When are the use of racial slurs deemed "acceptable"?

2015-07-27T14:40:42-04:00

I'm just curious as to when is it acceptable for the use of racial or other slurs... Is it OK if you are using it in the 3rd person (repeating what someone else said)? Or how about when trying to reiterate a passionate point? Would making it published in Websters, regardless of the definition you give it, deem it correct and acceptable for use? Is it really appropriate when two or more people of the same race refer slurs to each other, or to others as long as the one affected doesn't hear? Should there really be a reasonable expectation of privacy for those who accidentally get recorded or overheard using them? Should it be considered freedom of speech? As far as I am concerned, the answer is "NO" for the above and any other situation of this nature... But yet, I still hear it and see (read) it... Even here on RP (which really surprised me) and other social media sites... I've seen (read) it from someone "making a point", or "repeating" what someone else either said or wrote... Does that make it acceptable? Am I the only one feeling this, or am I making way too much out of this? And no, its not just between black and white, and no, I'll NOT mention any names or posts as I'm sure our administrators will find them or it soon enough, if they haven't already... Just wanted to have you all weigh in on this as RP is kinda therapeutic for me... My apologies in advance as this has more than one question and quite a few angles... This is probably more venting than anything else... But? I like RP, so what better place?

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 27 at 2015 2:42 PM

2015-07-27T14:42:01-04:00

NEVER!

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jul 27 at 2015 2:44 PM

2015-07-27T14:44:25-04:00

Never appropriate.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jul 27 at 2015 2:46 PM

2015-07-27T14:46:29-04:00

I'm going to be on the side of NEVER on this one. Regardless if you said it, or if you are repeating the words of someone, you should always take the higher road and just remove that sort of speech from your vocabulary.

Response by CSM Michael Poll made Jul 27 at 2015 2:52 PM

2015-07-27T14:52:27-04:00

Only if in an official inquiry, or reporting an incident where the slur is used as evidence against a person who has use the term, IE if you must quote someone to report the incident. This is the ONLY time I would allow this type of ignorance.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 4:16 PM

2015-07-27T16:16:45-04:00

Well I would caution you not to watch Django Unchained or listen to just about any modern day rap artist. It is a dangerous situation now a days. A person could be signing along to a song by Kanye West and have said many of offensive things without realizing it. But as you say, is this ok? Personally, I don't use such words. I don't repeat them as they are even difficult to say such a word. I do recall something like this being posted a long time ago. It was similar in making the point the point of repeating such words.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jul 27 at 2015 4:43 PM

2015-07-27T16:43:30-04:00

Apparently in rap music...

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Jul 27 at 2015 5:00 PM

2015-07-27T17:00:32-04:00

I think it's acceptable to be specific when telling a soldier/soldiers they cannot use words like honkey, cracker, nigger, spic, etc.

I personally told two different SMs at two different times to turn off their music because they were blasting it throughout the showers while we were deployed.
I specifically said, "you cannot blast music talking about nigger, bitches and hoes in here. It's offensive!" I said this because I heard those exact racist, unprofessional and derogatory words repeated several times in the SM's music choices and I wanted them to know specifically why that music was inappropriate MSgt.

Response by MSgt Robert Pellam made Jul 27 at 2015 5:32 PM

2015-07-27T17:32:46-04:00

I am trying to look at this from every angle. My instinct is to say "Never" but as you said, it appears all around us. I know society as a whole plays a huge part to what we perceive as racial slurs. Individual cultures also push these perceptions. Many people have a hard time understanding cross culture references and they inadvertently say something that is perceived as a racial slur.

Racial slurs occur when one wants to convey emotion, disdain, or even hate. These words are meant to highlight a point, although they tend to overshadow it. So honestly, if you ever want to be taken seriously don't ever use them.

On a side track.

What I think funny is we use the term "Race" to define different Humans. It is a social statement because genetically and biologically there is only one race, the Human Race. We, as perceptive creatures, use our eyes to sense and judge almost everything. That means other humans too. We also compete with each other constantly. Trying to make ourselves feel superior by making others feel inferior is common in the Human Race. We use color of skin, religion, region born, sex, age and almost any physical attribute to employ a feeling of superiority just for us being us. It is one of the human races given flaws that repeats itself over and over again.

