"Crazy ass cracker"

[Agschmid]

Are you offended?

Is this an offensive term?

Just wondering...

41 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Zimmerman is guilty
	21 (51%)
	Offended/Offensive
	12 (29%)
	Not Offended/Offensive
	7 (17%)
	If I am on the jury I'm hiding this
	1 (2%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[hrmjustin]

1. It is an offensive term but I had to vote that Zimmerman is guilty.

I have never heard it here in NYC

[tularetom]

2. Context please

I'm not personally offended but I'd like to know what the fuck you're talking about.

[Agschmid]

10. Testimony from Zimmerman trial...

Frustrated that Trayvon is on trial rather than Zimmerman.

I get the term is offensive but it is so beneath the point of the trial.

I'm angry.

[Raine]

11. Martin called Zimmerman a "creepy ass cracker". nt

[backscatter712]

19. And he was right! n/t

[Agschmid]

22. Yup!

Totally accurate description.

[freshwest]

91. He'd have been lucky to get something so mild from me. I'm experienced at profanity.

But it wouldn't be anything worse than what regularly came out of Zimmerman's ugly mouth, the little toad.

[Raine]

98. Me too, I got a real profane streak and I know how to use it. nt.

[backscatter712]

122. Hell, I skip straight past the racial slurs and move straight to dehumanizing metaphors.

Truly vicious verbal abuse requires skill.

[KurtNYC]

101. Not quite - to his friend, on the cellphone, TM described Zim: "creepy-ass cracker is staring at me"

Not the same as face-to-face calling someone that term. Not quite.

Knock knock loved this phrase so much that he managed to make her repeat it 4 times in 60 seconds.

[Raine]

115. yup you're right, it's not same even though that's what Zimmerman is, especially creepy. nt

[customerserviceguy]

132. So, if I used the n-word among fellow white people

with no African-American person able to hear, it's OK?

This isn't going to play well with the jury.

[loyalsister]

142. That seems logical to me

Not only that, what does "cracker" actually mean? "White person with bad intentions," "scummy white person" just "white person"?

Even the worst possible interpretations I can come up with don't rival the "N" word with all of it's historical context.

[NightWatcher]

3. I thought it was "cracker ass cracker"

I was listening to Chris Rock again last night and he's dead on.

[Democracyinkind]

4. Context: Couple of minutes later, he called him a n*****

So don't get the impression that this is proof of some anti-"white" attitude. Consider what terms you would use if you'd find yourself being stalked... It's not as if he opened a valedictorian speech with those words... context...

[Agschmid]

14. Not anti white attitude...

I am angry that instead of us prosecuting this man for murdering a kid we are making sure everyone knows what Trayvon said.

[Democracyinkind]

29. Ditto.

[avaistheone1]

15. Agreed.

I don't like either of those terms. They are both pejoratives.

However, I do understand and I can deal with the context Trayvon was using them given he was being stalked by Zimmerman.

[one_voice]

6. What the fuck?

No, not even close to as offensive.

[Texasgal]

9. Errr...right?

Hello MIRT!

[EvilAL]

32. and.... he's gone..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=304793

[one_voice]

34. MIRT on the job!

[Agschmid]

37. Woohoo good job MIRT!

[EvilAL]

38. Skinner served him the pizza...

[freshwest]

92. What brand was it?

[pinboy3niner]

102. Tombstone

Duh!

[EvilAL]

108. lol,

love that .gif
hahahahah

[Agschmid]

16. Not EVEN close.

[EvilAL]

17. Really?

[Raine]

18. It is NOT, that's total BULLSHIT

and you fucking know it!!!!!

[backscatter712]

23. Racial slurs don't have the same sting when used against the dominant bastards.

They're used by dominant bastards to verbally assault minorities.

[avaistheone1]

27. Racial slurs are hurtful, negative, inflammatory and counterproductive regardless of who is casting

them.

Is that the path and the kind of dialogue Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandala encouraged?

[carolinayellowdog]

44. "cracker" is a class slur IMO

invented by whites to diss poorer rural whites-- I have a link but the links are screwing up again

[Buzz Clik]

28. For the sake of equal treatment, shouldn't it be...

"They're used by dominant bastards to verbally assault minority bastards."

