Daniel W. wrote:
[…]
@Tom:
That word is nerd. No one ever feels good about
being called a nerd. No one ever intends good by
using the word (except in humorous settings).
Your writing is collectivist
meaning? (I know the word, but your usage seem obscure to me, so I don’t
understand you.) And in any case, to label something is not to refute an
argument. Only reasoning can do that.
in nature, which I reject wholesale.
What I was saying, which I’ll now put more directly, is that your use of
that word is unacceptable in polite and educated society. It hurts
people who have already been hurt enough, including some of my clients
and a member of my family. I really shouldn’t have to tell you this. If
someone uses that word as you have ANYWHERE, and their usage goes
unchallenged, there is an implicit acceptance of that usage. To regress
toward a time when prejudicial speech was far more common than it is
today is not OK by me, and I believe I have a lot of company.
Your rejection of what I’m trying to tell you is perilously close to
gross ignorance. Or maybe you just don’t give a damn, in which case the
problem is more serious than that of being ignorant.
But
this is a forum about Ruby, not philosophy/economics.
What I’m trying to get across to you is neither philosophy nor
economics. This IS a forum about Ruby, inhabited by members of the human
society, where most of us consider it unacceptable to think, act, or
speak in prejudicial ways. You don’t get a ticket to act like an
imbecile here simply because you program in Ruby - or for any other
reason that I can think of.
Your use of “retarded” is prejudicial because it is a word with only
negative connotations, and it applies to a group of people who are
victims of their genetics. If they were a gene pool, use of the word
“retarded” would be racism, without question. There was a time in my
country (USA) when that was widely acceptable. In my lifetime, this has
changed. We’re not going back to that former time if I have anything to
say about it.
My use of the word “imbecile” in a previous paragraph is different. It
is NOT used any longer to refer to any class of people (although it was,
at one time). Today, it simply means something like “utter fool”. It
cannot be seen as prejudicial usage.
If you want to
talk about such things meet me at Mises Institute and
I will gladly address your points. My username is angryrabbit. See you
there… 
You’ve met me here, and here is were the error was made, so here is the
appropriate forum. It is not acceptable to me to have your choice of
word HERE go without challenge. You made a mistake. I hope you will
think it over. You’re not the only one inhabiting this planet, or even
this forum. Do it again, and I’ll challenge you again, because it will
still be hurtful, and that’s the problem.
t.
–
Tom C., MS MA, LMHC - Private practice Psychotherapist
Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A: (360) 920-1226
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