How we show this is Racial slurs. Offensive words, that when said, mean the speaker is better then recipient because they are this and the commenter is that.

Problem is, we are all in the same boat. Our lives are fleeting compared to the Universe. Think of the power Humans would have if we all worked together, instead of competing against each other.

But it will never happen as we are Human. It is that competition that defines us, and has defined us for centuries.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 27 at 2015 5:33 PM

2015-07-27T17:33:58-04:00

Never. Simple. Treat people with respect and dignity.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 6:28 PM

2015-07-27T18:28:16-04:00

I think racial slurs are NEVER acceptable.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jul 27 at 2015 6:36 PM

2015-07-27T18:36:19-04:00

I took a "Diverse Cultures" class in college which was on Fort Riley, KS and many of the students were service members. The instructor, who was actually a holder of a PhD in her field has each student say a racist slur for a group of people on the first day of class. This was a protected in environment and no one complained. The instructor was also an African-American woman not that mattered but what really mattered the most of all was her credentials and the class which was being taught. So I think its okay in a class room environment for the purposes of education however, be forewarned, I have found many young Soldiers to be in possession of very thin skin and the Army is partly to blame for that. I was once accused of saying something racist when an African-American Soldier heard my say "food stamps" aka, government food assistance at work. In the end, this Soldier was very uneducated and ignorant unlike myself and she was set straight. I also turned it around on her because she assumed since I was not "black" I must have been saying something racist.

Response by SSG Ray Strenkowski made Jul 27 at 2015 8:08 PM

2015-07-27T20:08:31-04:00

Never - and I even believe it's possible to convey what words were used in an investigation without using the word. Further I don't think it acceptable to use when describing/discussing race relations. it's very easy to substitute the word instead. It shouldn't matter who you are or what race.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 1:19 AM

2015-07-28T01:19:55-04:00

It can be difficult to discuss slurs if saying them, even from an academic position, is considered verboten. Forbidding the use of a word, even when not being used in a hateful manner, just gives it more power. Take the "n-word" for example. It's entirely possible to say nigger without any hate or malice and discuss why it's a horrible and hateful thing to call a black person. You're not fooling anyone by saying "n-word" instead of nigger. Everyone knows what word is being referred to, so what's the point? All of this applies to any other slur.

In short, there's no word that doesn't have it's time and place to be used, and it's entirely possible to say a slur word without prejudice. I give you this post as an example.

Response by SGT Jeremiah B. made Jul 28 at 2015 12:19 PM

2015-07-28T12:19:03-04:00

When quoting, as carefully considered illustration or when the word is an object of discussion. Essentially, I think there are case-by-case circumstances where using an offensive word is appropriate, but it is NEVER when you are pointing it at someone or a group or in casual speech.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2015 5:58 PM

2015-08-02T17:58:48-04:00

Other than an official report, i.e. EEO, it is NEVER acceptable by ANYONE.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 28 at 2015 7:42 PM

2015-11-28T19:42:13-05:00

Treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 28 at 2015 7:50 PM

2015-11-28T19:50:24-05:00

Good question.

Response by SPC Nathan Freeman made Nov 28 at 2015 8:11 PM

2015-11-28T20:11:15-05:00

All speech is protected as long as it is the truth. Even offensive language is protected. UCMJ has a tighter leash on this than the constitution.

That being said, we should each practice the golden rule which in my opinion trumps the Constitution. The Bible says to speak the truth in love. It's hard to speak lovingly using racial slurs unless you're relating a story that includes racial slurs to make a point. Tone of voice and facial cues make a difference. Of course on RP and FB, you can't see or hear any of that.

Banning a behavior doesn't stop the attitude. It actually makes things worse. I've seen a serious uptick in the amount of confederate flags being flown since they got banned.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Nov 28 at 2015 9:26 PM

2015-11-28T21:26:06-05:00

MSgt Curtis Ellis 40 years ago, Soldiers in A/--/--company thought they were being cute w/ a friend of theirs. I found it was distasteful, but the subject always played along.