[avaistheone1]

31. Racial slurs are used by stupid people to show others how stupid they are.

It works like a charm.

[Buzz Clik]

33. "bastard" is a racial slur"? "dominant bastard"?

Who used a slur of any kind????

[avaistheone1]

36. I was referencing the n word, and the word cracker (not dominant bastard).

Both are racial slurs. imo

[Buzz Clik]

39. Sorry. Brain cramp.

[avaistheone1]

40. No problem.

Happens to me more than I'd like to admit.

[freshwest]

93. No. The bastard is the one in charge of bastardly behavior such as verbal assaults.

The aggressor cannot transfer his state of being illegitimate or acting improperly onto the object of the abuse.

Also, said bastard would presume himself to not equal with the assaulted, or he would not attempt to do so.

The difference in power between the two is the trigger of the abuse. You do not abuse a peer or an equal.

Since they might just whup your ass.

IMHO.

[avaistheone1]

7. Well he is.

But that expression should not be used as it is pejorative.

[Whisp]

8. I just read the other day on the meaning of 'cracker'

It was the sound of the whips that the slaves heard when they got the whip.

Crack!

so I dunno about it being offensive except to the poor people that had to endure the whipping. I can easily see it being a generic term used for the many way to keep beating on black people.

[Agschmid]

20. Did not know the origin of the term.

Thanks for the knowledge.

[Bluenorthwest]

47. That is not actually the origin of the term, and the term is very very Florida specific

The word goes back to 1500's and meant 'braggart' or 'big talker'. It is used in Shakespeare.
Craic pronounced 'crack' is still the word for lively conversation in Ireland and certain other quarters. Scots Irish settlers in the harsh Southern colonies were called Crackers, an in Florida the term applied eventually and specifically to cowboys, Cracker Cowhunters.
The word does not come from the sound of a whip. It is older than the slave trade and it is still in use in the original meaning.

[winter is coming]

59. +1. n/t

[d_r]

64. thanks for posting that

I never knew that and it is interesting at this point in life to learn something new. I was always told that it came from living in a cracker house. they were called cracker houses because they looked like cracker boxes. they were the old wooden houses - metal roofs, front porch, rectangle. When I was growing up the poorer people lived in old cracker houses. So it made sense that people called poor people crackers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_cracker_architecture

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/architecture-and-design/cracker-farmhouses-1840-1920.shtml

http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/photos/arts/crackr/crackr.htm

[Eleanors38]

85. My Mom (who is 93) grew up in a "cracker-built" house...

The screened-in porch was important (some completely enclosed the house!), providing a cooler place to sleep (family members dragged mattresses out onto the porch to escape the hot kitchen where the wood-burning stove was always in use). The first Crackers arriving in Florida were highly nomadic & usually on foot and traveled with their livestock on pathworks & trails. These destitute people often could not make a living under the slave regime, and fled to Florida where slave culture was not as widespread beyond N. Florida, bookkeeping was bad, and no one wished to track you down for debts, crimes and CSA draft-dodging. Being nomadic, their "housing" didn't rate cracker-builts, but were make-shift lean-tos. If discovered squatting on private land, they had to move on if share-cropping could not be agreed to. Some reached frontier land where they could quit-claim as late as the 1920s.

Their living conditions were very harsh, and they suffered displacement frequently.

Ever heard of a cracker cart? A 2-wheeled cart drawn by a horse or other livestock, with the driver riding the animal. A text (1870) referenced similar vehicles in the St. Augustine area as "go-carts."

[d_r]

110. No I've never heard

of a cracker cart! I didn't know so much about the nomadic lifestyle of the crackers. That's really interesting and makes a lot of sense.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

73. +1

[Kali]

51. that makes sense but I always thought it was from Florida cattle drivers

both at wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_%28pejorative%29

[Sissyk]

113. Me, too!

[RZM]

58. That's not the origin of the term

As was pointed out up thread. It referred to settlers described as always 'cracking their mouths off,' or as we say today, 'talking a bunch of shit.' Same use as 'cracking a joke' or 'cracking wise.'

