was persistantly Britsplaining how C was in common usage where he came from (and was, I gather, so harmless you could practically use it in a medical text regarding the female sex organs).

Over here, it's obscene. As obscene as N--r.

[B2G]

4. I missed your first thread, but you get a big rec from me. nt

[RandomAccess]

6. THANK you.

Much appreciated.

[mythology]

5. Don't let those people get you down.

Your original thread made me think and see if there was some research on the subject. My initial look didn't find anything. It's an interesting question.

Because both perception and facts matter. For example cops are constantly told (and tell the public) that their lives are always in danger and so cops are positioned to respond with violence. But objectively violence against cops is down.

Or Trump talking about Mexico sending us rapists and drug dealers while research shows undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crime.

It would be interesting to see if we are actually experiencing more racial violence or just able to see more of it.

[RandomAccess]

7. I'm pretty sure there's more of it

AND, that it's more overt. Good grief, we have 8 white supremacists running for Federal office at the moment -- that's pretty damned overt.

I remember YEARS and years ago (mid-80s, early 90s) there was a study -- a nice, proper scientific study -- that showed that when Gay Rights issues were being discussed (as in pending local or state legislation against gays), the incidences of physical attacks on gays went up quite a bit. I've looked for that study since then, but wasn't able to find it. I thought it was the Human Rights Campaign.

[wonkwest]

8. Homophobia is also partisan situational

When a Republican was in the White House (Dubya), homophobia was the worst thing ever. When a Democrat was in the White House, those same objections suddenly became, "You just hate Obama, troll!"

I do not, for one instant, regret how gay activists pushed the Obama administration. We won! And he came around. This is all a good thing.

But in the midst of it, homophobia for some people magically wasn't a concern by virtue of a Democrat being in power.

So goes racism. "This country is more racist than ever!" 1. No. Anyone passingly familiar with history would disagree. 2. Cops have been shooting black people all along, but no on really cared until Republicans were afoot.

I'll be honest. I despair sometimes and sometimes don't want to bother anymore. If bad things are only bad when you're partisanly interested, you're not a great person, and I don't think you really care. I think you're just a tribal type.

Tribalism is an awful human failing.

[Hekate]

10. KnR

[RandomAccess]

11. Thank you

[MuseRider]

12. 100%

My thoughts yesterday https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210679966#post9

I have seen this word now since the time it happened so much more and every time it take a chink out of my armor, makes me sit back feeling dirty and less of a human. I think it may be probably that the younger women don't always know what has been done all these years to get to this point and we are not nearly as far as we need to go.

I have been here and through these battles before and always, after many many months if not longer it comes out that it is not right to use derogatory terms for women. It is getting harder now to stop this.

I think, for the most part, we have gotten rid of offensive terms for much of the population so why is it so damned hard to stop this? Because we are Women? Can't be, right?

[RandomAccess]

13. "This is not a woman friendly word."

And can never be made woman-friendly.

Excellent post. Thanks for sharing it.

[MuseRider]

14. I meant to thank you for this thread.

Thank you.

I like what you say.

[RandomAccess]

15. I appreciate that

[Igel]

16. I wouldn't use the word "overt."

I suspect that it's as overt and as common as it's ever been.

The word you want is "salient".

[RandomAccess]

17. Thank you, but

no, that's not the word I want.

sa·li·ent
ˈsālyənt/Submit
adjective
1. most noticeable or important.
"it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case"


o·vert
ōˈvərt,ˈōvərt/Submit
adjective
done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden.
"an overt act of aggression"


No, overt is exactly the word I want.