Racial slurs may be covered by the First Amendment, but you’re still an asshole for using them
This discussion began because several commenters on the original post reacted to a CG video of the Hiroshima bomb by throwing around the term “Japs” and, one, by lamenting the fact that the atom bombs didn’t kill more Japanese. As I explained in my reaction, it’s an offensive term and there’s no place for it here. Use of such terms is lazy and does nothing to elevate the discussion. It only drags the entire site into the gutter. As the discussion went on, another commenter went out of his way to insult my family directly. He also won’t be joining us anymore.
This thread has been a disappointing one for me. I love the Hot Air community that I have helped build, but there are obviously elements here who just don’t care if they cause offense to the hosts or say and do things that make this site and our community look like a pack of racists. We work very hard here to bring you news you won’t get anywhere else, and insulting my family and questioning my honesty is how I’m repaid?
Thank you. Thank you very much.
That was Bryan Preston’s reaction after this series of events:
- CG rendering of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima is posted
- One commenter uses the slur “Japs” and another wishes that more Japanese had died
- Bryan posts update, telling people that “Jap” is an offensive slur, and that genocidal wishes aren’t appropriate for the site
- A whole mess of commenters argue that “Jap” is not offensive (“it’s just an abbreviation!”), and then proceed to use it to insult Bryan’s family
Apparently racism is a topic that can be adequately discussed by stirring a bowl of Frosted Alpha-Bits with a broken thermometer.
Next assignment: justify using the c-word to refer a person of the female gender. They all have them… it’s one of the best gender-distinguishing characteristics. They could just choose not to be offended by the term. Discuss.