It's got nothing to do with whips or slavery.

[Eleanors38]

75. There are several origins, but the "slave whip" is questionable:

Sound of very long whip cracking as cattle were driven out of thick brush & palmetto, notably in SW Florida. Cow Hunters (often another name for Crackers) had marginal need for rope, a decent saddle or even good boots, but they needed a long whip -- said to be heard for a mile.

(2) Those who cracked corn for moonshine (popular outside of Florida).

(3) One given to bragging & boasting, Scots origin.

(4) Sound of folks cracking pecans against each other.

Some dictionaries also reference Boer ethnicity in S. Africa. Our family's b.g. goes back to antebellum Florida. The term was not considered an insult; "white trash" was.

At a recent 4th of July parade in Micanopy, several "Crackers" on horseback paraded through, loudly cracking whips. One if the cow hunters was African-American.

[freshwest]

96. OMG. Thanks for the info.

[The Straight Story]

12. He should be fired from his cooking show

[NM_Birder]

13. you wonder if someone is offended

by a racist slur ? even if it is pretty mild and stupid ?

What's the most severe level of racist mockery that is allowed here, and is everybody fair game or just some, to some degree ?

[avaistheone1]

24. +10

[Zoeisright]

21. I don't give a rat's ass.

Because as a white person I have never ever been discriminated against, been unable to speak my mind, or been systematically destroyed of the color of my skin. That's what most people don't get. If you're a white person, you cannot charge anyone else with racism against you, because you have no idea what it means.

[Agschmid]

25. +1

I've experience homophobia but I feel that racism is even worse. So I can't even imagine the difficulty is causes in daily life.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

83. Black (minority) LGBT have it bad, too. Skin color is obviously instantly recognizable than

orientation, but imagine the mixed feelings: yesterday the SCOTUS ripped the VRA apart. Today, they granted more civil rights to LGBT.

Black and minority LGBTs will still endure voter suppression.

[SharonAnn]

52. You mean, as a white MAN you have never been discriminated against ...

White women have some different experiences.

[Hoyt]

55. Exactly. Good post.

It's like those yahoos (hope that term is OK) who go crazy because a minority group has their own prom, even though the white folks wouldn't allow blacks to go to "their" prom.

If Martin called that piece of crud Zimmerman a "cracker" and knocked him to the ground, he deserved it. Of course if Martin had prevailed, he would be rotting in jail.

Sometimes, "cracker" is an apt term, and deserved - such as in case of armed bigot.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

81. Whoop, there it is!! Nothing more frustrating to a black person than hearing a white person

telling him/her that something said or done isn't racist or that racism is on the decline. How do they know? They're not black/minority!

[Scootaloo]

87. +10

You've laid out excellently the thing that gives such slurs their edge: power disparity. That disparity is what makes "honkey" or "cracker" laughable and childish-sounding, but keeps a sharp edge on "ni**er" or "coon." It's dependent on which side of the insult holds power over the other.

[Buzz Clik]

26. What kind of crazy-assed cracker put together this incomprehensible poll?

[carolinayellowdog]

30. "cracker" seems to be a Floridian version of "redneck"

and since I call myself the latter and don't consider it offensive, were I in Florida I'd probably be unoffended by "cracker"

[ecstatic]

35. Florida is the only state where I've heard that word used (regularly) nt

[HereSince1628]

57. I think it was created for Florida cattlemen...who cracked their whip to drive cattle

consequently a rural working class guy...which makes it similar to redneck sensu USA a rural working class person

[LittleBlue]

41. I'm white and not really offended

Cracker has become mainstream in pop culture like the n word. It's just another way of saying "white guy".

[avaistheone1]

43. I think that depends on what generation you are from, and it even may be influenced by what area

of the country you live in.

[LittleBlue]

45. Agreed

When I was going to high school around 2000, the use of cracker between blacks and whites was a friendly jibe. This was in the Pacific Northwest, where (as long as I've lived) racial tensions are basically non-existent.

