Originally Posted by agent87
Have the Irish in America had a rough time with race relations in US history? Did anyone call you potato to offend you or make you feel like less of a person? If so, what was the situation?
I think the key to the potential difference in situations is simply history. When an older white teacher tells a young black student to "get away from the door and sit down *****h!", who knows what goes through that student's mind. Reminders of slavery, lynchings, and/or simply being looked down on as being inferior aren't that hard to imagine.
As for people calling others the same thing (blacks calling blacks *****s, Irish calling Irish potatoes, or fat people calling fat people fat), a lot of it has to do with feeling a shared identity.
I'll accept ypur argument and opinion, even though I dont agree.
I still think that the people using the term werent around when slavery was abolished and all that... even if there are people who suffered the after effects.
My point i that it IS a very derogatory term, but it has been so mainstreamd by the people who find it offensive that its lost its shock value. If its been so accepted for one group to say it, then there shouldnt be a hold on other people being able to.
Just to add, I can say I pretty much never say the word unless on HAN trying to make a point about this crap, and I sometimes feel uncomfortable saying it myself. But I do think that if one group can throw it around, then anyone should have the right to say it without being looked at as a rasicst.