[Generic Other]

111. I agree

Calling anyone a "cracker" would have made everyone laugh! And think you meant white as a saltine. LOL.

[rrneck]

46. It's not offensive unless you want it to be, and communicate that intent to me. nt

[DevonRex]

48. I can't imagine being offended by being called a cracker.

Maybe that's because I'm white, straight and grew up in Mississippi. The N-word is offensive to black people, sure. And the F....t-word, etc, is offensive to LGBTs, for good reason.

Cracker just feels like white people just decided to be offended by a silly word when they still hold an inordinate amount of power.

[Agschmid]

49. It does...

Feels like we should be offended by something right? Totally ridiculous that this is even a thing.

[DevonRex]

68. Exactly. Very silly. I just feel like we straight white people sound ridiculous

when we whine. Like fundamentalists sound when they whine about Christians being persecuted in the US. First, it diminishes persecution to nothingness. Second, it's just not true in a real or comparative sense.

[penultimate]

63. I've never found the word cracker offensive...

Someone accused me of being a racist one time just because I disagreed with them on something that wasn't even race related. The gist was that they said I disagreed with them because I didn't think a black man should be able to have his own opinion without having the white man's opinion... I find stuff like that more offensive than someone calling me a cracker.

Cracker. Peckerboy. White boy. Whatever. Those, to me, are just words with little meaning. Being a labeled a racist has far deeper meaning though that's probably more on par with a black person being called the N-word.

Current criticisms of people expressing criticism of our president has riled up a lot of people, perhaps because others feel the same way?

[Aerows]

50. Offensive term

Doesn't matter what the context is, and it doesn't matter since Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and stalked a teenager against the advice of dispatch.

[flamingdem]

53. certainly not between friends

what are we going to censor humor too?

cracker has always sounded funny to me, crazy ass makes it funnier

[Isoldeblue]

54. As offensive as an

unarmed child, who had every right to be where he was and what he was doing, being murdered by a gung-ho, vigilante hot-dog? No where close.

I have worse names for the GZ. He scared that poor boy. So that was relatively mild.

But I'm sure my favorite will be his next new one, "my bitch', for Georgie, by some lifer in prison.

[arely staircase]

56. oh, i thought this was another mike huckabee post

nt

[marmar]

61. ROFL

[Enrique]

109. DUzy!

[JenniferJuniper]

60. Offensive? I seriously had no idea.

Should I refer to the peanut butter and cr*****s my kid was eating earlier as "PB and biscuits" from now on?

[Agschmid]

62. Try crumpets... It's British.

That must mean it is safe to use?

[arely staircase]

72. unless you are paula dean

then its peanut butter and n*****s

[ZombieHorde]

65. I actually find that racist term to be humorous. nt

[question everything]

66. Are you a Floridian?

This term is quite common in Florida.

At least, when we lived there 20 years ago, Floridians were divided into crackers (natives) and conches (new comers).

[ProdigalJunkMail]

67. i guess you can only be a bigot on this board

if you are bigoted toward the right groups. fuck this bullshit...

sP

[JenniferJuniper]

69. How has the word "cracker" been used in history to oppress, um,

whoever it's supposed to be insulting?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

105. go look up the term bigot

and see if you can figure out what part of your question needs correcting.

sP

[freshwest]

95. Call me a list of bigoted names for white people. I'll tell you which one hurts.

I'm white and have always been at ease about it. I'd like to know which names said by non-whites or whites feels as if you're being discriminated against, or offends you. I don't feel at all threatened or discriminated against just because I'm white, but I know I have been for other reasons. And please tell me which groups are the subject of bigotry at DU. I don't feel that way at all, but may be missing something.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

106. so cracker isn't good enough for you?

i would suggest looking up the term bigot...

sP

[freshwest]

136. Let's start again. Your first post I replied to:

67. i guess you can only be a bigot on this board if you are bigoted toward the right groups. fuck this bullshit...

And that your comment, I replied:

95. Call me a list of bigoted names for white people. I'll tell you which one hurts. I'm white and have always been at ease about it. I'd like to know which names said by non-whites or whites feels as if you're being discriminated against, or offends you. I don't feel at all threatened or discriminated against just because I'm white, but I know I have been for other reasons. And please tell me which groups are the subject of bigotry at DU. I don't feel that way at all, but may be missing something.

Your reply didn't answer my questions, nor come up with a name to offend me:

106. so cracker isn't good enough for you? i would suggest looking up the term bigot...

You seem focused on the word cracker, but Z was also called creepy. What has that got to do with DU members?

I don't need to look up the term bigot as I already know, but don't use the term. It doesn't change hearts or minds. But you brought DU into this. So that is all the definition needed. The TOS at DU states:

No bigoted hate speech.

Do not post bigotry based on someone's race or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or lack thereof, disability, or other comparable personal characteristic. To be clear: This includes any post which states opposition to full equal rights for gays and lesbians; it also includes any post asserting disloyalty by Jewish Americans, claiming nefarious influence by Jews/Zionists/Israel, advocating the destruction of the state of Israel, or arguing that Holocaust deniers are just misunderstood. In determining what constitutes bigotry, please be aware that we cannot know what is in anyone's heart, and we will give members the benefit of the doubt, when — and only when — such doubt exists.

This is a thread with a poll based on a trial and the statement of a young man just before being shot dead by a stalker. Why make it about other DUers?

Really, you shot out the gate with that by yourself. I want to know why you are charging DUers with being bigoted.

I don't think bigotry is an attractive quality nor is it a quality or a privilege anyone would want to have, or would complain about not getting to express.

It appears you are saying it is a privilege to be a bigot at DU. Who is being afforded this privilege and who is not?

You appear to be saying that not all DUers are allowed equal rights. Who are the right groups that you speak of here?

As far as your question, you went off topic but, I'll answer you anyway.

Yes, cracker is good enough for me. Sure, call me a cracker. I won't be offended. I wouldn't call you a bigot for saying that or anything else. Will you call yourself a bigot then?

AFAIK, no one has ever called another member a cracker at DU, or anything on the list in the TOS. As I said, call me a cracker or whatever you want, it's like water off a duck's back. Although that would be a quacker, maybe. Feel free to call me that, too.

I'm not oppressed on the basis of my skin color and never have been. Calling me names for being white is laughable to me as I am not losing anything.

I don't call anyone names out the TOS here or any other kind of names, really. Why bother. DU was not the subject of this thread until you choose it to be.

Have a nice weekend.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

138. sorry if i don't stay glued to a trial

there was no context offered for the use of the term cracker... and i am sorry that the term cracker doesn't offend you. in most cases that i have experienced it is being used with the same hatred as that behind the n-word.

i find that no word is offensive... but the intent behind it... usually is.

sP

and yes, bigotry IS allowed on DU as long as it targets certain religious groups (for one instance)... take a look around... and to be honest, as long as members are slamming southern white guys... that bigotry is allowed as well... but some people act like THAT bigotry is almost a virtue.

[freshwest]

144. Okay, I see your context now. And the TOS is just what it is. I strong disagree with place of origin

and religion or lack of one disrespect that devolves into name calling and division on DU as some people have quit DU over it. To win, the tent has to be tent and not fighting each other inside it.

[DesMoinesDem]

70. It's a racist term used by racists.

Trayvon was a racist. That doesn't mean Zimmerman is not guilty.

[uponit7771]

71. lol

[bobduca]

82. "racist" vs. "bigoted"

The difference between a racist and a bigot is that bigots can be prejudiced, but have no power structure that backs up their bigotry. Racists by the current definition, rely on a white majority which backs up their bigotry and prejudice. The often silent /hidden power structure that backs up racism is absent when a black individual calls some white dude a "cracker"

[Pelican]

116. That might be what you think it means...

The terms themselves don't have anything to do with "power structures" or majorities.

One person of X ethnicity can be racist towards a million strong population of Y.

[bobduca]

117. No

but thanks for playing. A powerless bigot is a bigot.

[Pelican]

118. No but what?

Definition of RACISM

1
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

Belief in your race's superiority or another race's lack

Definition of BIGOT

: a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

Less focused on race but an obvious example...

Note the lack of anything regarding historical population percentages or who is historically or currently the most oppresssed. Also not the lack of any qualifier that says that any bigot or racist must currently be in power.

[bobduca]

119. Let me guess

You don't believe in "white privilege" ?

[Pelican]

120. Let me guess...

You are going to hope that I don't notice that you are ignoring the point of the conversation.

[bobduca]

121. the point being you deny power has any aspect to the term "racist"

yeah i'm trying to ignore your regressive attempt at false equivalence.

[Pelican]

123. Look...

... just because your don't know what the word means, doesn't mean that the rest of us have to accept your incorrect definition.

By the definition of the words, a homeless person with zero money, zero possessions and of an ethnicity that has been historically persecuted can be racist or bigoted towards members of a rich, powerful ethnic majority with no history of persecution.

Stomping your feet and holding your breath won't make the definition change. Call Webster...

[bobduca]

124. how about attend some college in the past 20 years?

"Stomping my feet" oh you mean like claiming that "cracker" is a "racist" term?

The only ones offended by this term are white racists.

Oh and for the record, fuck cracker racists.

[Pelican]

126. Are claiming that calling someone a cracker is not racist?

Just keep digging... I'm sure you'll get out of that hole eventually...

[bobduca]

128. Yeah its a bigoted term of no consequence. with no history of lynching

False equivalence in action. Enjoy your websters dictionary, thou lofty pedant.

[Pelican]

129. I see you at least found the website...

It's a good start. Now use it...

[bobduca]

130. Plonk

now off to the cracker barrel with you.

[Tanuki]

74. I thought this was going to be about Paula Deen n/t

[jberryhill]

76. No thank, I have some wheat thins

How are they with onion dip?

[freshwest]

94. Damn, what I'd do for a RITZ right now. With that damned canned cheese on it. Sick.

[Taverner]

77. Cracker has NONE of the history, hate and contempt as the N-word

Not even close

[Historic NY]

78. Rush is that you?

[Half-Century Man]

79. Crazy ass cracker??

A cracker who acts in an insane manner?
A cracker who's rear end alone, is insane?
A cracker who owns an insane donkey?
A insane person who fractures rear ends?

[bobduca]

80. what a false dichotomy, hobsons choice bullshit poll

how about: Guilty, and not offended?

[Pelican]

84. It is certainly racist...

[JenniferJuniper]

88. I'm an American who dates back to the JFK administration

and my only experience with the term is from Margaret Mitchell's description of Scarlett's future brother-in-law in Gone With The Wind. Will Benteen was a "South Georgia Cracker" and the term was meant to describe his social status, not his color.

Apparently there are some places where some African Americans have more recently co-opted this word to describe some or all white people. How exactly is that doing any damage to Caucasians as a race? Sounds like there are people out here who are highly insulted by the term, but as your race has not endured what blacks have in this country, I fail to see how it's any different from my father calling anyone who doesn't use a turn signal in traffic a "shit head".

It’s an insult. Don’t let it ruin your day. And beware false equivalency.

[Pelican]

89. Hence the reason I typed a response...

... and didn't just click on the poll.

It is a racist term, regardless of the origin of the word. I'm not insulted as I rarely care what anyone thinks of me, especially bigots.

All of the qualifiers in the world about who is the most oppressed don't justify or impugn. Racist is racist...

[Notafraidtoo]

86. Offensive terms can be relative but..

As a white male if i was to be called a cracker i would first think that's a little rude then probably laugh on the inside a bit with out a second thought about it. Wouldn't really be offended because it has no meaning because i have never been treated poorly by authority,employers or society because of my race.


I Believe it depends on the power one has that uses the slur, A typical White male in America does not have the history of being oppressed that lets say a Typical Black male may have, Every thing is easiest in this country for a White male, when you have such automatic racial and sexual privilege it is difficult to be offended by a term attacking your race or sex.

Its a lot a like yelling at a Millionaire and saying "hey you money hording bastard", or calling someone who is extremely attractive "pretty boy" the privileges that come with good genetics or wealth just don't make insults on those things very cutting.


When your people have been murdered and enslaved and are still not equal that anger and lack of fairness weighs heavily on a man/women's shoulders,your daily life is subject to little things that White males don't have to put up with or even see so a racial or sexual comment can cut like a Knife.


Doesn't make it non offensive it just doesn't have the sting when you have all the advantages.


I know some on DU don't acknowledge that white privilege exists and may take issue with this post, I implore those that deny to please use empathy and actually give the issue thought.

[freshwest]

97. Well said.

[jberryhill]

107. "probably laugh on the inside a bit"

Yep.

By the same token, it is why some people unthinkingly engage in the use of racial or other slurs, and are surprised to be chastised.

The thinking is, "I don't give a shit if someone calls me 'honky'". And I don't. Why should I care.

Does anyone still say "honky"? I never even knew why it was supposed to be insulting in the first place. I probably would have laughed out loud if anyone ever called me one, because it's such a funny word.

[freshwest]

90. I'm WASP. I'm immune to name calling. If you don't understand, that's okay.

Call me any white racial slur you want. I can take it, because it ain't gonna take nothing from me.

And Zimmermann is guilty as sin. BTW, I'm also 'whiter' than he is.

[HappyMe]

99. I'm not offended.

Zimmerman is GUILTY.

[a kennedy]

100. There's something about the way Chris Rock says it.....

[ileus]

103. extra funny IMHO

[Major Hogwash]

104. I thought this was about Republican Senators.

Their brand anyway.

[justiceischeap]

112. Calling someone a "crazy ass cracker" doesn't give them license to kill someone.

That's the only thing that matters in this case. Did he murder Martin or did he protect himself.

[WinkyDink]

140. It was Trayvon who used this term. He didn't kill anyone.

[justiceischeap]

141. I guess I should have said, "Being called a crazy ass cracker doesn't give that person the right...

to kill someone.

[crim son]

114. Not offensive.

I've heard the term "cracker" used many times to describe somebody who is behaving crazily or stupidly and have zero doubt that Zimmerman appeared that way to Trayvon the night he was murdered.

[yurbud]

125. how would this term absolve Zimmerman of guilt?

[yurbud]

127. some white LA talk radio guys invited black people to call in and try to racially insult them and

see if they felt offended.

The hosts were incredibly honest about it, and weren't offended by anything.

One of them said a lot of white people WANTED to be offended more than they actually were offended.

[bobclark86]

131. Does it really matter?

I'm not on the jury, so it doesn't matter what I think (I honestly don't know if he's guilty or not).

Oh, and I call white people crackers and honkeys all the time. Mostly because I know a lot of crazy-ass crackers. Takes one to know one, and all that.

[Earth_First]

133. Some context on 'cracker' being a racial slur:

KING SAMIR SHABAZZ says black people should create militias to exterminate whites, skin them alive, pour acid on them, sic pit bulls on them, bust their heads with rocks and even raid nurseries to "kill everything white in sight."

"I would love nothing more than to come home with a cracker's head in my book bag," Shabazz, a Philly street preacher and national field marshal for the New Black Panther Party, said on a black-power radio show.

http://articles.philly.com/2013-06-27/news/40208598_1_new-black-panther-party-million-youth-march-north-philly

I agree with responses above that it may have regional connotations, however the word 'cracker' certainly has racial motivations...

[MrScorpio]

134. I'm sure that we're going to be seeing some Saltine-American group coming to Z's defense over this

The outrage will be epic.

[Marrah_G]

135. A 17 year old didn't deserve to die because he said cracker.

[Nye Bevan]

137. Sticks and stones can break my bones......

If I start getting all outraged over words, people who want to upset me will just use those words more. Better to laugh it off.

[WinkyDink]

139. Not and not. But then, I'm from a line of coal-crackers.

[Sheldon Cooper]

143. Of course it's not offensive. It's not bigoted or racist or even hateful.

Words used to defame the dominant majority have zero power to inflict hurt or pain. It's like trying to argue that calling a guy a dick is the equivalent of calling a woman a c*nt. It's laughable and so is anyone else who thinks there is an equivalency.